By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE – A hot start propelled East St. John over East Ascension for the second time this season as the Wildcats earned a sweep over the Spartans with a 74-66 District 6-5A victory on Tuesday at East St. John.

Kaylon Placide scored 20 points to least the Wildcats.

“He got off to a fast start,” said East St. John coach Yussef Jasmine. “Anytime that happens, it’s a good thing. He led the pack.”

Placide hit three 3-pointers in the game.

Patrick Gales scored 15 for East St. John (13-14, 5-2).

Ra’Shad Green added 12. LeBaron Sylvester and Joe Williams Jr. each scored eight.

Curtis Watts led the Spartans with 24 points.

Like in the first matchup, the Wildcats gave East Ascension (16-13, 1-6) difficulty by utilizing their press and in the first half it added up to a 43-22 halftime lead.

“We did a great job with it in the first half,” Jasmine said. “It gave them huge problems early.”

But East Ascension outscored East St. John 24-13 in the third quarter to pull themselves back into the game. The Spartans trailed 56-46 entering the fourth quarter.

“We got a little lax,” said Jasmine. “At the end of the third and the early fourth, (East Ascension) started to turn things around.

“Some of that was due to our rotation — I think I experimented maybe a little too long with different combinations.”

But the Spartans never closed to within closer than eight.

After dropping two straight games to Hahnville and Dutchtown after a 3-0 start in district, East St. John has won two straight games to stay within a game of first place Hahnville (20-7, 6-1)

Jasmine says his team’s improved point guard play has been a key.

“In our two losses, our point play wasn’t horrible, but I think playing on the road against some of the district’s tougher teams, we needed more leadership from that spot,” said Jasmine. “We’ve gotten that in the last couple of games.

“And when you get good point guard play, the rest falls in line.”