Mamou wins against Dunham

Jim Mora may not have wanted to talk about the playoffs when back in 2001 he ranted "What’s that? Ah — Playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game! Another game."
But Mark Temple did want to talk about it Thursday night. "Being in the dance is big," said the coach of the Mamou Lady Demons. "It's big to be in it, and it's even bigger to make it to that next round because we (go) from 32 to 16. So we just steadily pushing to try to get to the ultimate goal and get to Hammond."

His team's opponent in the opening round was The Dunham School of Baton Rouge. It was a game of how the pendulum turns as Mamou took a 30-23 lead into the locker room at the half, but Mamou got that proverbial shut down inning in the third quarter. Mamou in the end advanced to the next round as it won over Dunham 61-36 and will host Episcopal Monday night.
Temple said his team wanted to speed up the game against Dunham. "They are a team that likes to play slow, so what we did we made the game faster to get them out of character and control the tempo of the game. And that was the key to the victory."
Gabby Zia scored a three pointer for Dunham off of the opening tip. With her team down 4-1, Darelzray Bellard drilled a three pointer of her own from way downtown to tie the game. Kiajah Wilson stole the ball away and scored to take the lead and the momentum.
Dunham tied it at the free throw line, but Mamou regained the lead on the next possession. Michiko Jackson with her hair in her eyes made a layup, but Mamou responded on the other end to go up 12-8. Bellard picked up the defensive rebound and the score, and at the end of the first quarter Mamou led 14-8.
Each team began the second quarter in the bonus with Dunham having eight fouls to Mamou's seven. Ka'zhara Richard doubled up the Mamou lead then sank a big three ball to go up 19-8. After Bellard made both free throws, Unjel Lazard made a basket putting her team up 23-10.
Aishia Brady stole the ball and scored to bring the game back within single digits halfway through the second quarter. Zia with her toes on the arc scored to make it a four point game, and Hannah Barrow with her heels on the arc scored to make it a five point game with under a minute left on the first half clock.
Mamou opened the scoring in the second half with successive free throws to take a 10-point lead. Arkie Thomas and Bellard extended the lead on back-to-back scores. Dunham called a full timeout at the 4:24 mark with Mamou leading 37-23. Thomas would then give her team a 21-point advantage on the scoreboard with a under a minute on the clock in the third. At the end of three, Mamou led 48-30.
Mamou began the fourth quarter in the bonus as Dunham had eight fouls to Mamou's four. Bellard scored white with a long range three to go up 52-30. Caitlin Thomas scored off the assist from Thomas, and Kamaneisha Wilson added a score to go up 57-32 on the northside of halfway through the final quarter to seal the win for the Lady Demons.