The Life Christian Eagles upended the East Jefferson Rivals at home in Chimacum last Wednesday with a final score of 88-45.

The Eagles starters were oversized compared to the Rivals, with five players 6-foot-5 or taller, and the Eagles used the advantage to control the perimeter and snatch rebounds.

“That’s a great team we just played, they’re probably top one, two, or three in the state,” said EJ Head Coach Emanuel Abbott after the game. “[The Eagles] are definitely one of the top teams in our league. It’s a program we look to become. We’re definitely not there yet, but it’s something we strive to become.”

Life Christian is currently undefeated in Nisqually League play, with a record of 14-0.

One of the Rivals’ top scorers, Lonnie Kenney, was back on the floor after a temporary injury that sidelined him for the past two games.

The Eagles overpowered East Jefferson after tipoff, netting 28 points to the Rivals’ 11 at the end of the first period. Perennial playmakers Austen Hammer and Kenney attempted to keep up with Life Christian, but EJ’s defense couldn’t stop their opponents from scoring on almost every drive.

The second period yielded a similar result with the Eagles tacking on another 32 points, while the Rivals managed only 12. The score at halftime read 50-23 Life Christian.

The second half was slightly better for East Jefferson as they started to slow the Eagles down on offense but simply couldn’t keep up.

Life Christian managed to outscore the Rivals in every period of the game. By the fourth period, both teams put their bench players in with the game well out of EJ’s hands.

In the end, the Eagles swooped in for a straightforward victory of 88-45.

The Rivals’ top scorers were sophomore Stuart Dow with 11 points, junior Austen Hammer with six, and sophomore Gary Zambor with five points.

The playoff chase is still on for the Rivals with vital games coming up in the next week.

“We’ve got three winnable games coming up, that’s what we’re gearing up for, to get into the playoffs,” Abbott said.

“As long as we come out to play basketball, then we’re good. We’ve got a great chance, the kids are going to be ready for it, too.”

“I’d love to say [a] 100 percent chance,” the coach said after being asked the likelihood of East Jefferson securing a playoff berth.

The potential silver lining after the loss to Life Christian is that senior point guard Kenney is back and healthy again for the lineup.

Additionally, sophomore big man Keidan Guzman will likely be healthy by next week, according to Abbott. Guzman’s return could greatly benefit the Rivals, who’ve lacked a consistent outside shooter in recent weeks.