Lady Jays grab win over Pine Prairie

The St. Edmund girls basketball team enters 2016 with a confidence and a little momentum as the Lady Jays earned a 40-33 win over the Class 3-A Pine Prairie Lady Panthers.
The battle began with a 12-12 tie as two teams fought to grab control of the game.
Maggie Larriviere and Gabby Fontenot pushed in the first two Lady Jay buckets and Fontenot later drained a trey to lift St. Edmund to a 7-4 lead.
Three points from Lacy Foreman helped Pine Prairie tie the game, but a three-point play by Lady Jay Sydney Thibodeaux combined with a jumper from Fontenot pushed St. Ed’s ahead, 12-7 with 2:34 left in the period.
Taylor Deville drove the lane and later drilled a trey as Pine Prairie forced a 12-12 tie as the game moved to the second frame.
The Lady Panthers opened the second period with a 7-2 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Brianna Bradley as Pine Prairie grabbed a 19-14 advantage.
Larriviere hit a jumper to close the gap to 23-19 before a free throw by Sarah Vidrine gave the Lady Panthers a 24-19 halftime lead.
The two teams continued to claw for the upperhand in the third period.
Larriviere scored inside while Thibodeaux and Elissa David hit free throws to help the Lady Jays pull closer, but Pine Prairie’s Bradley drilled a trey to keep the Lady Panthers ahead, 3-24.
After a Brandy Manuel jumper gave the Lady Panthers a five-point advantage, buckets from Victoria McGee, David and Allison Lafleur closed the gap to 33-31 at the end of the quarter.
The fight continued early in the fourth period, begun when a free throw by Thibodeaux and drive from Fontenot closed the Lady Panther lead to a single point.
Tori Bordelon scored on a put-back bucket for Pine Priaire, but the Lady Jays responded with a 6-0 run to grab a 40-37 lead.
Buckets from Lafleur and Camille Leger along with free throws by David and Thibodeaux helped the Lady Jays in their late run.
Sarah Vidrine scored on an inbounds play for the Lady Panthers, but a pair of free throws by Thibideaux and a inside bucket by Miller helped St. Edmund grab a 44-39 advantage with 1:29 left.
The Lady Jays hit seven free throws in the closing minute and Gabby Fontenot scored off a steal by Thibodeaux to seal the 53-40 win.
Thibodeaux finished with 13 points for the Lady Jays (4-10) including 11 free throws.
Fontenot also scored 13 points for St. Edmund.
Foreman and Bordelon each scored nine points for the Lady Panthers (5-8).
St. Edmund travels to Kinder on Tuesday before opening District 5-1A play at False River Academy on Friday.
Pine Prairie entertains Mamou on Tuesday before heginning District 5-3A action at home Friday against Ville Platte.

Pine Prairie 56, St. Edmund 39
Pine Prairie exploded for a 15-0 run to open the game as the Panther cruised to a 56-39 win over St. Edmund.
Douglas Fontenot scored six points early and Vontreuis Thomas drained a trey to give the Panters a 9-0 lead.
Thomas drove the lane two times, while Sylus Carson and Kyler Carson scored underneath to push the Panthers ahead, 15-0 with 1:30 left in the opening period.
St. Edmund finally scored with 1:13 remianing when Cullen Brown scored on a put-back bucket.
Alex Dupre added two free throws for the Jays before Thomas hit a three-pointer in the final seconds to push the Panthers ahead, 18-4.
Two buckets by Dylan Doucet and a drive by Anthony Payne increased the Panthers’ lead to 24-4.
Brown hit a trey and an inside bucket for the Jays, but Pine Prairie forged ahead with a nine-point run sparked by five points from Isaiah Payne.
Brown scored from the baseline for the Jays late in the period, but a trey at the buzzer by Anthony Payne gave Pine Prairie a 39-13 lead at the break.
The Panthers opened the third period with a 6-2 run, including back-to-back buckets from Sylus Carson.
The Jays responded with a 8-0 surge to close the gap to 45-23, aided by six points from Dylan Bieber.
St. Edmund rallied with an 8-0 run to open the fourth quarter, as Guillory scored twice, Biber nailed a jumper and William Chachere hit two free throws.
After Jordan Ardoin hit a trey to increase the Panthers’ lead to 50-33, Bieber answered with a put-back bucket for the Jays.
Isaiah Payne then hit four straight free throws and Raylin Thomas hit another to push the Panthers ahead, 55-35 with 1:05 left.
Dupre hit a shot off the glass for the Jays and later added two free throws to close the final gap to 56-39.
Isaiah Payne led Pine Prairie with 15 points, while Vontreuis Thomas chipped in 12 points.
Brown led St. Edmund with 13 points, whie Bieber added 12 points.
St. Edmund (0-17) entertains Kinder on Tuesday.
Pine Prairie (8-3) hosts Mamou on Tuesday before opening Disrict 5-3A play Friday at home against Northwest.