Tom Dodge
Fans got their money’s worth Tuesday when Iota visited Eunice for a crucial District 5-3A doubleheader.
The Lady Cats opened the night with a 67-56 win and the Bobcats followed with a 90-87 overtime victory.
The Lady Cats (13-10, 6-3) began with an 11-7 first quarter run, sparked by two three-pointers from Shanyia Toussaint.
Stacie White converted a three-point play to push Eunice ahead, 11-4.
Kendall Miller scored on a thre-point play to help the Lady Bulldogs close the margin to 11-7 as the game moved to the second quarter.
Iota (17-11, 7-2) battled to close the gap to 13-11, but Eunice responded with an 8-0 run including four points from White.
Colleen Johnson hit four free throws as Iota closed the halftime deficit to 23-15.
The Lady Cats and Lady Dogs battled in the third quarter as Eunice earned a 19-16 edge.
Iota opened the period with a 5-0 run, aided by a trey from Miller as the Lady Dogs closed the gap to 23-20.
Eunice answered with a 6-0 run off steals as Toussaint scored twice and White drained a trey as the Lady Cats pushed ahead 30-20.
Four Iota points was answered by a trey from Toussaint.
Lady Bulldog Lilly Zaunbrecher scored on an inbounds pass, but Jesslyn Reed and Toussaint scored for the Lady Cats.
A drive in the lane by Miller and a trey from Johnson helped Iota close the margin to 37-31.
A three-point play from Leah Walker and a put-back bucket by Toussaint helped the Lady Cats take a 42-31 advantage into the final period,
The two offenses exploded for 25 points each in the fourth quarter but Eunice held on for the 11-point win.
Buckets from Walker and White helped the Lady Cats move ahead, 46-36 with 6:35 left.
Toussaint’s drive in the lane and two free throws by Reed was answered with a three-pointer from Iota’s Johnson.
White scored inside and then added a trey to push the Lady Cats ahead, 55-42 with 3:15 remaining.
Iota went on a 4-2 run including a drive by Madelyn Boone, but Eunice answered with a trey by Hailey Sonnier and two free throws by Toussaint.
The Lady Bulldogs responded with a 5-2 run, sparked by buckets from Johnson and Boone to close the gap to 64-51.
Toussaint hit a lay-up in the closing minute, but Miller drilled a late three-pointer as the Lady Dogs closed the final margin to 67-56.
Toussaint led Eunice with 25 points, while White followed with 17 and Walker chipped in 13 points.
Three Iota players finished in double figures including Miller (18), Johnson (12) and Avery Young (11).
Eunice entertains Crowley Friday, while Iota travels to Northwest.
Eunice 90, Iota 87
In a battle to the final buzzer, the Eunice Bobcats outscored the Iota Bulldogs 11-8 in the overtime period to grab a 90-87 win.
The Bobcats (5-13, 3-4) opened with a 10-6 lead, sparked by buckets from Divine Hampton, Mykal Moore and five points by Carlin Vigers.
The Bulldogs (18-10, 4-4) rallied with a 7-0 run, inclduing five points from Colby Wilson.
Vigers nailed a trey to help the Bobcats tie the game, 13-13.
After two free throws by Wilson, the lead changed back the Bobcats on a three-pointer by Trey Cooper.
Daniel Simon scored in the period’s final minute to give Iota a 17-16 lead heading into the second quarter.
Eunice began the second frame with a 13-4 run, begun with a bucket by Isaih Darby and finished with a drive in the lane by Cooper.
The Bobcat surge was also highlighted by a dunk from Vigers and a trey by Moore.
Eunice led 29-21 midway through the quarter. but Iota answered with three points by Wilson and trey from Gavin Leblanc.
Hampton hit a three-pointer to push the Bobcats up 32-27 with 1:31 left in the half.
Iota answered again with a bucket by Simon and a long range trey at the buzzer by Wilson to force a 32-32 tie at intermission.
The two offenses exploded in the second half to excite the full house crowd in the Bobcat gym.
Both teams battled for the upper hand, exchanging bucket for bucket early in the period.
Hampton hit two treys, while Vigers scored off a steal to push the Bobcats ahead, 43-38.
Iota’s Wilson scored two in the lane and Leblanc later pushed in five points to give the Bulldogs a 47-45 advantage midway through the quarter.
Cooper hit a jumper to tie the game, but Wilson answered with a bucket for the Dogs.
A free throw by Fred Guillory and an inside bucket by Moore helped the Bobcats stay close, 51-50.
Wilson’s six points helped Iota push its lead to 57-52.
The Bobcats responded with a 4-2 run with free throws from Vigers and a bucket by Cooper to close the margin to 59-56 at the end of the third period.
Iota opened the final period with a 5-0 run with drives in the lane from Wilson and Simon.
Two shots by Cooper and put-back from Moore helped the Bobcats close the gap to 63-62.
Vigers hit two treys,two free throws and later drove the lane to give Eunice and 72-71 with 3:14 left in regulation.
Leblanc hit a trey for the Bulldogs, but Vigers answered with five points to push Eunice up 77-74.
Hampton’s drive in the lane gave the Bobcats a 79-76 lead with 1:05 left.
But two free throws by Wilson and another by Thibodeaux tied the game, 79-79 to force overtime.
Vigers hit two from the charity stripe and later scored off a steal to begin the extra frame.
He added a baseline lay-up to lift Eunice to a 85-81 advantage.
Wilson drilled a long-range th then ree-pointer to keep Iota close.
Hampton hit two free throws and Vigers added three points to increase the Bobcats lead to 90-84 with 23 seconds left.
Iota’s Wilson answered with a trey to close the gap to 90-87.
A Bulldogs’ three-point attempt at the buzzer bounced on off the rim as Eunice held on for the win.
Vigers led Eunice with 44 points, while Hampton chipped in 17 points.
Moore and Cooper both finished with 13 points.
Wilson led Iota with 49 points, while Leblanc contributed 19 points and Simon chipped in 14 points.