Eunice sweeps Mamou in season opener

Coach Durell Peloquin’s debut as the head coach of the Eunice High Lady Bobcats proved a success as his team fought off a late challenge by the Mamou High Lady Green Demons to capture a 44-39 victory Tuesday night.
The two teams started slowly in the opening game of the season, with each scoring six points by the end of the first quarter. The Lady Bobcats controlled the action in the second quarter behind Ashley Washington’s seven points for a 21-16 halftime lead.
Dashaya Vigers scored five points to pace the Lady Cats to an 11-9 advantage in the third quarter for a 32-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
But the Lady Demons used a 9-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter to enjoy a 34-32 lead with 3:43 left in the game. Darelzray Bellard paced the run with six points.
But the Lady Cats regrouped, with Vigers driving for field goal and converting a free throw with 2:26 left on the clock to put the Lady Bobcats up 35-34.
Amber Jack’s field goal regained the lead for Mamou at the 2:05 mark, but Eunice High’s Haley Jack nailed a 3-point shot from beyond the arc to give the Lady Cats a 38-36 advantage.
A jumper by Vigers with 58 seconds left increased the Eunice lead to 40-36. Two free throws by Haley Jack made it 42-36 with 26 second remaining, but Bellard’s three-point shot kept their slim hopes alive for the Lady Demons. But two free throws by Eunice’s Beulah Bradley in the final seconds secured the victory.
Vigers, a sophomore, led the Lady Cats in scoring with 16 points. Haley Jack and Washington finished with 10 and nine points, respectively. Completing the scoring for the Lady Bobcats were Bradley, with four, Kate McLemore, with three, and Logan Ledoux, with two.
Bellard led Mamou with 16 points. Amber Jack added nine and Kamareisha Wilson had five for the Lady Green Demons.
“We had great effort and great hustle,” Peloquin about his team’s performance. “We were very focused in those final two minutes of the game.”
Next action for the Lady Cats is Monday when they host Iowa.

EHS 43, Mamou 40
In a back-and-forth game, the Eunice High Bobcats prevailed in the fourth quarter on the way to a 43-40 victory over the Mamou High Green Demons in basketball action Tuesday night at the Bobcat gym.
Coach Chad Andrepont’s Bobcats claimed their opening game victory by outscoring the Demons 8-5 in the final quarter after the two teams had played to a 35-35 tie after three quarters. Mamou’s Dallas Gallow hit one of two free throws in the opening minute of the fourth quarter to put his team ahead 36-35, but the Bobcats’ Jerwaski Thomas hit a jumper to put the Cats up 37-36.
The teams traded baskets until the Cats’ Keithan Green grabbed a rebound on a missed shot and put it in the basket for a 40-38 lead with 4:09 left in the game. Neither team was able to score over the next two minutes, but Thomas was fouled on a drive and made one of two free throws to increase the Cats’ lead to 41-38.
The next score came at the 1:08 mark as Mamou’s Russell Edwards got free inside for a field goal to cut the lead to 41-40. The Bobcats put the game away with 30 seconds left as Darious Richard grabbed a rebound and hit his only field goal of the game for a 43-40 victory.
Thomas led the Bobcats in scoring with 17 points, with six coming on two three-goals. Paul Hebert added 10 points, nine of which came off shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Travis Godfrey finished with seven and Green had three. Khaleel Deville, Richard, and Ron Shillow had two points apiece.
Dillon Holland led a balanced Mamou attack with 10 points. Nathaniel Holland and Gallow had eight points apiece, while Edwards and Jonathan Cherecia added seven apiece.
Next action for the Bobcats comes Monday at the Catholic of Baton Rouge Tournament. The Cats will take on Catholic on Monday, Christian Life on Tuesday, and Broadmoor on Wednesday.