By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

EDGARD — West St. John had two victories over Ascension Catholic during district play this season, but the stakes were much higher in the third clash between the teams Friday night: only the winner’s season would stay alive.

While Ascension Catholic hung tough early, West St. John turned up its defensive late, coupling with Da’Jon Taylor’s 15 points to lead the way for the Rams in a 53-34 Class 1A first round victory over the Bulldogs in Edgard.

The No. 15 seeded Rams advance to the regional round to face No. 2 Arcadia, which will host at 6:30 p.m. today.

“We did a much better job in the second half of defending,” West St. John coach LaVanta Davis said. “At the end of the day, defense is what wins, and our guys dug in.”

West St. John allowed just five fourth quarter points, and just two in the period’s  first seven minutes.

“We kept pressuring the ball,” Taylor said. “Coach told us to deny the next pass and make it hard on them. We knew from playing them before they were going to try and get it to their big man (Delmond Landry) and No. 1 (guard Kaleb Winchester) and we denied them their touches.”

Morell Bartholomew scored 12 points and Amere Oubre 11 for the Rams (10-10). Trevon Borne scored seven and Jemoine Green six.

Winchester scored 11 and Landry 10 for Ascension Catholic.

After Bartholomew hit a runner to cap the third quarter with WSJ leading 33-29, the Rams pulled the ball out to begin the fourth, forcing Ascension Catholic to abandon its zone defense.

WSJ quickly took advantage. Oubre hit a jumper and drew a foul, sinking the free throw to make it 36-29. Moments later, Oubre scored again off a steal to make it a nine-point lead, then Taylor answered a Landry free throw with a basket inside to push the lead to 10.

“I was moving around, trying to get their big man on the move,” Taylor said.

“I took him to the goal.”

The Rams were in a groove. Taylor scored inside, then Bartholomew followed with a bucket-and-one to extend the lead to 45-31. Green made two from the line, then hit a basket from the field to make it an 18-point lead, and the Rams had all but sealed the win.

WSJ led 23-20 at halftime.