Tom Dodge
By mid-January, the LSU Eunice basketball teams are approaching conference play.
Because of the NJCAA’s decision to halt athletics last March because of the coronavirus pandemics, the tip-off of the season was delayed until this month.
The Lady Bengals’ season has also been abbreviated to a 22-game maximum in the regular season.
The Lady Bengals travel to Jacksonville College (Texas), while the Bengals will entertain North American University (Stafford, Texas).
“We are used to already be playing at this time of the year but we have had just preseason workouts for the last three or four months,” Lady Bengals head coach Jamie Gonzales said. “We tried to keep the girls motivated as we prepared for the season.”
Last year, In his first season with the program, head coach Gonzales led LSU Eunice to a 21-7 record and captured the school’s third straight Louisiana Community College Athletic Conference regular season title.
The team won their first Region 23 game in program history, their first postseason win since 2009.
The Lady Bengals won their LCCAC contests by an average margin of victory of 25.4 points.
“We talk about going to the national tournament all the time because that is my expectation,” Gonzales said. “We were close last year as we led Jones at halftime and we let it get away from us in the fourth quarter.
“I like the potential that our team has,” the coach said. “We lost some great players from last season but I think we have the skills to win a lot of games.”
Alona Washington (Ascension Christian) was named to the NJCAA Women’s Basketball Coaches Association All-Star Team, one of just 50 players who have been selected to the squad.
Washington finished her freshman season fourth on the team in points per game (11.6) while leading the team with 4.1 assists per game.
Washington helped lead the Lady Bengals (21-7) to their first postseason win since 2009.
Washington averaged 26 points per game in the two Region 23 contests, including a 22-point effort in a 71-66 win over Southwest Mississippi in the first round.
Washington would pour in 30 points to help LSUE keep pace with No. 10 Jones College before falling 84-72.
Washington was named to the Region 23 All-Tournament team for her efforts.
With all she accomplished last season, Alona is a great asset to lead the team her sophomore season, Gonzales said.
Returning sophomores also include Eunice High standout Stacie White, Trastasia Hester (Ellender) and Chelsey White (Port Allen).
“We didn’t have Trastasia the second semester last year,” the coach said. “She is looking really good as our point guard.
“Stacie didn’t get a whole lot of minutes on the court last season but she has worked her way into possibly starting,” Gonzales said.
“Chelsey is a 6-2 post player who is running the floor very well and we are looking to get a lot from her this season.”
Gonzales said all four sophomores will play a crucial part into a successful season for the Lady Bengals.
Incoming freshmen include Iota’s Kendall Miller, Summer Ceaser (Elton), Alona Gray (LaGrange), Jackie Sims (Midland), Anaiya Turner (St. Louis Catholic), Brooklyn Fontenot (Kinder), Trinity Harold (Walker), Tanisha Hester (Ellender), Ravyn Miguez (Midland) and Chelsea Thompson (Bonnabel) along with Abigail Lynch (New Caney, Texas) and Tahjea Smith (Texas City).
“This was my first recruiting class and there was an emphasis on getting good perimeter shooters and building depth,” the coach said. “We are looking for good things from the freshman group.”
Gonzales said his team is ready and eager to start the season.
“They came back fired up and ready to roll,” the coach said.
“A lot of this kids on the roster either won a high school state championship or competed for a state title.
“They were all-state or all-district performers so know the entry fee to the national tournament.
“We are trying to raise the bar for LSUE basketball,” Gonzales said. “There are great expectations of winning in all sports on campus,” he said.
LCCAC play will consists of four round-robin rounds against Baton Rouge CC, Delgado CC and Southern-Shreveport.
The 12 conference games will fulfill the required 12 games to compete in the Region 23 Tournament.
The LCCAC schedule begins February 17 at home against Delgado.
The Bengals grabbed their first LCCAC regular season title in just the second year of the program’s existence.
LSUE dominated the LCCAC, going 8-1 with an average margin of victory of 19 points.
The Bengals grabbed their first ever 20-win campaign and went 14-1 inside the home gym.
LSUE Bengals head coach Byron Starks is excited about this year’s team led by sophomore Jonathan Cisse who was awarded the conference co-Player of the Year honors.
“He has the skills in my opinion to play Division I basketball,” Starks said. “I hope he will have another break-out year.”
As a freshman, Cisse led LSUE with 15.4 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per night.
Cisse strengthened his production in LCCAC play, averaging 16.6 points per night in conference action including five 20-plus point performances.
Sophomore Isaiah Payne from Pine Prairie and red-shirt freshman Tyran Jones (Ville Platte) are expected to contribute this season.
“Of the two, Isaiah has had more playing experience at this level,” the coach said. “But I have seen growth in Tyran’s maturation as an individual and also improvement in his game.
“They bring a local flair but also the grit and toughness that we need.”
Other sophomores include Malik Criner (North Vermilion), Tyrese Sam (Abbeville) along with transfers Joshua Davis (Bossier Parish CC), Dhol Majak (Neosho County Community College) and Northwest Florida’s Thierno Keita originally from Senegal.
LSUE’s freshmen are Adrian Brown (Hamilton Christian), Everette Jackson (Central Lafouche), Jaidon Lipscomb (Dohn Prep Academy, Ohio), Todd Jones (McKinney, Texas), J’Carlon Gipson (New Living Word School) and Raymond Guillory (Lake Charles College Prep).
The Bengals roster also has several European players including, Steven Melina (France), Charlie Lowe (England), John Kenove (Nigeria) and Pierre Nyaben (France), Papa Malick Mactar Thiam (Senegal) and Tre’Vorious Dotson (Germany).
“With our style of play I like the international game,” the coach said. “They are used to playing with a shot clock, so they understand the spacing and the pace that we like to play.”
Starks said the long lay-off could prove to be a positive as his team begins its conference title defense and a possible run through Region 23 tournament.
“I told the team the most important things are they have an opportunity to gain an education and they have the chance to play something you love – the game of basketball,” he said.
“It was a long training season but it was well needed because of the time frame when everybody was off and not being able to practice or get in gyms,” he said.
The Bengals went 14-15 in Starks’ first season at LSUE before the 20-6 run last season.
“The expectations are high,” Starks said of the season. “We have an opportunity to build on the foundation that has been laid.
“My challenge to them is to be the absolute best that they can be every day and let everything else fall in place.”