BURNING RUBBER: Spartans pull away from Zachary after quick start
By Peter Silas Pasqua
Weekly Citizen
Weekly Citizen
DENHAM SPRINGS – East Ascension used a 13-1 run to close out the first quarter after Keith Fleming, who had a game-high 25 points, picked up his second foul and held off a late rally from Zachary to net a 68-57 victory in the Grady Hornsby Classic Monday night at Denham Springs High School’s Hornsby Gym.
The Spartans (3-2) outscored the Broncos 22-13 in the second quarter and led by as many as 23 points before halftime but Zachary (1-2) cut it to 11 going into the final frame behind a full court press.
“We went to a 2-3 zone and I think that helped a lot,” East Ascension head coach Kenny Almond said. “It looked like it bothered Zachary a little bit and Keith was able to rebound and stay out of foul trouble which was big. It looked like we got some better run outs and layups out of the zone than we have in man because we rebounded, got it out and went with it.
“We have to able to handle that kind of pressure they put on us in the second half and as young as we are it is going to be difficult. We had a tough time in Donaldsonville and hopefully, we have corrected some of those mistakes.”
Tyler Wright added 11 points for EA and Curtis Watts provided 10, while Donald LeBlanc and Devonte Fisher each had eight.
Corey Gibbs and Morris Wright each had 13 for Zachary, while Carlos Burrell added 10 and Tremon Mims provided nine.
“We missed a lot of shots in the first half and didn’t have any kind of offensive rebounding,”
Zachary head coach Kirby Loupe said. “That leads to a lot of transition baskets for the other team and we didn’t do a good job of getting back. When you are missing shots and they aren’t, it kind of snowballs and next thing you know, the lead gets out of control.”
Wright’s 3-pointer from the left corner put East Ascension on the board. LeBlanc’s dish out to DeAndre Smith for a 3-pointer near the top of the key closed out the first quarter after Watts’ baseline drive kickstarted the run which included three straight dishes from Bobby Madere to Fleming, Smith and Wright, all in transition.
The Spartans used another 13-2 run midway through the second quarter kickstarted by Fleming’s putback and spin and one inside. Wright’s free throws gave East Ascension their biggest lead 38-15 after Madere fed Watts in transition and LeBlanc converted consecutive lay ups off steals.
Fleming’s turnaround jumper opened the second half before Watts’ baseline drive and Wright’s dish to LeBlanc in transition made it 44-22 but Zachary’s press sparked an 11-0 run that was capped by Mims’ putback and one. Watts’ dish to Fleming inside made it 46-33 going into the final frame.
Mims’ spin opened the fourth quarter before Fleming took over with a putback and one and lay ups off an inbounds pass from Watts and LeBlanc in transition to make it 53-37.
Smith’s 3-pointer from the top of the key pushed it to 64-44 after Watts and LeBlanc’s transition buckets before Zachary closed out the contest on a 13-4 run that saw John Paul Williams and Willie Williams get in the scorecard for East Ascension.
The Spartans return to action when they host Broadmoor Monday night.
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Hammond runs away from Gators
By Peter Silas Pasqua
Weekly Citizen
DENHAM SPRINGS – Hammond (2-0) used a 15-4 run to pull away from St. Amant (0-5) in the first quarter and never looked back on way to a 69-36 victory in the Grady Hornsby Classic Monday night at Denham Springs High School’s Hornsby Gym.
The Gators, who return just one starter, knocked the Tors, who return their entire starting lineup, out of the playoffs in the first round last season.
“They didn’t have one senior last year,” St. Amant head coach Gary Duhe said. “They have a very good ball club and are very athletic. When you have 27 turnovers it doesn’t help. We just have to keep working to get better. This time of the year, you are more worried about your team then who you are playing.
“We didn’t move our feet defensively and we didn’t stop penetration and that hurt us. We were trying to play them man and contain but we don’t have the quickness. We probably played more zone in this game than I have had a team play in 30 years. We just have to stay positive.”
Mikel Henry and Kylan Douglas each had 14 apiece for Hammond. Mark Bridgewater added 13 and Domonick McCoy and Terrence Bridges each had eight.
Steve Fulkerson led the Gators with 10 points, while Justin Manton added seven, Jacky Joseph provided six and Malik Beasley had five.
“We had a little extra incentive playing St. Amant,” Hammond first-year head coach Brent Grigas said. “Coach Duhe is a legend and it was great to coach against him.”
“We have a great nucleus and pretty much everybody returning. Those guards have been playing together their whole lives so they know each other well.”
Douglas’ putback gave Hammond a 20-6 lead in the first quarter before Brandon LeBourgeois’ bucket, Fulkerson’s putback and Manton’s dish to Dalton Alexander inside closed out the stanza.
Fulkerson fed Joseph inside to open the second quarter but Hammond scored the next six points to go ahead 27-14 on Bridgewater’s lay up off a steal. Beasley’s 3-pointer from the top of the key preceded a 14-0 Tor run to close out the half capped by Bridgewater’s dish to Douglas off a steal.
Douglas and Bridgewater’s buckets opened the second half before Fulkerson’s free throws ended the drought.
Jacob Gauthier’s baseline drive cut it to 51-29 going into the final frame after Beasley’s drive, Joseph’s putback and Manton’s reverse.
Caleb Brumfield’s drive with just over a minute to go gave Hammond their biggest lead 69-34 as the Gators managed only seven fourth quarter points.
St. Amant lost to Walker 62-51 Tuesday night in the Gold Dome. The Gators led 25-22 at halftime but were outscored 19-9 in the third quarter.
Fulkerson had a game-high 24 points and Beasley added 16.
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Woodlawn rallies past Dutchtown
By Peter Silas Pasqua Weekly Citizen
DENHAM SPRINGS – Woodlawn outscored Dutchtown by 16 points in the second half on way to a 53-48 victory in the Grady Hornsby Classic Tuesday night at Denham Springs High School’s Hornsby Gym.
Braylon Lazare scored a game-high 23 points for the Panthers (3-2), 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 Woodlawn.
Terrance Cushenberry led Dutchtown (1-2) with 18 points and Scott Burgess added 15.
Dutchtown led 37-26 at halftime but it took the Griffins more than four minutes to score in the third quarter as the Panthers closed the gap.
The Griffins host McKinley Monday night.
Link to Article Courtesy of the Weekly Citizen in Gonzales
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