Tom Dodge
MONROE – Ouachita Christian’s pressure defense and transition offense proved to a winning combination as the No. 1 Lady Eagles rolled to a 58-27 quarterfinal win over the No. 8 St. Edmund Lady Jays.
Trailing 3-0 early, St. Ed’s Rebecca Benoit scored in the lane for the Lady Jays.
OCS (27-2) then went on a 17-0 run as the Lady Eagles forced turnovers and took control of the game.
Conleigh Laseter led the Lady Eagles with seven points in the first quarter, while Emery Wirtz and Jayden Ellerman both added four points.
The Lady Jays had a chance to cut into the OCS lead, but missed five free throws in the final 2:30 of the quarter.
Anna Dale Melton drilled a trey with six seconds left to push the Lady Eagles up 20-2.
St. Ed’s Savannah DeVillier and Mary Beth Lafleur opened the second period with free throws to close the margin to 20-4.
The Lady Eagles then responded with a 21-0 surge to push ahead, 41-4 at intermission.
Avery Hopkins scored seven points to lead OCS in the period.
After Ellerman hit a jumper to open the second half, Anna Belle Fontenot answered with a trey for the Lady Jays.
OCS hit five three throws to move ahead, 47-7.
Lafleur hit a free throw with 4:28 left, but the Lady Eagles answered with buckets by Wirtz and Carley Teekell.
DeVillier scored in the lane and Fontenot drilled another trey to help the Lady Jays close the gap to 53-13 as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
St. Edmund finished the game with a 14-5 run, begun with a jumper by Benoit and trey by Fontenot.
Fontenot scored later from the baseline to help the Lady Jays close the margin to 56-20 with 5:17 left in the game.
After two Lady Eagle free throws, St. Edmund ended the contest with an 7-0 run.
Benoit hit a jumper and Fontenot followed with her fourth trey of the game.
Tanzy Miller stole the ball and scored a layup with two seconds left to make the final, 58-27.
Fontenot led the Lady Jays with 14 points.
OCS had three players in double figures inlcuding Wirtz (11 points), Laseter (11 points) and Hopkins (10 points).
The Lady Jays opened the playoffs with a 46-40 win over Hanson Memorial.
St. Edmund ends the season with a 15-7 overall record.
The Lady Eagles cruised to a 70-21 win over Sacred Heart of Ville Platte to begin the playoffs.
OCS will take on No. 4 St. Martin’s Episcopal in the Div. IV state semifinals held at the University Center in Hammond.