LaGrange sweeps Eunice

By John Burson
Sports Writer

LaGrange High’s Shania Papillion scored her first points with 1:08 left in the game to give the Lady Gators their first lead of the game, then added another three-pointer with 33 seconds remaining to seal a 37-36 victory over the Eunice High Lady Bobcats in a District 4-4A contest played Tuesday night at the Bobcat gym.
Coach Durrel Peloquin’s Lady Cats fell to 12-5 for the season and to 3-2 in district play. The Lady Cats will travel to Rayne on Friday looking to bounce back from the tough loss.
The Lady Bobcats opened the game with a flourish, jumping to an 11-2 lead with 4:12 left in the first quarter.
But the Lady Gators showed their fight by outscoring the Lady Cats 8-3 over the remainder of the quarter to pull within 14-10.
The Lady Cats scored the first points of the second quarter on a bucket by Dashaya Vigers, but LaGrange’s Constance Jones made a goal from beyond the 3-point range to cut the lead to 16-13.
Eunice’s Hali Jack hit a three-point goal of her own to extend the lead to 19-13, but the Lady Gators would score the final six points of the quarter to head into halftime tied at 19-19.
The Lady Bobcats could never quite put the Lady Gators away in the third quarter.
The Lady Cats held four-point leads on two occasions, but led only 27-24 going into the fourth quarter.
Jack’s three-point goal early in the fourth quarter gave the Lady Cats a 30-24 advantage, but Davia Landry’s drive less than a minute later cut the lead to four again.
A Vigers jumper off a feed from Ashley Washington gave the Lady Cats a 32-26 lead with 3:30 left on the clock.
But a field goal by the Lady Gators’ Breanna Joseph and a free throw by Brije Williams cut the lead to three points at 32-29.
Vigers hit one of two free throws to give her team a 33-29 lead, but Joseph had a basket inside to cut the lead to 33-31 with 1:34 showing on the clock. After a turnover by the Lady Cats, Papillion hit her first 3-point goal for a 34-33 lead by the Lady Gators.
Washington was fouled with 48.5 seconds left in the game and made one of two free throws to tie the game at 34-34.
But Papillion responded with her second three-point goal to put the Lady Gators up 37-34.
With 22 seconds left in the game, Eunice’s Jack had a three-point attempt bounced off the rim.
The Lady Cats forced a turnover at the 15.7 mark, but Washington missed a three-point try, but the Lady Cats grabbed a rebound and found Jack for another failed 3-point try.
With 8.2 seconds left, Washington made two free throws to cut the lead to 37-36, but time expired before they could regain possession.
Landry led the scoring for LaGrange with 18 points. Papillion and Williams added six points apiece.
Vigers topped the scoring for the Lady Cats with 11 points. Jack added 10 and Washington had nine.
Kate McLemore with four and Beulah Bradley with one completed the scoring for the Lady Cats.

LHS 77, Eunice 57
The LaGrange High Gators pulled away from the Eunice High Bobcats in the second half on their way to a 77-57 victory in District 4-4A action Tuesday night at the Bobcat gym.
Coach Chad Andrepont’s Bobcats looked impressive in the early going, holding a 20-13 lead after the first quarter. The Bobcats’ Jerwaski Thomas led the first-quarter scoring with nine points. Khaleel Deville added five for the Cats in the opening quarter.
The Gators went on a 20-2 run in the first five minutes of the second quarter to build a 33-22 lead. Two free throws by Travis Godfrey stopped the run with 3:22 remaining until halftime.
A late surge by the Cats in the final 1:45 cut the Gators’ lead 40-32 at the half. Brandon Ndubueze and Thomas scored three points apiece to lead the Bobcats.
The Gators came out for the third quarter and quickly regained the momentum in the game as David Griffin hit a trey, Dondal Lewis nailed two-point field goal to build a 45-32 lead. The Cats never pulled any closer than 11 points during the remainder of the second half.
The Gators improved to 15-7 overall and to 2-0 in district play. The Bobcats fell to 6-14 overall and to 0-3 in district play.
Griffin, who made five three-point goals in the game, led Gator scorers with 32 points. Marlon Delafosse added 16 points, with 14 of those coming in the second half.
Thomas and Paul Hebert shared lead for the Bobcats with 14 points apiece. Ron Shillow added 10 points and Kevin Williams chipped in with seven for the Cats.
The Bobcats will travel to Rayne on Friday to continue district play.