Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Baton Rouge Report: DSHS improves record to 5-0

Woodlawn's Braylon Lazare
By ROBIN FAMBROUGH

Advocate sportswriter

DENHAM SPRINGS — It wasn’t a perfect effort by Denham Springs. But by claiming a 37-30 victory over Broadmoor in the final game of its own Grady Hornsby Classic, the Yellow Jackets did something it took the entire 2008-09 season to do.


“We didn’t shoot well, and there were some other things we didn’t do as well as I’d like,” Denham Springs coach Wynn Wingate said. “But I’ll go into Thanksgiving being thankful. We’ve got five wins and that’s what we had all last year.”

Randy Lathers scored a game-high 14 points and Brandon Watkins added 13 in DSHS’ win over the Bucs on Tuesday night at the Hornsby Gym. With the win, the Yellow Jackets (5-0) remain unbeaten.

Joshua Fealing finished with nine points for Broadmoor (1-4) in the game that closed the two-day tourney that consisted of a series of single games match-ing many of the area’s boys basketball teams.

“I thought Denham Springs played extremely hard the whole game and we didn’t,” Broadmoor coach Larry Grayson said. “We’re extremely young and I know that’s part of it. But Denham Springs out-muscled us and got the rebounds and loose balls. They made their breaks.”

The teams traded the lead three times in the first quarter. Broadmoor tied it at 8-8 with 30 seconds left on a rebound and layup by Reggie Williams.

Watkins, who scored nine first-half points, started to assert himself on the inside as the second quarter unfolded. He made three baskets in less than a minute and a half as the Yellow Jackets surged to a 16-12 lead.

Two free throws by Hunter Etheridge and a spin move in the lane by Jeremy Washington increased DSHS’ lead to 20-12 in the final minute. A layup by Broadmoor’s Cullen Barnes with two seconds left made it 20-14 at halftime.
Denham Springs scored the first five points of the second half and led by 11 at 25-14. Broadmoor outscored the Yellow Jackets 12-5 the rest of the way. A basket by Daricus Ventress got the Bucs within four, at 30-26, to end the third quarter.

DSHS missed the front end of two one-and-ones early in the fourth quarter, but Broadmoor never capitalized.

Two plays by Lathers — a jumper in the lane at the 3:24 mark and two free throws less than a minute later — gave Denham Springs the breathing room needed. Watkins closed the game with a layup with just more than a minute remaining.

WOODLAWN 53, DUTCHTOWN 48: Woodlawn (3-2) outscored the Griffins 27-11 in the second half to net the win. Braylon Lazare scored a game-high 23 points, including three of four free throws in the final 10 seconds. Jon Alexander put the Panthers ahead for good with a layup at the 1:05 mark. Craig McFerrin added 13 for the winners. Terrance Cushenberry (18) and Scott Burgress (15) powered Dutchtown (1-2).

Dutchtown led 37-26 at halftime. It took the Griffins more than four minutes to score in the third quarter and WHS closed the gap.

“We came out asleep against a very good team,” Woodlawn coach Elmo Fernandez said. “I thought they had us. Fortunately, we played better in the second half and made some free throws at the end.”

PLAQUEMINE 30, ST. MICHAEL 16:

Plaquemine (4-1) took a 20-8 halftime lead and never looked back. Jeffrey Ricard scored a game-high nine points for the Green Devils. William Arcement had five points to pace Michael (1-1).

CENTRAL 64, LUTCHER 46:

Brock Poydras scored a team-high 15 points to help Central take a victory over Lutcher in the first of four games. Dylan Anders (12) and LaQuin Turner (11) also led the Wildcats.

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