Tom Dodge
Lady Jay Mary Beth Lafeur scored on a lay-up with one second left to force a tie game after the Lady Bearcats came storming back from a 31-13 deficit.
After being fouled on the play, Lafleur then calmly hit the free throw to lift St. Edmund to a one point lead and AnnaBelle Fontenot then stole the inbounds pass as the Lady Jays grabbed a District 4-1A 43-42 win over the rival Basile Lady Bearcats.
In the beginning it didn’t seem the game would be determined at the final buzzer as the Lady Jays opened with an 18-1 run.
Two buckets by Lafleur, four free throws from Savannah DeVillier followed by a fast-break bucket by Kinsley Marcantel gave the Lady Jays a 10-0 lead.
Lainey Soileau hit a free throw for the Lady Cats midway through the period.
Lafleur scored on a jumper and Marcantel closed the quarter with back-to-back treys to lift the Lady Jays for a 17-point advantage.
Soileau and Caitlyn Deshotel drove the lane for Basile early in the second period, but put-bacl buckets from Rebecca Benoit and two free throws by Jill Simpson pushed the Lady Jays up, 24-5 with 4:00 left in the half.
Basile (13-12, 2-6) responded with a 6-0 run including four points by Deshotel as the Lady Cats closed the deficit to 24-11 at the break.
St. Edmund (8-13, 2-6) added to its lead with a 7-2 third quarter run, sparked by trey from Marcantel.
Lafleur and Simpson also scored in the frame for the Lady Jays.
Soileau scored the only points for Lady Bearcats in the period.
But Basile would not go quietly as the Lady Cats exploded for a 26-12 run in the game’s final quarter.
After Deshotel drove the lane, Gracie Fournet woke up and went on a 10-point scoring barrage including two treys.
Reagan LeDoux added four points inclduing a trey off the glass as Basile pulled closer, 32-29.
Marcantel slowed the Lady Cats down with two free throws, but Harlie Denottelater hit a trey as the Lady Cats closed the margin to 34-33 midway through the period.
Benoit scored on a put-back bucket, but LeDoux and Fournet hit back-toback treys as Basile grabbed a 39-38 lead with 3:01 remaining.
The game shifted to the free throw line where Lafleur hit four to the game to be tied twice in the final three minutes.
Fournet scored in the lane to give Basile a 42-40 advantage with 31 seconds left before Lafleur late heroics lifted the Lady Jays to the win.
Lafleur led St. Edmund with 16 points, while Marcantel chipped in 13 points.
Fournet led Basile with 12 points, all in the second half.
St. Edmund travels to South Cameron Tuesday before returning home Thursday to face Elton on Senior Night.
Basile 34, St. Ed’s 33
The battle between the Bearcats and Blue Jays also went down to the wire before Basile earned a 34-33 win over St. Edmund.
The Blue Jays (2-14, 0-6) opened the game with a 7-4 first quarter, aided by six points from Henry Brown.
Luke Trahan hit s free throw early in the second period to push the Jays ahead, 8-5.
Simon Ceasar drilled a trey and Keeman Ivery late hit a free throw as the Bearcats (3-12, 1-3) moved ahead, 9-8.
The battle continued as Easton Coleman drove the lane for the Jays, but Ceaser scored to give the Bearcats back a 11-10 advantage.
Ian Dupre’s bucket gave the Jays a one-point advantage, but Abdul Mingo launched a trey to push Basile ahead, 14-12.
Brown hit two free throws with 1:48 left in the second frame to tie the game, 14-14.
But 12 seconds later, Ceaser drilled a trey to give Basile a 17-14 advantage at the break.
The Bearcats opened the third period with a four point lead, before Dupre and Coleman both scored in the lane to pull the Jays closer, 21-18.
After a free throw by Mingo, Dupre scored on a put-back as the Jays cloeed the gap to 22-20.
Basile closed the period with a 6-1 run, aided by four points from Travis Mondares as the Bearcats took a 28-21 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Coleman pushed in six points to help the Jays stay close, 32-27.
Bubba Reed scored off a steal to lift Basile up, 34-27, but Coleman answered with six straight points to pull the Jays within a point with 52 seconds left.
St. Edmund missed a last-second long range shot at the buzzer as the Bearcats held on for the 34-33 victory.
Coleman finished with 18 points to lead the Jays, while Brown chipped in eight points and Dupre added six points.
Ceasar led Basile with nine points.