MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / November 22, 2000

KENNER – Destrehan played catch up after falling behind by 19 toAbramson in the first quarter but never could get even with theCommodores, falling 77-63 in the first game of the Bonnabel Tournament.

Destrehan, which fell to 2-1 with the loss, played host Bonnabel Tuesdaynight and play Landry tonight at 6:15 p.m.

Abramson improved to 1-1.

Destrehan, which trailed 26-7 after the first quarter, pulled to within 62-57 with 4:30 minutes left in the game on two free throws by TravisWilright. The Wildcats had a chance to make it a one-possession game with fourminutes left after an Abramson turnover but could not get their shots tofall.

Johnny Lewis rebounded for the Commodores and drove down the lane onthe other side of the court to make it 64-57.

Broderick Haywood and Eldridge Brown grabbed steals on the Wildcats’next two possessions, leading to free throws and a nine-point lead with2:57 left.

Destrehan would come no closer than eight after that, with EugeneJasmine hitting a 3-pointer from the left side with 30 seconds remaining. But Warren Scott hit two free throws and Desmond Harrison scored on athree-point play for the final margin.

“They’re a good team,” Destrehan head coach Joe Schick said of Abramson.

“They are one of the top 10 teams in the city if not one of the top five. “I thought our kids played hard and didn’t quit. This was only our thirdgame and we have a lot of inexperience. We’ve got to learn from this. It’sgoing to help us.”Destrehan trailed 38-26 at the half but pulled to within 38-31 with 6:05left on a three-point play by Mark Stewart and a jumper by Lionel Turner.

Jeremy Greathouse took in a steal from midcourt to build the lead back to47-35. But the Wildcats again rallied as a steal by Jasmine led to a 3-pointer byTurner, cutting the deficit to 49-43 with 1:22 remaining in the thirdquarter. The teams continued to trade baskets until Carldell Johnson picked up aloose ball and tossed it to Conard Newman. Newman tossed it in at thebuzzer, making it 55-47 heading into the fourth quarter.

Destrehan had a floor burn of their own to start the final quarter asWilright dove for a loose ball and tossed it inside to Turner. Richard Joneshit a jumper, then banked in another jumper off a steal by Wilright tomake it 61-55 with 5:15 remaining.

The Wildcats had jumped out to a 5-0 lead on a drive by Chris Moore and a3-pointer by Turner with 5:40 left in the first quarter. But Scott scoredtwice and Greathouse took in a steal to give the Commodores a 6-5 lead.

The Wildcats tied the game for the final time on a free throw by Wilrightbut Johnson answered with a drive around the right side. That was the start of a 18-1 run by the Commodores, aided by eightDestrehan turnovers in the quarter. Three-pointers by Johnson and Lewison successive possessions helped build the lead to 26-7 at the end of thefirst quarter.”That was the game right there,” Schick said. “You can’t get down that farto a good team. They made the plays they had to to win.”Destrehan began to chip into the deficit as the second quarter opened asScott Simon and Turner hit jumpers. A drive by Moore made it 34-20 latein the half. Harrison took another steal in to build the lead back to 18 but DarrenBrown hit two free throws and Turner knocked down a jumper to make it38-26 at the break.

Turner led the Wildcats with 17 points. Simon and Stewart each chipped inwith nine. Abramson’s Scott had a game-high 27 points. Greathouse added 14 andLewis 10.

Bonnabel defeated Landry, 43-41, in the second game of the doubleheaderMonday.

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