Thomas lifts ESJ over Hammond
Published 12:00 am Friday, November 30, 2007
By RYAN ARENA
Sports Editor
East St. John point guard Mechelle Thomas has come up big for the Lady Wildcats many times before, but perhaps never quite in the fashion that she did on Thursday night.
With four seconds remaining in the game, Hammond took a 46-45 lead on East St. John at the Hammond 5A Roundup tournament. Thomas took the inbounds pass and ran the ball up the floor. With a foul to give, Hammond attempted to foul Thomas, and succeeded – right as Thomas let loose a halfcourt prayer with four seconds left in the game.
The shooting foul allowed Thomas to step to the line and sink three foul shots, propelling the Wildcats to a 48-46 victory over Hammond.
“For us to win like this in Hammond’s gym is big,” said East St. John coach Troy Giordano. “We had already lost two games by one point in the last couple weeks, you don’t want to think about what losing a third like that would do to your team.
“Winning one like this is especially good for the young kids on the team.”
Thomas led the way with 16 points. Wanisha Creecy added 11, and Laci Dent scored ten.
Creecy and Halle Lennix each made key three pointers to sustain East St. John momentum – including three by Creecy in the game.
The game was back and forth the entire way, with east St. John outscoring Hammond in the first and fourth quarters, and the Tornadoes outscoring the Wildcats in the second and third quarters.
Hammond took a one point lead on a tip in with 12 seconds left in the game before Thomas was fouled at midcourt.
The win was East St. John’s second over Hammond this season, the first coming 60-39 at the Mandeville tournament in a game Giordano had said was his team’s only complete game this season to that point.
“Right now, it’s about our young kids finding ways to win these games,” said Giordano.
East St. John needed no such plays from Thomas during Wednesday’s tournament game, as the Wildcats defeated Fontainebleau 52-29. A blistering East St. John 17-3 run in the third quarter left Fontainebleau flatfooted the rest of the way, after the Wildcats took a seven-point lead into the half.
Thomas rested an injury during the game, and at times the Wildcats had three and even four freshman on the court at once.
“We didn’t want to push the tempo with all those young kids in, but after the half we told them that we’re were going to pick it up to try to extend our lead,” Giordano said.
Creecy led the team with 11 points. Lennix and Harley Gaulf each scored nine. Christin Hildreth added eight.