Call It What You Want: Cannon catches fire as Riverside downs Eastside, 55-46
Drew Cannon put up 23 points against Eastside to lead his Warriors to a 55-46 win. Cannon shot 8-14 from the field and 5-9 from three-point range in the victory.
Riverside head coach Allen Arnold tried hard to come up with the right word to describe Drew Cannon.
Cannon — who’s averaging nearly 20 points per game over the past two weeks of play— has stepped up in a major way after point guard Rylan Jones suffered a season-ending injury. He’s become a more prominent, ball-dominant factor in Riverside’s methodical offensive system.
On Jan. 16, Cannon led Riverside (17-3, 2-0 region) with 23 points in a crucial 55-46 win over rival Eastside (13-4, 1-2 region).
Arnold finally came up with the right word.
“Drew’s just playing with a lot of swag right now,” Arnold said. “Yeah, that’s it. Swag.”
Cannon smiled.
“That’s one way to put it,” Cannon said. “I think [Coach Arnold] is just starting to see me become more comfortable and confident. I’m just going out there and playing my game instead of overthinking.”
Cannon started Tuesday’s game against the Eagles with two straight three-point misses. It didn’t rattle his confidence, however, as the sharp-shooting senior finished 5-9 from beyond the arc.
Two of his missed threes hardly count, said Arnold, as they came on desperation heaves at the second and third-quarter buzzers.
“I feel like when you start to see a couple go down, see a couple go through, that rim starts to look bigger and bigger,” said Cannon.
The game stayed fairly close throughout, but Riverside never truly lost control. Cannon was a major reason why.
“Drew made some great plays for us, took some great drives, played incredible defense,” said Arnold. “And he shot the ball well like he usually does. He’s just playing solid all-around basketball right now.”
It’s called the “Better Side” rivalry for a reason, said Cannon about the matchup between Riverside and Eastside — two schools separated by just three miles. The Eagles’ home atmosphere was intense and uninviting, but the Warriors rolled in and got the job done.
“They pack their student section in there, all credit to [Eastside],” said Cannon. “It’s a challenging environment to go in and play. It’s a big rivalry. That makes it even more important for us to stay focused and keep our composure to get the win.”
For the Warriors, it’s on to one of the most highly-anticipated matchups of the year across the entire state.
Riverside will welcome Greer on Jan. 23 for the opportunity to take the 4-A Region 2 driver’s seat.
“Greer’s a very talented team,” said Arnold. “They play with a lot of heart and a lot of grit. It will be a great matchup, that’s for sure.”
RIVERSIDE STAT LEADERS
Drew Cannon - 23 points
Mikkel Skinner - 8 points, 10 rebounds
Jack Sauer - 7 points
Julen Iturbe - 5 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists
Reeves Garner - 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
EASTSIDE STAT LEADERS
Justin Ray - 22 points, 6 rebounds
DJ Kelley - 8 points
Matthew Roberts - 5 points