Derrick Henry paced Newton with 16 and while he struggled from the floor, he went 9-of-12 from the free throw line including two in the final seconds of overtime to extend Newton’s lead to three.

Eastside looked nothing like the team that was run out of its own gym by Newton a week earlier. The Eagles controlled the game for much of the night and neither team was able to shake the other. Coming into the game, the Eagles were the clear underdog. But after staying even with a 6-6 first quarter, the two teams locked into a battle of wills.

"I explained to the guys that it was very easy to come in here and think, ‘we can’t beat this team’. So I told them to make sure we don’t get embarrassed," Eastside coach Michael Gerald said. "I said, ‘hey, let’s play 32 minutes’. We played 32 minutes and I had to go and ask them for four more. It just wasn’t meant to be but I’m very, very proud of these guys. [Friday] night we lost a tough one at home. But these games, the fans want to see them and the kids get up for them and this is the first time in a long time that my guys played inspired. They stuck to the game plan and almost pulled it off."

Unlike their matchup two weeks ago at Eastside in which Newton won by 27, the Eagles played a zone against the Rams precision offense and they were unable to break it down from outside.

"We struggled from outside and never really did get them out of their zone," Rasmussen said. "That was the difference between this Saturday and last Saturday. We just didn’t make our outside shots and I thought we got impatient and settled for lazy 3-point attempts rather than patiently moving the ball and breaking their zone down."

Newton converted just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half and trailed 20-17 at the break.

Eastside scored the opening bucket of the third quarter to take a 5-point lead before Newton finally went on a run. Henry and Jared Mann each hit threes during a 12-1 spurt and the Rams looked like they’d finally seize control and run away with the game.

Eastside responded though and stormed back with six straight to tie the game at 29 apiece and took a 1-point lead into the final period.

Newton kept up the pressure in the fourth quarter and recaptured the lead in the opening moments. The Rams opened on an 8-2 run capped by Brandon Carlton’s three with 3:38 remaining and led 42-37 after Tevin Bradley’s step back jumper with 1:17 to go in regulation.

After a missed free throw and a quick bucket, Newton again had a chance to ice the game from the line but came up short of the front end of a 1-and-1. Eastside capitalized with Sears’ jumper from the right side to send the game into overtime.

In the extra period, Chuck Edwards struck first for Newton on a nifty up-and-under move to put the Rams up by two only to have Eastside tie it on its next possession. Henry hit a pair of free throws to give Newton a 2-point lead again but Michael Tucker bombed a patented high-arching three from the wing to give Eastside a 1-point lead inside of two minutes. It would be the Eagles’ last lead of the night.

Newton recaptured a 1-point lead on their next possession then after a stop, went to work at the free throw line. After struggling to close out the game from the charity stripe in regulation, the Rams went a perfect 4-of-4 down the stretch.

"I told the guys every possession was going to be important," Rasmussen sad. "You have to play every game one possession at a time offensively and defensively and that’s what it came down to. We made enough plays and got enough stops at the end and made free throws in overtime and that was the difference. That was very good for us because not every game is going to be any easy game and it doesn’t need to be."

Thomas added a bucket to get Eastside to within three and the Eagles had one last chance to force a second overtime. Bradley’s tough perimeter defense thwarted any attempt and Eastside was unable to get a clean look to tie the game.

"I thought we were in the game the entire game," Gerald said, "even when they hit some big shots. "The main thing I was looking at was the kids’ posture and how their demeanor was. We have been so deflated in the past when people made runs on us so I looked at those kids and I saw something different tonight. They stayed up and that’s something you look forward to when you’re getting ready to go into the region tournament."

While a loss is just that, a loss, Eastside’s performance bodes well for the team’s chances in the postseason as the end of the regular season and region tournament approaches.

"I told them, you have to play inspired like this for three more games," Gerald said. "You have to play that one game in the region tournament that gets you into the state tournament and anything can happen and that’s what we’re [coaches] are asking for. If we can give that kind of effort and play that kind of ball — and concentrate on what were are supposed to do execution wise, we can compete."

Newton’s latest victory improved Rasmussen’s record against eastside to 10-0 and 17-1 overall versus the two county schools.

"It was a great game," Rasmussen said. "When you’re doing well and you’re on top so-to-speak, everyone is going to give you their best shot. They made a lot of plays and you have to give them a lot of credit. They played a great game and we’re just happy to come out on top. Again, everybody is going to give you their best shot and you can’t rest on anything you’ve done in the past.

"Where we want to be and where we want to go — playing for a region championship and hopefully do something at the state playoffs, every game we’re going to get somebody’s best shot. Everyone wants to win the region tournament and everyone wants to make the state playoffs so I’m glad that it was like that to make it tough for us."