Eunice splits games in Lady Jacket tourney

By John Burson
Sports Writer

IOWA – The Eunice High Lady Bobcat basketball team earned a split decision in their first two games of the Iowa High Tournament.
The Lady Bobcats opened the tournament on Wednesday with a 46-40 victory over the Kinder High Lady Yellow Jackets before losing a 40-30 decision to Pickering High on Thursday.
The Lady Bobcats were scheduled to face host Iowa on Saturday in the tournament finale.
Coach Durrel Peloquin’s Lady Bobcats, now 4-1 on the season, scored 16 points in the first quarter against Kinder, but trailed 18-16 heading into the second quarter.
The Lady Cats outscored the Lady Jackets 4-3 in the second quarter to trail 21-20 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Lady Cats used a 10-8 advantage to start the fourth quarter with a 30-29 lead.
The Lady Bobcats prevailed in the final eight minutes by outscoring Kinder by a 16-11 margin.
Sophomore Dashaya Vigers led the Lady Cats in scoring with 18, including seven in the opening quarter.
Hali Jack also hit double figures in scoring with 12 point, all coming on shots from beyond the three-point line.
Jack had two those 3-point efforts in the fourth quarter.
Beulah Bradley and Ashley Washington added eight and seven points, respectively, for the Bobcats. Kate McLemore chipped in with four points.
Chloe Dickens led the Lady Jackets in points with 17. Brownlow Droly added 12 and Michelle Taylor had nine for Kinder.
Against Pickering, which was a 2A semifinalist last season, the Lady Cats trailed 12-6 after one quarter, but matched the Pickering with 10 points in the second quarter to trail 22-16 at the half.
Pickering outscored the Lady Cats 18-14 in the second half to earn the victory.
Both teams struggled at the free-throw line, with Pickering making just four of 16 from the charity stripe and the Lady Cats managing to make four out of 23 attempts.
Bradley led Eunice in scoring with 12 points. Vigers added eight and Jack had six.
Washington, with three, and McLemore, with one, completed the scoring.
Sami Thomas led Pickering with 12 points, while Latavia Jackson and Amy McKellar added nine and eight points, respectively.
Eunice will take entertain Oakdale on Monday.

DeRidder 51, EHS 28
IOWA – The Eunice High Bobcats dropped a 51-28 decision to the DeRidder Dragons in the Iowa basketball tournament.
The Bobcats held the early lead on the Dragons, out scoring DeRidder 11-9 in the opening period.
Jerwaski Thomas led the Cats with six points in the first period, while Cedric Coaston led the Dragons with five points.
The Cats missed an opportunity to have a larger lead as they made just 1-of-6 free throws in the first period.
The Dragons, behind seven points from Triston Middlebrooks, out scored the Bobcats 11-5 in the second period to take a 20-17 lead at the half.
The Cats were held with out a field goal in the second frame with all their points coming at the free throw line.
DeRidder dominated action in the second half, combining to score 31 points and held the Bobcats to only 12 to claim the victory.
Jamon Bradford led DeRidder with 11 points, while freshman Kevin Williams led EHS with seven points.
Thomas finished with six and Paul Hebert chipped in five points for the Bobcats.
After facing Northwest on Saturday, Eunice (1-5) will entertain Oakdale on Monday.