Tom Dodge
The district struggles continued for Eunice High as Washington-Marion earned a sweep Friday night.
The Lady Indians (5-13 overall, 2-1 in District 4-4A) jumped out to a 10-4 first quarter lead, sparked by seven points from Makenzie Tillman.
Shanyia Toussaint pushed in three points and Olivia Thibodeaux added a free throw for the Lady Cats’ first period points.
Eunice regrouped for a 16-9 second period surge as the Lady Cats grabbed a 20-19 advantage at the intermission.
Trailing 14-6 early in the period, the Lady Cats answered with a 9-3 run including points off turnovers from Leah Walker and Allison Freeman along with five points from Toussaint.
Two more free throws by Toussaint and a late trey by Freeman excited the home crowd and gave the Lady Cats a lead heading into the locker room.
Washington Marion opened the third period with a 10-2 run before Toussaint was able to score her second lay-up of the period.
Allison Freeman would later add a bucket in the lane for the Lady Cats, who trailed 33-26 as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
The two teams battled in the final period, but Washington-Marion exchanged free throws for buckets.
A trey by Toussaint helped the Lady Cats close the gap to 39-32 with 5:41 left, but the Lady Indians went on an 8-0 run to put the game away.
Toussaint nailed another trey with 2:35 remaining and Walker added a jumper, but Washington Marion earned the 52-38 win.
Toussaint finished with 22 points to lead the Lady Cats.
Tillman led the Lady Indians with 18 points.
Eunice (3-12, 0-4) has Tuesday off before the Lady Cats visit North Vermilion (14-7, 1-1) on Friday.
W-M 83, Eunice 66
Eunice’s Dedric Vigers scored five points to help the Bobcats grab an early lead, but Washington-Marion was too strong as the Indians cruised to a 83-66 win.
After the Indians (10-8, 1-0) pushed ahead 16-7, the Bobcats responded with four points from Terrance Shilow, a drive in the lane by Vigers and a dunk by Joseph Anderson.
But the Indians answered with a 10-0 run to push ahead, 26-15.
Vigers drained a trey at the buzzer as the Cats closed the margin to eight points.
After a trey by W–M’s Anthony Simien, Eunice answered with a 6-1 run aided by a put-back bucket by Shaun Hudson and a drive in the lane from Vigers.
The Indians began to pull away, aided by a dunk from Jordan Flagg, a trey by Jamaar Moore and a fast break bucket from Jason Butler.
Poullard hit a free throw and Rondre’lyn Mitchell added two more as the Cats closed the margin to 46-31.
Moore hit a last second bucket to give the Indians a 46-31 advantage at the break.
The Bobcats scored five straight points to begin the third period with a put-back by Hudson followed by a trey from Poullard.
But Washington-Marion quickly responded with a 10-0 run, sparked by two treys from Butler.
Fred Guillory scored in the lane and Vigers added a three-point play as the Bobcats battled to stay in the game, trailing 58-41.
After four points from the Indians, the Bobcats responded with a trey from Shilow, a put-back by Vigers and three free throws from Guillory.
Flagg closed the period with a jumper and a dunk sandwiched around a lay-up off a steal by Shilow.
Trailing 66-51 as the game moved the fourth quarter, the Bobcats continued to battle.
A put-back by Anderson excited the home crowd, but back-to-back treys by Moore and a dunk by Daomar Delafosse quickly gave the Indians a 74-74 advantage.
Vigers scored twice in the lane and Anderson and Hudson later added two buckets, but the Indians capped the win with a trey from Jaylin Captain and a drive in the lane by Braylon Turpeau.
Vigers scored in the lane with 12 seconds left to finish with 22 points.
Moore led the Indians with 26 points, while Turpeau and Flagg both chipped in 10 points.
Eunice (2-14, 0-3) travels to Teurlings Catholic on Tuesday before a district trip to North Vermilion on Friday.
St. Ed’s girls 50, OC 43
OPELOUSAS – The Lady Jays jumped out to a 14-3 first quarter lead as St. Edmund earned a 50-43 win over Opelousas Catholic.
Mary Beth Lafleur led the Lady Jays with two treys in the first quarter and Kinsley Marcantel added four points.
OC responded with a 13-8 second period, sparked by eight points from B. Major.
Rebecca Benoit pushed in four points for the Lady Jays along with buckets from Lafleur and Tanzy Miller.
St. Edmund went on a 14-9 run in the third period, aided by six points from Savannah DeVillier along with four points from Benoit.
Greta Miller and Tanzy Miller both added two points in the period as the Lady Jays took a 36-25 advantage into the fourth quarter.
OC out scored St. Ed’s 18-14 in the final period, sparked by 10 points from Layn Carter.
Benoit scored six points in the period to finish with 16 points.
DeVillier added four points to close with 10 points.
Marcantel and Tanzy Miller both chipped in a bucket to finish with six points each.
St. Edmund (9-10) will entertain No. 3 North Central (14-7) on Tuesday in the District 5-1A opener for both teams.