The No. 14 Lady Bobcats and the No. 19 Avoyelles Lady Mustangs literally fought to the last second in the Thursday’s Class 3-A bi-district game held at the Eunice High gym.
Eunice’s Shania Malveaux’s two free throws in the final seconds that lifted the Lady Bobcats to a 51-48 victory.
It was the first playoff win for the Lady Cats in their fourth playoff game in EHS history.
“We haven’t quit all year and we are going to give it all we have from start to finish,” Eunice head coach Wayne Fontenot said as the fans celebrated with the team.
“They are fighters and this was a big win for us.” he said. “I knew since last year we could be a decent team this season – we learned from failure and they didn’t like that taste.
“That experience helped build us for this season.”
The Lady Cats (18-10) will take on District 5-3A rival Northwest as the No. 3 Lady Raiders (26-3) rolled to a 62-18 win over No. 30 Church Point.
Defense dominated the action in the first half, with both teams struggling to score against each other.
The first quarter ended with the Lady Cats holding on to a 9-8 lead.
Stacie White scored all nine points for Eunice, driving for three scores after forcing three steals.
White also hit a three-point goal early in the first quarter.
TyKalon Jacobs led Avoyelles in the first quarter with six points on two goals from beyond the 3-point line.
Defense continued to dominate the action in the second quarter, with both teams having to battle for points.
The Lady Mustangs outscored the Lady Bobcats by a 6-5 margin as Jacobs and Laurielle Lewis each contributed a field goal.
Jacobs and Oprah McGee each added a free throw.
Eunice’s five points came on field goals by Jesslyn Reed and Shania Malveaux and a free throw by Shanyia Toussaint.
The teams entered halftime tied at 14-14.
The offensive action ramped up in the third quarter with McGee rebounding a teammate’s missed shot and scoring to give Avoyelles the lead.
The Lady Cats tied the score on two free throws by Reed before Leah Walker hit a field goal and Toussaint added a free throw for a 19-16 lead.
White extended the lead to 21-16 with a field goal with 6:29 left in the third quarter.
The Lady Bobcats would pull ahead to 27-18 on a goal by Reed and two free throws from Walker, but Jacobs would hit back-to-back goals and Kennedy Ealey made a field goal to pull the Lady Mustangs within two points at 27-25 with 3:14 left in the quarter.
White would stop the surge by Avoyelles on a drive to the basket after a taking a pass on the run from Katherine Rougeau to give the Lady Cats a 29-25 lead.
That lead was extended on a free throw by Toussaint. Jacobs responded with a field goal and a free throw to make it a 30-28 game.
The Lady Cats outscored the Lady Mustangs in the final 1:51 to claim a 36-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
White opened the final quarter with consecutive field goals to push the lead to 40-31, but Avoyelles would respond by cutting the lead to 40-35.
White responded with a putback after rebounding a missed shot for a 42-35 lead.
Avoyelles pulled within one points at 44-43 before before White made a free throw to give Eunice a 45-43 lead with 1:35 left on the clock.
Jacobs tied the game seconds later at 45-45. Avoyelles took a 47-45 lead on two free throws by Makayla Kyle before Eunice battled back to retake the lead at 49-47.
Jacobs was fouled going to the basket but managed to make just one of two free throws to make it a 49-48 Eunice lead with 13 seconds left in the game.
After Eunice forced a turnover, the Lady Mustangs fouled Shania Malveaux, who had missed four previous attempts from the line.
But this time she sank both free throws to give her team the victory.
White led the Eunice scoring with 26 points and Reed added 10 points. Toussaint added seven and Walker and Malveaux finished with four points apiece.
Jacobs led the scoring for the Lady Mustangs with 28 points.