Blue Jays earn sweep over Gators

Three pointers were raining down like the hail pelting the gym roof as St. Edmund earned a 72-65 win over False River Academy on Tuesday night.
The Blue Jays hit nine treys, while the Gators pushed in eight as St. Edmund rallied from a 32-23 halftime deficit to grab the win.
St. Edmund (6-17, 2-7) closes out the season with Senior Night on Friday against Sacred Heart of Ville Platte (10-16, 4-4).
“I want to see these guys go out with a win,” first-year head coach Hunter Dawkins said of the finale against SHVP.
“I was proud of the way we stepped it up in the second half.”
The first quarter was a battle as the Gators pushed ahead for a 9-4 lead before Christian McFarlain scored five straight points to help the Jays close the gap to 12-11.
Trailing 14-11 as the game moved to the second period, McFarlain drilled a trey to tie the game, but FRA answered with a 8-1 run.
A put-back bucket by Kyle Dupre and a drive in the lane by Cullen Brown helped the Jays close the gap to two points, but the Gators went on a 7-0 run to take a 32-23 advantage into the locker room.
St. Edmund’s Stone LeJeuene hit four treys, scored in the lane and added a free throw to help the Jays take a 45-35 lead.
McFarlain scored on a steal and added another trey, while Dupre hit a three-point play to give St. Edmund a 51-39 margin.
LeJeune and McFarlain hit back-to-back trey to open the fourth period and the duo kept the home crowd excited as the Jays pushed ahead, 72-46.
False River then rallied for a 19-0 run to make the game close, including a trey at the buzzer.
McFarlain led the Jays with 27 points, while LeJeune contributed 23 points.
Blake Fulmer led False River with 18 points.
“I want to see the seniors go out on top,” Dawkins said of Senior Night. “They will remember their final game.”

SEH 58, FRA 49
The St. Edmund Lady Jays jumped out to a 30-19 halftime lead and rolled to a 58-49 win over False River Academy.
No. 30 in the LHSAA power rankings, St. Edmund (6-18, 4-5) closes out the regular season with Senior Night on Friday against Sacred Heart of Ville Platte (11-12, 5-3).
The Lady Jays opened with an 8-0 run, aided by six points from Maddie Andrus.
After Olivia LeBlanc hit a trey for the Lady Gators, Andrus scored two more buckets and Jami LeBouef added a free throw.
The Lady Jays increased their lead to 17-4 when Sydney Thibodeaux scored four straight points.
Free throws from Andrus and LeBouef increased the Lady Jays’ margin to 19-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The two teams battled for control in the second period as Sam Bertrand and Andrus scored to give St. Edmund a 23-12 lead midway through the quarter.
LeBlanc hit another trey for the Lady Gators, but two inside buckets by Andrus and a trey from Payton Crowell helped St. Edmund stay ahead, 30-19 at the break.
False River regrouped in the third period as the Lady Jays fought to close the gap to 42-34 with 10 points from Mackenzie Foret including two treys.
The Lady Gators opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run to pull within a point, 42-41 as LeBlanc scored quickly off steals.
Andrus converted a three-point play, but a trey from LeBlanc gave False River their first lead at 46-45 with 4:10 remaining.
The Lady Jays responded in strong fashion, as Andrus scored six points to push St Edmund ahead, 52-46.
Sam Bertrand and Crowell hit free throws and Andrus added a bucket on an inbound pass for a nine-point lead.
Crowell added a late lay-up to seal the win for the Lady Jays.
Andrus led all scorers with 26 points, while Crowell and Bertrand each added 10 points. LeBouef chipped in nine points.
LeBlanc led False River with 21 points, while Kaitlyn Simsonsen and Foret each scored 10 points.