VILLE PLATTE – French Settlement jumped out to a quick start to remained undeafted on the season with a 64-23 win over St. Edmund in the semifinals of the annual Turkey Tournament at Sacred Heart of Ville Platte.
The Lady Lions (5-0) and the North Central Lady Hurricanes (4-1) both advanced girls tournament championship that was set for Wednesday night.
Quick baskets by Serenity Smith and Payton Clouatre gave French Settlement a 4-0 lead before St. Edmund’s Kinsley Marcantel drove the lane for the Lady Jays.
The Lady Lions then went on a 12-0 run, aided by a eight points from Laurel Smiley to push French Settlement ahead, 16-2.
Lady Jay Abby Miller hit a bucket and Camille Leger later scored on a putback shot to close the gap to 18-6 but the Lady Lions held a 22-6 advantage heading into the second period.
French Settlement took full control of the game with a 21-1 run in the second frame.
After Smiley scored off a steal and Smith added a baseline bucket, Dannah Martin then hit back-to-back treys to push the Lady Lions up 33-6 midway through the period.
French Settlement continued with eight more points before Lady Jay Mary Beth Lafleur hit a free throw with 1:39 left in the half.
A jumper by Clouatre pushed the Lady Lions ahead 43-7 at intermission.
The Lady Jays regrouped for a 12-10 third quarter surge to close the margin to 53-19.
A trey by Lady Lion Bailey Karpinski was answered with a three-pointer from Lady Jay Gabby Fontenot.
After a 4-0 run by French Settlement, Fontenot drained another trey, Maggie Larriviere added a put-back bucket, Savannah DeVillier and Mary Beth Lafleur scored in the lane to help St. Edmund close the gap to 50-19.
Martin drilled a long-range trey at the buzzer and then started the final period with another three-points to help the Lady Lions move ahead by 37 points.
DeVillier hit a free throw and Lafleur later hit three more from the charity stripe to account for the final Lady Jay points in the fourth period.
Clouatre and Martin capped the Lady Lion win with back-to-back three pointers.
Fontenot and Lafleur led St. Edmund with six points each.
French Settlement had four players in double figures, led by Martin (25 points), Smith (14), Smiley (12) and Clouatre (10).
SEH 36, SHVP 34
VILLE PLATTE – In a battle between rivals, the game was close until the end as St. Edmund grabbed a 36-34 win over Sacred Heart of Ville Platte Monday night at the annual Turkey Tournament.
Sacred Heart held an 8-6 first quarter advantage, sparked by six points from Dulcie Miller.
Mary Beth Lafleur pushed in four points and Tanzy Miller added two points as the Lady Jays scrapped to keep the game close.
The two teams battled to a 9-9 second quarter tie as Sacred Heart held a 17-15 lead at intermission.
The Lady Trojans used buckets from Miller, Lauren Shipp, Blaire Lafleur and a trey from Emilyse Bergeron in the quarter.
The Lady Jays had a pair of three pointers from Kennedy Fruge and free throws from Maggie Larriviere, Mary Beth Lafleur and Tanzy Miller to keep SEH close at the break.
St. Edmund outscored the Lady Trojans 8-7 in the third frame to pull the Lady Jays within a point, trailing 24-23 as the game moved to the final period.
The Lady Jays were led by four points from Abby Miller along with buckets by Fontenot and T. Miller.
Shipp led SHVP with four points in the period, while Shani Fontenot chipped in a bucket and Blaire Lafleur added a free throw.
After the two defenses dominated the game through the first three quarters, both teams scored in double figures in the final period.
A 13-10 battle was won by the Lady Jays as Fruge scored eight points in the quarter, while Abby Miller chipped in three points and Larriviere added a bucket.
Shipp hit four free throws and Annabeth Briley added three points for the Lady Trojans.
Three points from Dulcie Miller and a bucket by Blaire Lafleur kept SHVP in the game before the Lady Jays pulled out the win.
Fruge led St. Edmund with 14 points, while Abby Miller added seven points.
M. Lafleur chipped in five points, followed by T. Miller (3), Larriviere (3) and Gabby Fontenot (2).
Shipp led Sacred Heart with 10 points, while Miller contributed nine points.
Blaire Lafleur added seven points for the Lady Trojans, followed by Briley (3), Bergeron (3) and Shani Fontenot (2).
The Lady Jays (2-1) return home 6 p.m. Tuesday to take on Gueydan.