No. 7 Eastfield Beats No. 6 North Lake to Move into Second Place

MESQUITE, Texas – Dallas College Eastfield men's basketball team beat Dallas College North Lake 85-74 Saturday to move into sole possession of second place in the Dallas Athletic Conference.

Ranked No. 7 in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III poll, the Harvester Bees (18-8, 10-3 DAC) own a one-game lead over the No. 6 Blazers (17-10, 9-4) with two games remaining in the regular season. The first and second place teams earn a bye in the NJCAA Division III South Central District Tournament quarterfinal round Wednesday, Feb. 25 to be played at the site of the third place finisher. The semifinals and championship will be played at DAC regular season champion Dallas College Richland Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28.

Eastfield's Braydon Campbell scored 20 points, and had four assists to lead four starters in double figures. Martez James finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Ricky Wilson had 14 points and four steals. Aiden White had 13 points, four assists and four steals.

The Harvesters, who won the season series with the Blazers, built a 15-point lead at halftime. North Lake pulled within eight at the midway point of the second half, and then capped a 9-2 run when Damiran Smith sank a free throw to cut it to 62-61. The Bees used an 8-2 run of their own to take a 70-63 lead with 6:04 remaining when Campbell sank two free throws.

Zach Thompson scored on a runout, and converted a three-point play at the 5:02 mark as North Lake pulled within three. Wilson scored on a bunny, and then dove for a loose ball to give Eastfield possession. Wilson scored on the other end to push the Harvesters' lead out to 76-69. Ngozi Ofili scored on an over-the-top feed from Ja'Den Stiggers as the Blazers cut it to five with 3:20 remaining.

Campbell split a pair at the free throw line, Wilson sank two more and James scored on a baseline drive as the Harvester Bees stretched the lead out to nine with 1:12 to go to put it away.

The Bees shot 48.2 percent from the field. They were 26 of 37 at the free throw line for 70.3 percent. The Blazers shot 44.4 percent from the floor, going 24 of 54. They were 24 of 37 at the free throw line for 64.9 percent.

Eastfield's Nash Beard scored nine points off the bench, and Martin Nicholas added seven. North Lake's Zaedyn Owens had 18 points and eight rebounds. Ofili finished with 15 points, six boards and a steal. Thompson had 13 points and two steals. Smith scored 12, going 7 of 9 at the free throw line.

Eastfield hosts No. 1 Richland (20-6, 13-0) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the final regular season home game. The Bees finish the regular season at Dallas College Cedar Valley (4-21, 1-12) at 1 p.m. Saturday.