Last night, the Eastside Catholic Crusaders, the 2025 3A Metro League girls’ champions, faced off against the Lakeside Lions in a district semifinal game at Bellevue College. Lakeside, looking to avenge a recent loss to the Crusaders, entered the court with high hopes.
The game got off to a slow start, which the fans at the packed Bellevue College gym were not expecting, as both teams usually light up the scoreboard. Eastside Catholic struggled to get on the same page, while Lakeside seemed to be well-structured on the court, running their plays with more consistency. However, halfway through the first quarter, Eastside began to find its rhythm and work well as a team. Freshman Amy Nduka began knocking down shots and hauling in strong rebounds as the Crusaders slowly gained momentum. By the end of the quarter, the Crusaders controlled the tempo of the game and systematically slowed down the Lady Lions’ offense.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with both teams struggling to generate offense. Despite fans begging for a bit more intensity on the court, Lakeside managed to build a solid 22-14 halftime lead.
At the start of the second half, Eastside Catholic began mounting a comeback as Nduka started to assert her presence in the paint. As the intensity picked up, Nduka got into foul trouble, picking up her fourth foul, and was subbed out to take a much-needed break. Despite the foul trouble, Eastside Catholic was able to keep the game relatively close, ending the quarter trailing 30-21.
In the final quarter, Lakeside was quick and efficient, taking control of the game behind the efforts of freshman Helena Christofilis. However, Eastside refused to back down and fought hard to stay in the game. The Crusaders’ efforts slowly but surely started to pay off, but with 40 seconds left in the game and trailing by six, Eastside Catholic needed to act fast. The Crusaders’ Sophie Lugolobi managed to chip in two final points to narrow the gap, but it wasn’t enough, as they fell to the Lady Lions, 41-37.
Christofilis finished the game with 18 points, while Willa Chinn chipped in nine points to lead the Lions. Eastside was led by Nduka, who finished the night with 19 points, while Tatum Carter added 11 points for the Crusaders.
With the win, Lakeside earned a spot in the district championship game on Saturday, where they will face Metro League rival Seattle Prep. Eastside Catholic will face Roosevelt in a game to determine the district’s third and fourth seeds for the state tournament.
