Our Lady of Graces rolls to RPCL championship

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 1, 2000

MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 1, 2000

LAPLACE – Our Lady of Grace completed a sweep of the River Parish Catholic League Saturday afternoon, defeating St. Joan of Arc, 50-31, in thechampionship game of the River Parish Boys Top 4 Tournament held at St.

Joan of Arc.

Our Lady of Grace had won the league’s regular season title. Earlier thismonth, the school’s girls’ team had won both the regular season and tournament title.

Dywand Dennis led Our Lady of Grace Saturday with 20 points. DemarcusBranch contributed 11 points and Tim Gauff added seven.

St. Joan of Arc was led by Chase Grobe with 12 points. Mike Murphy addedfive while Jonathan Ratliff and Dustin Braud had four points apiece.

Dennis scored 10 points as Our Lady of Grace jumped out to a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter. Theo Variste grabbed a steal and passed toDennis downcourt to make it a six-point game midway through the quarter.

Later on, Dennis grabbed another steal and took it in, making it 13-3.

Grobe got St. Joan of Arc’s second field goal of the game at the 5:35 markof the second quarter on a put back to make it 15-6. Our Lady of Graceanswered as Branch scored off a steal by Variste and Rickey Johnson put back a shot to build the lead to 19-8 with 2:11 left. Branch then hit a 3-pointer from the right wing and Johnson knocked down a jumper from the baseline to make it 24-10 at the half.

Our Lady of Grace pulled away with a 16-2 run to open the third quarter.

Dennis opened the scoring with a put back. Grobe followed with a layup butDennis answered with a jumper then took a pass inside from Branch. Gauffthen buried a 3-pointer from the right side, giving Our Lady of Grace a 33-12 lead.

Our Lady of Grace was not done yet. Johnson drove in for a layup and KyleBourgeois followed a possession later with a 3-pointer from the right side to make it a 26-point game. Two possessions later, it was Branch knockingdown a jumper in the lane to make it 40-12. St. Joan of Arc came back with a3-pointer by Rudy Edwards and two free throws by Grobe but Gauff nailed a jumper at the buzzer to make it 42-17.

St. Joan of Arc made a late run in the fourth quarter. Ratliff banked in a 3-pointer and was fouled, making the free throw to convert the four-point play.

Braud followed with a jumper and Henri Dufresne knocked down a 3-pointer from the left side to close the gap to 48-28.

St. Joan of Arc had earlier won the junior varsity championship by defeatingAscension of Our Lord. St. Joan of Arc had also won the regular season titlewith Ascension of Our Lord finishing second.

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