Late scores lift ESJ past DHS
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Girls bball pounces in fourth quarter for district win
By JOHNNY PEPPO
Sports Editor
DESTREHAN – In search of their first 5-5A district win on their home court last Friday night, Destrehan’s girls basketball squad looked to have a wrinkle in their offense that might give it to them. But in the second half, they folded under the full court pressure of East St. John’s team who took a 44-37 win.
It was ESJ’s Michelle Thomas who boosted the LadyCats in the final eight minutes with a pair of three-pointers, to pull into the lead, on her way to scoring a game high 26 points, 16 in the fourth period.
A pressing defense that allowed Destrehan to get the ball past half court just more than a half dozen times in the final period. That allowed East St. John to run the clock and take the win from the free throw line.
The game opened with the DHS squad controlling the tempo with the majority of the offense going through Tawana Lee and Ladaisha Smith inside the lane. The home team took a three point lead after one quarter, which they managed to preserve until halftime.
East St. John’s squad had trouble getting high percentage shots again after the break against Lee and Smith. But the LadyCats turned the tables in the final quarter, converting to a full court press in the third quarter and getting DHS into foul trouble so that they could squat on the lead with about five minutes remaining in the game.
The game was still in hand until Lee fouled out, leaving Destrehan unable to bring the ball fully upcourt, giving ESJ a definite advantage. But missed free throws allowed Whitney Douglass and Carwina Richard of DHS to close the gap until Thomas iced it out from the line.
“We had to go to full court,” said ESJ coach Troy Giordano. “We weren’t attacking them. They were getting boards, pushing the ball up the court betterŠ. So when it came down to the fourth, we had to make that move.”
The win puts Giordan’s team at 21-7 on the season, 2-0 in district play with last week’s win over West Jefferson. Destrehan dropped to 9-14 on the year, 0-2 in district.
The two teams are set for a rematch in Reserve _____.
