MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / January 22, 2000

LUTCHER – Fans at the Lutcher-St. Charles Catholic game Tuesday nightgot to see just how difficult District 9-3A will be this season.

In the matchup between the team picked third in the district versus the one picked fifth, Lutcher pulled away late to a 76-64 victory over the Comets in the Bulldog gym.

“I agree with (St. James) coach (Lionel) Ezidore,” Lutcher coach DonFernandez, going against his former school for the first time, said. “Ithink we have one of the toughest districts. If that team is picked fifthand they came in here and play like that, that goes to show there are no freebies.”Lutcher won its second straight to improve to 12-6 on the season and 1-0 in district play. St. Charles Catholic dropped to 8-16 and 0-1.The Bulldogs led 40-38 at the break but the Comets went ahead by one on a Mike Mustian 3-pointer from the left wing on the team’s first possession of the second half. Courtney Long regained the lead for the Bulldogs bydriving the left baseline.

A jumper by Ricky Madere tied the game for the last time at 45. Long gavethe Bulldogs the lead for good with a put back and Thomas Ricks added another two possessions later to make it 49-45. Madere made it a one-point game with a 3-pointer from the left side. Chris Johnson answered bytaking a rebound and finding Brian Nicholas driving down the lane. ClarenceWeber and Donnie Francois took steals in in the final minute, building the lead to 55-49 at the end of the third quarter.

Two free throws by Daress Nicholas kept the margin at six early in the final quarter. Long came back with a put back and Kayne Matherne followedby grabbing a rebound and tossing in a jumper to build the lead to 63-53. A3-pointer and a jumper by Reggie Scott and a layup by James Williams made it a 14-point game in the final three minutes.

Three-pointers by Mike Mustian and Nicholas brought the Comets to within 74-64 with 45.89 seconds left. But the Bulldogs were able to run down theclock with Williams adding a put back for the final score.

Long finished with a team-high 15 points for the Bulldogs. Scottcontributed 12 points and Weber 11. Williams and Ricks chipped in with 10points apiece.

Daress Nicholas led all scorers with 16 points for the Comets. Mustianadded 15 points and Steven Washington eight.

Both teams started hot from the field with Lutcher jumping out to a 6-2 lead on a jumper from the right baseline by Long. St. Charles Catholic wentahead by two on put backs by Nick Monica and Washington. A 3-pointerfrom the left side regained the lead for the Bulldogs at 11-8 and helped Lutcher go on a 11-0 run. Nicholas followed with a layup off a steal andRicks scored off a pass by Williams to make it 15-8. After a charge wascalled against the Comets, Weber hit a jumper from the right baseline to make it a nine-point game.

A drive by Johnson built the lead to 21-10 before St. Charles Catholicwent on a late run. Washington went inside and Mustian buried a 3-pointerfrom the left side to cut the deficit to six. But Williams ended the half bytaking a steal in at the buzzer for a 23-15 lead.

Mustian hit the second of his four 3-pointers in the game on the Comets’ second possession of the second quarter to cut the deficit to five. A deeppass from Monica to Nicholas and a put back by Alton Alexander brought the Comets to within 27-25.

Nicholas grabbed a steal on the Bulldogs’ next possession but the Comets could not pull even as Scott grabbed a rebound and took it down court, leaning in for a jumper. Two free throws by Ricks and a layup by Francoisbuilt the lead back to 33-27.

The lead grew to 40-31 on a 3-pointer from the left wing by Johnson. St.Charles Catholic then answered with a 7-0 run to end the half. A three-point play by Monica cut the deficit to four and Nicholas followed a possession later with a leaning jumper to make it 40-38 at the half.

“In the first half, we did exactly what we needed to,” St. Charles Catholiccoach Philip Cavell said. “It was whoever could out-shoot each other. Thekids played hard and that’s all I can ask.”

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