NATCHITOCHES — A momentous season came to an end for the East St. John High Lady Cats Thursday night with a 35-52 loss against No. 7 seed Natchitoches Central.

Fueled by confidence from Monday night’s win over powerhouse Ponchatoula High, the No. 15 seed Lady Cats underestimated Natchitoches Central’s athleticism.

From the first quarter, the girls were rattled and never fully recovered, according to head coach Stasha James.

“We started off real slow and finished the game how we started,” James said. “We missed a lot from the free throw line. We were 6 for 16 on that, and those 10 missed points and our missed lay-ups hurt us. We didn’t rebound well on offense or defense.”

Falling in the quarterfinals wasn’t the end James was hoping for after advancing to semifinals last year, but she said part of life is being prepared for the cards to not fall in your favor.

Being on another school’s court at this stage of the playoffs was a big challenge going into the game, she said, and the four seniors starters didn’t play with their usual fiery intensity.

However, point guard Taylor Lipps put up 16 points despite running into foul trouble early in the game.

Throughout the season, seniors Lipps, Meah Monroe, Kayja Jackson and Ja’keyra Gautreaux have led in scoring, contributing a combined average of 60 points per game.

With memories of falling short against Barbe during overtime in the 2017 semifinals, Monroe is disappointed to see this season end prematurely.

Regardless, she considers it one for the books, with the high point of the season being the Monday night game against Ponchatoula, when she scored 11 points.

“We were the underdogs, and no one was expecting us to win,” Monroe said. “The season has been wonderful. I’m playing with a great group of girls.”

Monroe, along with the other seniors, is considering college offers to continue playing the sport she loves.

“It’s not just about the game,” Monroe said. “Basketball helps me be better as a human being. It keeps me focused. We have to be responsible and hold our teammates accountable.”

James said she’s proud of the effort the girls have put in this season, and she expects younger players to fight even harder next year.