Two Bayside North squads face off to decide who heads to the MPSSAA 2A State Quarterfinals as the Easton Warriors hit the road to Centreville to take on the Queen Anne’s County Lions.
These two squads are no strangers to each other. In their last ten matchups, it has been the Lions with the upper hand; as they’ve taken seven of those ten games. For Easton, they haven’t had multiple wins over QAC in the same season since 2018-2019. These two also met in the playoffs just a season ago, as Queen Anne’s defeated Easton 62 - 52 in the first round before falling to Wicomico in the following round. Fast forward to 2024 and these two squads finished second and third in the Bayside North standings. In the first regular season matchup, the Lions continued their recent success over the Warriors, as they went into Easton and picked up a 78 - 56 win. However, the Warriors would get revenge in the most recent matchup, as they picked up a big 66 - 60 victory back at home on January 30th.
Easton would finish the regular season as winners of seven of their last eight games with the only loss coming at the hands of the eventual Bayside Champs in the Cambridge-South Dorchester Vikings. The Warriors are led by sophomore guard Marshall Bailey, who has showcased his ability to score from anywhere on the floor during his multiple performances on DSN. After a first round bye, Easton would defeat Butch Waller’s Wicomico Tribe 69 - 56 to advance to the regional final.
On the other side, after their loss to Easton on January 30th, Queen Anne’s County responded in a ferocious fashion by going into Valhalla and upsetting CSD 58 - 57. The Lions would carry the momentum from that win through the regular season as they took their next three games over North Dorchester, Wicomico, and Kent Island (a tight 76-73 win). After a first round bye, Vincent Gilberto and Jadereon Thompson would combine for 27 points in the first half to give the Lions a one-point lead over Parkside heading into the break. After holding off a late Parkside rally, Queen Anne’s eventually picked up the 62 - 55 win to move on to the regional final.
With the series tied at one this season, which team would take not only the season series, but the State quarterfinal berth? Will it be Easton on the road or will QAC be able to protect home court and bounce the Warriors for the second straight year? Be sure to tune in to The Final Score tonight at 10:30pm for the highlights to find out.
