By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD — As the West St. John girls enjoy their first-ever stay atop the LSWA Class 1A basketball rankings, they’re not taking their foot off the gas pedal.

White Castle can attest to that after falling at home to the Lady Rams Friday night, 58-41, in a District 9-1A game.

Jaylyn Gordon scored a game-high 22. That included a third quarter where she scored 15 of the Rams’ 24 points; WSJ outscored White Castle 24-14 in the frame to begin to pull away from the Bulldogs, turning a three-point lead into a 13-point advantage.

Maya Trench scored 12, while Jujuan Nicholas and Donasia Bell each added 10 for the Rams.

Alaina Knight scored 11 and Erica Jones scored 10 to lead the Bulldogs.

The victory gave the Rams (20-1, 4-0) sole possession of first place in District 9-1A, as both teams entered with undefeated district marks. White Castle (12-11, 3-1) now stands tied with East Iberville for second place.

West St. John has won seven consecutive games.

Though the Rams finished the game with a comfortable victory, WSJ came out the gates slow, as White Castle led 11-9 after the first quarter. WSJ rebounded in the second to score 16 and take a 25-22 lead into the half.

WSJ coach Lester Smith said a shift in the team’s defensive approach led to more success as the game rolled along.

“We came out in a 2-3 zone, but they were getting the ball into the paint,” said Smith. “We went to a 2-1-2 look and that helped us eliminate the middle. (The turnaround) came down to us just playing defense.”

Smith said that offensively, a combination of poor shot selection and some missed layups contributed to the first quarter lull. Gordon ignited the team, though, when she started to heat up in the third.

“The opportunity was there for her to take charge,” said Smith. “She hit three 3-pointers and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line.”

It was the latest strong performance for the All-State senior, and one that’s not going unnoticed. Gordon was recently selected to play in the LHSAA All-Star game on March 15 in Shreveport. Gordon will play for the West team.

West St. John topped the LSWA Class 1A poll for the first time in school history when the polls were released last week for the first time this season.

Smith said that it’s an exciting time for the school and the program, but at the same time, the ranking promises nothing.

To illustrate that fact, he asked his team to recall a similar situation a season ago, when the shoe was on another foot.

“At practice (Monday), I mentioned to them that last year, Central Catholic was number one. We were number eight, and we went down there and beat them in the quarterfinals.

“Being number one, it’s great recognition. But it doesn’t mean that everyone’s gonna lay down for you. It’s just the opposite. It’s up to us to make it mean something, and that means we need to continue to improve every day.”