By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

 

LAPLACE – After winning its Allstate Sugar Bowl tournament opener Thursday over Hahnville, the Riverside girls basketball team dropped a pair of games to tough competition in Mount Carmel and Cabrini on Friday and Saturday respectively. 

The Rebels fell 47-36 to Mount Carmel on Friday and closed the competition out with a 52-28 loss to Cabrini.

Mount Carmel is the 11th ranked team in Class 5A as per power points. 

Cabrini is third in Class 4A by that measure.“I’m not really very good with moral victories,” said Riverside coach Kathy Luke, “but I thought our girls played extremely tough. We did an outstanding job rebounding with Mount Carmel and didn’t give them second and third chance opportunities … I thought we played very well in that game.”

Riverside (8-8) led MCA 11-6 after the first quarter and trailed by just three at halftime, 20-17. 

It was a contrast from the Dec. 11 matchup between the teams that saw the Cubs (14-4) capture a lopsided 53-27 win at Mount Carmel.

“We made a few adjustments from the last time, noting their kids that hurt us in the game over there,” said Luke. “I know our kids were tired. They showed a lot of heart.”

Ja’Keyra Gautreaux led Riverside with nine points. Monet Moses and Kennedy White each scored eight for the Rebels. 

Luke said that Moses gave a shorthanded Riverside team some very needed strong minutes.

“I thought Monet did a good job against Mount Carmel,” said Luke. “She played the entire game. She hadn’t done that this season and gave us a really good effort.”

Cabrini (11-5) broke what was an eight-point advantage at the half open in the second half, allowing the Rebels just 10 points after halftime. 

Toni Hebert led the Rebels with eight points. Gautreaux added six. 

Luke credited Channan Simmons for having a strong tournament — “She hustled extremely well through the entire tournament,” Luke said — as well as Kennedy White, who had a breakout performance in the tourney opener against Hahnville. 

“We’ve come to rely on Toni’s shooting,” said Luke, “but Kennedy really stepped up as well from the outside against Hahnville.’

“We’re taking baby steps, but we’re really getting better in a lot of areas.”