The season came to an end Monday night for the Oakdale Lady Warriors as they lost 55-34 to the Madison Prep Lady Chargers.
"Well I knew it was going to be a tough game for us to win because Madison Prep was quick and physical," said head coach Ted Fontenot. "The only thing we did not factor in was their three point shooting skills. Every scouting report said that they would not shoot that great from the outside. We knew they would be physical. We just had problems scoring which is why we could not stay in the game."
In the losing effort, Sanaa St. Andre led her team with 17 points going six-for-18 from the field. Her Achilles' heel on the night was her inability to make the three pointers as she went 0-for-eight from beyond the arc. Next in line in the scoring department was Setorie St. Andre with nine points.
The game started with Madison Prep being called for a technical foul uniform violation. Sanaa St. Andre scored both free throws, and the Lady Warriors maintained the possession in front of a highly partisan Warrior crowd. Both teams did a good job of forcing turnovers in the early going until Madison Prep hit a three-pointer to go up 3-2.
Alandrea Cox then tied the game at four, and the Lady Warriors took the lead on the next possession. The lead was short lived as Madison Prep scored on back-to-back possession to double up the score. Cox then scored again to make it a one possession game. Madison Prep again doubled up the score at 12-6 and added a three-pointer. Oakdale called a timeout at the 2:52 mark of the first quarter down 15-8.
Coming out of the timeout, Oakdale drove down the court, and KeMaesha St. Andre cashed it in with the basket. Sanaa St. Andre got the rebound on a missed three-pointer and drove down for the score. The Lady Chargers then connected from beyond the arc, and Oakdale trailed 21-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Madison Prep then went on an 8-7 run in the second quarter. Setorie St. Andre scored a jump shot putting her team back down by 11 at 29-18 going into the final minute of the first half, and the first half ended by the same 29-18 score
Oakdale in the second half was not getting the benefit of the calls from the officials, and the Oakdale faithful that made the trip was letting their frustration known in the stands as the Lady Chargers went up 34-18. Madison Prep called a full timeout with 3:12 before the end of the third up 37-20.
The Lady Chargers built a 20-point lead going into the final eight minutes of play to lead 45-22. Oakdale began the fouth quarter on a 7-0 run as Madison Prep called a timeout being up 45-29 with 3:36 remaining in the game. Madison Prep then went on an 8-0 run of their own over the next two minutes. Setorie St. Andre drilled a basket from beyond the arc in a final gasp for her Lady Warriors, but
their season came to a close.
Fontenot added after the game, "I am proud of the way our girls fought the entire game."
Also falling the in second round was Elizabeth as the Lady Bulldogs went down 76-34 at Summerfield. Fairview; however, advanced to the semi-finals in Class B after a dominating 91-27 win over Weston in the quarterfinals. The Lady Panthers now play Anacoco at the University Center in Hammond for a chance to earn a spot in the championship game.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Mamou Lady Demons wrangle the Lady Mustangs to advance to the Top 28 - Ville Platte Gazette Edition
The eighth seeded Mamou Lady Demons wrangled the top ranked Rapides Lady Mustangs to a 68-55 win Thursday night in Lecompte in the quarterfinal round to advance to the Top 28.
Mamou used a strategy they employed earlier in the week to get them to the quarterfinals. "I'm expecting a little of the same look we saw on Monday against Lake View, said head coach Danisha Allison-Lewis. "They're kinda similar in playing styles and defensive styles, so I'm expecting to use almost the same game plan we used against Lake View."
In her first year at Mamou, the coach credited her team in getting to this point and says it is "huge" for her program. "I inherited a great group of girls," she said before the game. "They were well coached before I got here, so I inherited a great group of girls. And we're not going to be satisfied with the just the third round. We wanna go to State."
She then characterized the mood in the locker room. "They're hyped right now," she said. "I mean I'm the one with the nerves. They're telling me 'Coach, don't be nervous. We got this.'"
Darelzray Bellard led all scorers with 29-points. Four of her baskets came from beyond the arc, and she went eight-for-13 from the free throw line. Kiajah Wilson was next in line in the scoring department with 13-points. Also scoring for the Lady Demons were Braylin Charles with ten, Kazhana Richard with eight, Tia Gallow with six, and Tavia Gallow with two points.
Rapides won the tip, but Mamou forced the early turnover and got a three-pointer to cap off the possession. Mamou then got another three-pointer as the Lady Demons came out playing with energy. Rapides went on a run to make it a two point game before Darelzray Bellard drilled a long range three ball. Rapides then made it a one point game at 11-10.
Bellard was at the line at the 2:22 mark of first quarter and connected on all three free throws. Mamou scored on back-to-back possessions for the 18-10 lead. Braylin Charles added to the scoring run as Rapides called a timeout trailing 20-10 with 1:12 remaining in the first stanza. Katie Couvillion got the bucket as the first quarter came to an end with her team trailing 22-10.
Charles received the lob pass and put the ball through the net leading off the second quarter, then Bellard added a jump shot. Kazhana Richard was at the line with 5:22 before the half and made both free throws giving her team the 16-point lead.
The student section sensing the enormity of the situation erupted in "Let's go Mustangs!" Darylnetta Martin answered the call and scored on both attempts from the charity stripe. A timeout was called on the court 4:08 before the half with Mamou leading 33-17.
Chants of "Let's go Mamou!" echoed through the strong contingent of Demon faithful. Martin picked up her third foul coming out of the timeout sending Bellard to the line where she made both free throws. Charles then got the steal and capitalized at the basket. She later got the basket just inside the three-point line. A timeout was called with 1:32 before the half with Mamou up 41-25.
As Couvillion missed a three heading into the final minute, Kiajah Wilson drove down the court for the layup. The first half ended with Mamou leading 43-25.
Bellard got the steal on the opening possession of the second half and got the points. Mitchell then scored as she picked up second chance points. Bellard was then at the line at the 5:32 mark and made both free throws to go up 49-31. Rapides went on a 4-0 scoring run half way through the third quarter. Couvillion connected on a long range two-pointer from the far end of the key approaching the final minute. At the end of three quarters of play in Lecompte, Mamou led Rapides 56-42.
Mitchell got the first points of the final quarter as Rapides was in the midst of a 7-0 scoring run. She then extended the run making it a two possession game befor Bellard got the basket. Mamou called a full timeout leading 58-51 with 4:45 remaining in regulation, and "Let's go Mustangs!" again erupted in the student section.
Bellard scored to lead 60-53 going down the home stretch, and "Let's go Demons!" echoed through the stands as a timeout was called with 2:12 on the clock. Richard gave her team the easy basket and more separation. Mamou called a timeout inside the final minute leading 64-55 as shouts of "We believe, Demons!" rang out. Rapides resigned to fouling the Lady Demons, and Mamou took advantage to hold on for the win.
"This is the first time in 19 years that we've been to the Top 28," said Allison-Lewis. "So I think it means a lot (for not only the school but also the town) going into the Top 28. We had a lot of support today. I thank everybody for coming out to support us. Everybody wanted us to win, and we took it."
The Lady Demons now face fourth ranked Rayville at Hammond's University Center at 11:30 AM on Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Rayville defeated Loreauville 63-28 in the opening round of the playoffs then beat Kinder 63-36 before knocking out Red River 66-46 in the quarterfinals.
Mamou used a strategy they employed earlier in the week to get them to the quarterfinals. "I'm expecting a little of the same look we saw on Monday against Lake View, said head coach Danisha Allison-Lewis. "They're kinda similar in playing styles and defensive styles, so I'm expecting to use almost the same game plan we used against Lake View."
In her first year at Mamou, the coach credited her team in getting to this point and says it is "huge" for her program. "I inherited a great group of girls," she said before the game. "They were well coached before I got here, so I inherited a great group of girls. And we're not going to be satisfied with the just the third round. We wanna go to State."
She then characterized the mood in the locker room. "They're hyped right now," she said. "I mean I'm the one with the nerves. They're telling me 'Coach, don't be nervous. We got this.'"
Darelzray Bellard led all scorers with 29-points. Four of her baskets came from beyond the arc, and she went eight-for-13 from the free throw line. Kiajah Wilson was next in line in the scoring department with 13-points. Also scoring for the Lady Demons were Braylin Charles with ten, Kazhana Richard with eight, Tia Gallow with six, and Tavia Gallow with two points.
Rapides won the tip, but Mamou forced the early turnover and got a three-pointer to cap off the possession. Mamou then got another three-pointer as the Lady Demons came out playing with energy. Rapides went on a run to make it a two point game before Darelzray Bellard drilled a long range three ball. Rapides then made it a one point game at 11-10.
Bellard was at the line at the 2:22 mark of first quarter and connected on all three free throws. Mamou scored on back-to-back possessions for the 18-10 lead. Braylin Charles added to the scoring run as Rapides called a timeout trailing 20-10 with 1:12 remaining in the first stanza. Katie Couvillion got the bucket as the first quarter came to an end with her team trailing 22-10.
Charles received the lob pass and put the ball through the net leading off the second quarter, then Bellard added a jump shot. Kazhana Richard was at the line with 5:22 before the half and made both free throws giving her team the 16-point lead.
The student section sensing the enormity of the situation erupted in "Let's go Mustangs!" Darylnetta Martin answered the call and scored on both attempts from the charity stripe. A timeout was called on the court 4:08 before the half with Mamou leading 33-17.
Chants of "Let's go Mamou!" echoed through the strong contingent of Demon faithful. Martin picked up her third foul coming out of the timeout sending Bellard to the line where she made both free throws. Charles then got the steal and capitalized at the basket. She later got the basket just inside the three-point line. A timeout was called with 1:32 before the half with Mamou up 41-25.
As Couvillion missed a three heading into the final minute, Kiajah Wilson drove down the court for the layup. The first half ended with Mamou leading 43-25.
Bellard got the steal on the opening possession of the second half and got the points. Mitchell then scored as she picked up second chance points. Bellard was then at the line at the 5:32 mark and made both free throws to go up 49-31. Rapides went on a 4-0 scoring run half way through the third quarter. Couvillion connected on a long range two-pointer from the far end of the key approaching the final minute. At the end of three quarters of play in Lecompte, Mamou led Rapides 56-42.
Mitchell got the first points of the final quarter as Rapides was in the midst of a 7-0 scoring run. She then extended the run making it a two possession game befor Bellard got the basket. Mamou called a full timeout leading 58-51 with 4:45 remaining in regulation, and "Let's go Mustangs!" again erupted in the student section.
Bellard scored to lead 60-53 going down the home stretch, and "Let's go Demons!" echoed through the stands as a timeout was called with 2:12 on the clock. Richard gave her team the easy basket and more separation. Mamou called a timeout inside the final minute leading 64-55 as shouts of "We believe, Demons!" rang out. Rapides resigned to fouling the Lady Demons, and Mamou took advantage to hold on for the win.
"This is the first time in 19 years that we've been to the Top 28," said Allison-Lewis. "So I think it means a lot (for not only the school but also the town) going into the Top 28. We had a lot of support today. I thank everybody for coming out to support us. Everybody wanted us to win, and we took it."
The Lady Demons now face fourth ranked Rayville at Hammond's University Center at 11:30 AM on Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Rayville defeated Loreauville 63-28 in the opening round of the playoffs then beat Kinder 63-36 before knocking out Red River 66-46 in the quarterfinals.
Mamou Lady Demons wrangle the Lady Mustangs in the quarterfinals - Town Talk Edition
The top seeded Rapides Lady Mustangs' quest for a State Championship ended Thursday night in Lecompte as the eighth seed Mamou Lady Demons wrangled the opposition to win 68-55 in the quarterfinal round.
Rapides head coach Shane Henderson before the game characterized his team's mood in the locker room. "The girls are really confident, he said. "They feel good about where they're at. They feel that if they can do what they're supposed to do we should be fine."
His mood became more somber after the loss. "We just couldn't get anything to fall. In the first quarter their (Darelzray Bellard) couldn't miss, and we dug ourselves a hole. Everytime we'd make a run, we'd miss an easy put back or an easy shot or more free throws. For whatever reason it wasn't our night tonight."
Tori Mitchell led all Lady Mustang scorers with 26-points and went four-for-four from the free throw line. She was the only player with double digit points as Darylnetta Martin, Katie Couvillion, and Naomi Lewis each recorded six points.
Rapides won the tip, but Mamou forced the early turnover and got a three-pointer to cap off the possession. Mamou then got another three-pointer as the Lady Demons came out playing with energy. Rapides went on a run to make it a two point game before Darelzray Bellard drilled a long range three ball. Rapides then made it a one point game at 11-10.
Bellard was at the line at the 2:22 mark of first quarter and connected on all three free throws. Mamou scored on back-to-back possessions for the 18-10 lead. Braylin Charles added to the scoring run as Rapides called a timeout trailing 20-10 with 1:12 remaining in the first stanza. Katie Couvillion got the bucket as the first quarter came to an end with her team trailing 22-10.
Charles received the lob pass and put the ball through the net leading off the second quarter, then Bellard added a jump shot. Kazhana Richard was at the line with 5:22 before the half and made both free throws giving her team the 16-point lead.
The student section sensing the enormity of the situation erupted in "Let's go Mustangs!" Darylnetta Martin answered the call and scored on both attempts from the charity stripe. A timeout was called on the court 4:08 before the half with Mamou leading 33-17.
Chants of "Let's go Mamou!" echoed through the strong contingent of Demon faithful. Martin picked up her third foul coming out of the timeout sending Bellard to the line where she made both free throws. Charles then got the steal and capitalized at the basket. She later got the basket just inside the three-point line. A timeout was called with 1:32 before the half with Mamou up 41-25.
As Couvillion missed a three heading into the final minute, Kiajah Wilson drove down the court for the layup. The first half ended with Mamou leading 43-25.
Bellard got the steal on the opening possession of the second half and got the points. Mitchell then scored as she picked up second chance points. Bellard was then at the line at the 5:32 mark and made both free throws to go up 49-31. Rapides went on a 4-0 scoring run half way through the third quarter. Couvillion connected on a long range two-pointer from the far end of the key approaching the final minute. At the end of three quarters of play in Lecompte, Mamou led Rapides 56-42.
Mitchell got the first points of the final quarter as Rapides was in the midst of a 7-0 scoring run. She then extended the run making it a two possession game befor Bellard got the basket. Mamou called a full timeout leading 58-51 with 4:45 remaining in regulation, and "Let's go Mustangs!" again erupted in the student section.
Bellard scored to lead 60-53 going down the home stretch, and "Let's go Demons!" echoed through the stands as a timeout was called with 2:12 on the clock. Richard gave her team the easy basket and more separation. Mamou called a timeout inside the final minute leading 64-55 as shouts of "We believe, Demons!" rang out. Rapides resigned to fouling the Lady Demons, and Mamou took advantage to hold on for the win.
Henderson did not let the loss damper his thoughts on the season as his team went through play in District 3-2A undefeated. "(The season) went really well, he said. We probably exceeded expectations. The girls came together, and everybody knew their roles, and everybody did their job. It translated to a lot of wins. We'll come back strong. We'll give them off a few weeks and start making preparations for next year."
Rapides head coach Shane Henderson before the game characterized his team's mood in the locker room. "The girls are really confident, he said. "They feel good about where they're at. They feel that if they can do what they're supposed to do we should be fine."
His mood became more somber after the loss. "We just couldn't get anything to fall. In the first quarter their (Darelzray Bellard) couldn't miss, and we dug ourselves a hole. Everytime we'd make a run, we'd miss an easy put back or an easy shot or more free throws. For whatever reason it wasn't our night tonight."
Tori Mitchell led all Lady Mustang scorers with 26-points and went four-for-four from the free throw line. She was the only player with double digit points as Darylnetta Martin, Katie Couvillion, and Naomi Lewis each recorded six points.
Rapides won the tip, but Mamou forced the early turnover and got a three-pointer to cap off the possession. Mamou then got another three-pointer as the Lady Demons came out playing with energy. Rapides went on a run to make it a two point game before Darelzray Bellard drilled a long range three ball. Rapides then made it a one point game at 11-10.
Bellard was at the line at the 2:22 mark of first quarter and connected on all three free throws. Mamou scored on back-to-back possessions for the 18-10 lead. Braylin Charles added to the scoring run as Rapides called a timeout trailing 20-10 with 1:12 remaining in the first stanza. Katie Couvillion got the bucket as the first quarter came to an end with her team trailing 22-10.
Charles received the lob pass and put the ball through the net leading off the second quarter, then Bellard added a jump shot. Kazhana Richard was at the line with 5:22 before the half and made both free throws giving her team the 16-point lead.
The student section sensing the enormity of the situation erupted in "Let's go Mustangs!" Darylnetta Martin answered the call and scored on both attempts from the charity stripe. A timeout was called on the court 4:08 before the half with Mamou leading 33-17.
Chants of "Let's go Mamou!" echoed through the strong contingent of Demon faithful. Martin picked up her third foul coming out of the timeout sending Bellard to the line where she made both free throws. Charles then got the steal and capitalized at the basket. She later got the basket just inside the three-point line. A timeout was called with 1:32 before the half with Mamou up 41-25.
As Couvillion missed a three heading into the final minute, Kiajah Wilson drove down the court for the layup. The first half ended with Mamou leading 43-25.
Bellard got the steal on the opening possession of the second half and got the points. Mitchell then scored as she picked up second chance points. Bellard was then at the line at the 5:32 mark and made both free throws to go up 49-31. Rapides went on a 4-0 scoring run half way through the third quarter. Couvillion connected on a long range two-pointer from the far end of the key approaching the final minute. At the end of three quarters of play in Lecompte, Mamou led Rapides 56-42.
Mitchell got the first points of the final quarter as Rapides was in the midst of a 7-0 scoring run. She then extended the run making it a two possession game befor Bellard got the basket. Mamou called a full timeout leading 58-51 with 4:45 remaining in regulation, and "Let's go Mustangs!" again erupted in the student section.
Bellard scored to lead 60-53 going down the home stretch, and "Let's go Demons!" echoed through the stands as a timeout was called with 2:12 on the clock. Richard gave her team the easy basket and more separation. Mamou called a timeout inside the final minute leading 64-55 as shouts of "We believe, Demons!" rang out. Rapides resigned to fouling the Lady Demons, and Mamou took advantage to hold on for the win.
Henderson did not let the loss damper his thoughts on the season as his team went through play in District 3-2A undefeated. "(The season) went really well, he said. We probably exceeded expectations. The girls came together, and everybody knew their roles, and everybody did their job. It translated to a lot of wins. We'll come back strong. We'll give them off a few weeks and start making preparations for next year."
Oakdale ends the regular season at Menard
Holy Savior Menard used a 6'6" 8th grader Jourdain Dishmand and junior Michael Lombardo with five three pointers in the game to beat Oakdale 66-52 Tuesday night.
"A lot of good stuff happened early," said head coach Dustin Howard. "We had a bad spot at the end of the first half and early in the third quarter that kind of done us in. They had seven seniors on that basketball team, and that was their twentieth win. They're definately at a different spot than we are being a young team, and their experience got us in the end."
Malcolm Pugh gave his Warriors the early 2-0 lead, and Menard tied the game inside the first 2 minutes. James Evins scored to regain the lead, then Menard took the one point on the other side of the court on a basket from beyond the arc. Derrick Winfield scored off an assist from Pugh to make it a one point game at 7-6. Guillory drove down the court and scored for the 8-7 lead. The lead was short lived as Menard scored on back-to-back possessions. A Menard defender picked Winfield's pocket and scored, but Oakdale retook the lead at 14-13 as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first quarter.
Menard scored another three pointer to go up 16-14, but then Nick Doyle tied the game at 16. Pugh scored as Menard calls a timeout 4:21 before half trailing 20-18. With the score tied at 20, Lombardo drilled a three pointer. Alex Norton then scored another Menard three pointer on the next possession to take either team's largest lead of the night. The first half ended with Oakdale trailing 28-20.
The Eagles went on a scoring run to lead 39-23 halfway through the third. Lombardo then scored a three pointer that was good from across the creek in Ball to close out the third quarter. Pugh made both foul shots to begin the fourth quarter. Oakdale scored on back-to-back-to-back possessions to close the gap, but Lombardo went on and added his fourth and fifth three pointers. Not to be outdone, Guillory and Pugh each recorded a three pointer in the waning moments of the game. Guillory finished the game with 18 points, and Pugh scored 11 points.
The Warriors finished the season at 12-16 and a district record of 2-10 and now await their destination in the 2017 LHSAA Non-Select Basketball Playoffs. Unofficial results as of February 20, 2017, have Oakdale finishing at number 27 in the Class 2A Power Rankings and would travel to sixth seeded North Caddo in the opening round.
The LHSAA released the following statement regarding when the power rankings will be official: "An LHSAA member school is appealing the decision of the Executive Director as it pertains to a decision made for a forfeiture and suspension of athletes. The next steps for appeal are an LHSAA Sportsmanship Hearing with potential for an emergency appeal to the LHSAA Executive Committee immediately following. This said, the tournament brackets for Boys' Basketball will not be released until this is resolved."
"A lot of good stuff happened early," said head coach Dustin Howard. "We had a bad spot at the end of the first half and early in the third quarter that kind of done us in. They had seven seniors on that basketball team, and that was their twentieth win. They're definately at a different spot than we are being a young team, and their experience got us in the end."
Malcolm Pugh gave his Warriors the early 2-0 lead, and Menard tied the game inside the first 2 minutes. James Evins scored to regain the lead, then Menard took the one point on the other side of the court on a basket from beyond the arc. Derrick Winfield scored off an assist from Pugh to make it a one point game at 7-6. Guillory drove down the court and scored for the 8-7 lead. The lead was short lived as Menard scored on back-to-back possessions. A Menard defender picked Winfield's pocket and scored, but Oakdale retook the lead at 14-13 as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first quarter.
Menard scored another three pointer to go up 16-14, but then Nick Doyle tied the game at 16. Pugh scored as Menard calls a timeout 4:21 before half trailing 20-18. With the score tied at 20, Lombardo drilled a three pointer. Alex Norton then scored another Menard three pointer on the next possession to take either team's largest lead of the night. The first half ended with Oakdale trailing 28-20.
The Eagles went on a scoring run to lead 39-23 halfway through the third. Lombardo then scored a three pointer that was good from across the creek in Ball to close out the third quarter. Pugh made both foul shots to begin the fourth quarter. Oakdale scored on back-to-back-to-back possessions to close the gap, but Lombardo went on and added his fourth and fifth three pointers. Not to be outdone, Guillory and Pugh each recorded a three pointer in the waning moments of the game. Guillory finished the game with 18 points, and Pugh scored 11 points.
The Warriors finished the season at 12-16 and a district record of 2-10 and now await their destination in the 2017 LHSAA Non-Select Basketball Playoffs. Unofficial results as of February 20, 2017, have Oakdale finishing at number 27 in the Class 2A Power Rankings and would travel to sixth seeded North Caddo in the opening round.
The LHSAA released the following statement regarding when the power rankings will be official: "An LHSAA member school is appealing the decision of the Executive Director as it pertains to a decision made for a forfeiture and suspension of athletes. The next steps for appeal are an LHSAA Sportsmanship Hearing with potential for an emergency appeal to the LHSAA Executive Committee immediately following. This said, the tournament brackets for Boys' Basketball will not be released until this is resolved."
Lady Warriors advance to the second round
The Lady Warriors faced a team that lived and died by the three point basket in the first round of the 2017 LHSAA Girls Basketball Playoffs Thursday night and won 50-33 to advance to a second round match-up against Madison Prep in Baton Rouge.
French Settlement came into Durham Hall road tested as they played many of their early season games on the road because of the flood that impacted the area last August. "It was kind of a negative for us at first playing so many road games, but one thing it did it kinda got us ready for the road enviroment," said head coach Daniel Martin of the flood. "And so looking back on it, I'm kinda glad it worked out the way it did."
"We're just gonna come out and play our game," Martin said before the game. "We're not going to change up a lot. We debated on do you change up your game to try to play against the opponent's strenghts, or do you play your game and play to your strengths. I think we're just gonna come out and play our game, and hopefully our game will be enough for us."
The strength of his team was the three point basket. The Lady Lions scored nine baskets from beyond the arc and only scored two baskets from inside the arc. They added two points from the free throw line. Bailey Kapinski scored four three pointers on her way to lead the team with 14 points. Dannah Martin scored 11 points on the night with her first nine coming from three point range. The team's only points in the third quarter came on one basket from Courtney Dupuy.
"I thought we played hard," Martin said after the game. "We had too many mental mistakes in the game. Their athleticism and their size turned out to be an issue for us. We kinda live by and die by (the three pointers). "We have to depend on outside shots. And it fell for us early, it didn't fall for us late. That was the big difference."
On the other end of the court, Lady Warrior head coach Ted Fontenot used half time adjustments to hold on for the win. "We told them we need to take care of the ball, and we just needed to watch out for the three point shooters they had," he said. We knew we had to key on their three point shooters and get some long rebounds. In the beginning of the game, we didn't do a great job of that, but then we started catching on to do better job of getting rebounds there."
"All in all it was a good night," Fontenot added. "We shot the ball well and took some good shots. Sanaa was picking them apart with her passes, and Alexis came off the bench and gave us three big baskets."
Sanaa St. Andre had 15 points on the night to lead her team, and Ke'Maesha St. Andre finished the night with 14. Setorie St. Andre had eight points, Alexis Davis had six, and Treshunda Joseph and Brianna Hargrove each had three.
Oakdale won tip and got the opening score as Sanaa got the basket and was fouled. KeMaesha St. Andre forced the turnover and drove coast-to-coast for the score to go up 5-0. French Settlement got a three pointer three minutes and change into the game for its first points of the night then went on a
8-2 run. The opening frame ended with Oakdale leading 15-11.
KeMaesha St. Andre intercepted the ball and capitalizes at the basket. Oakdale then scored on the next possession to go up by 10 at 21-11. Dannah Martin scores her second three pointer as Oakdale called a timeout leading 21-14 with 5:47 until the half. Payton Clovatre got three pointer coming out of the timeout. Martin then scored another basket from beyond the arc to make it a one possession game. The Lady Lions trailed 28-22 at the half.
Sanaa St. Andre drilled a three pointer to go up by 10. KeMaesha got the rebound off of Sanaa's missed three pointer and got the basket as the buzzer went off at the end of the third quarter. Joseph made both free throws to go up 39-25 as a timeout was called on the court with 7:20 remaining in the game. Kapinski scored another three pointer, and Setorie St. Andre scored to go up by 15.
Sixth seed in Class 2A Madison Prep defeated Welsh 58-35. In other action Fairview will play in the second round against an Avoyelles Public Charter team that won 49-36 over Bell City in Class B. Elizabeth also won in the first round of the Class C playoffs as they beat Gibsland-Coleman 51-39 and will now face second seed Summerfield.
A Warrior brings back a state title
The Battle for Indoor took place Saturday at LSU's Carl Maddox Fieldhouse as the Oakdale Warriors competed in the 2017 LHSAA Indoor Championships with one their own bringing back a state title.
Jondasha Davis won the Division II State Championship with a 16' 6.25" jump in the Long Jump competition. Head track coach Michael Deville credited her along with the rest of her team for their extra work put in to reach this point.
"I appreciate the extra work the kids put forth for indoor, and it really gives a jump start for the outdoor season," said Deville. "The extra hard work does pay off especially for a senior like Jondasha who is now a state champion. We have been fortunate in Oakdale to have kids that can compete at such a high level."
Along with her first place finish in the Long Jump, Davis finished eighth in the 60-Meter Dash and competed along with Shadiamond Johnson, Myresha Johnson, and Sanaa St. Andre in the Division II 4X200-Meter Relay.
St. Andre also competed in the Division II Triple Jump and Shot Put. She finished seventh in the Triple Jump and eighth in the Shot Put. Teammate Annisa Moton came four spots behind Davis in the Triple Jump.
James Evins was in second place going into the finals of the Division II Long Jump but finished sixth with a mark of 20' 8.25" which tied his jump in the first round. His second highest jump on the day came in the sixth round at 19' 8.5". He also finished eighth in the Division II 60-Meter Dash with a mark of 7.24.
Other competitors were Coriana Moreaux who placed tenth in the Division II Long Jump and competed in the Division II High Jump. Phillip Poullard ran in the prelims of Division II 60-meter hurdles but finished outside the top eight to reach the finals.
The Warriors now turn their sights onto the outdoor season which begins March 3 with a meet at Pickering. Deville expects his team "to be competitve in each track meet."
"We want to win," he added. "Last year we won three and finished two out of eight regular season meets. This will be a challenging season especially early for our girls who are talented. I hope that our senior leaders Treshunda Joseph, Jondasha Davis, and Darien Phillips will have the team ready to make a run at the district title. Our boys will be rebuilding in some key areas like long jump and hurdles, but with hard work and some luck our sophomores will fill in and help our seniors James Evins, Nick Doyle, Terrance Holmes, and Javonte Baltazar reach another district championship."
Jondasha Davis won the Division II State Championship with a 16' 6.25" jump in the Long Jump competition. Head track coach Michael Deville credited her along with the rest of her team for their extra work put in to reach this point.
"I appreciate the extra work the kids put forth for indoor, and it really gives a jump start for the outdoor season," said Deville. "The extra hard work does pay off especially for a senior like Jondasha who is now a state champion. We have been fortunate in Oakdale to have kids that can compete at such a high level."
Along with her first place finish in the Long Jump, Davis finished eighth in the 60-Meter Dash and competed along with Shadiamond Johnson, Myresha Johnson, and Sanaa St. Andre in the Division II 4X200-Meter Relay.
St. Andre also competed in the Division II Triple Jump and Shot Put. She finished seventh in the Triple Jump and eighth in the Shot Put. Teammate Annisa Moton came four spots behind Davis in the Triple Jump.
James Evins was in second place going into the finals of the Division II Long Jump but finished sixth with a mark of 20' 8.25" which tied his jump in the first round. His second highest jump on the day came in the sixth round at 19' 8.5". He also finished eighth in the Division II 60-Meter Dash with a mark of 7.24.
Other competitors were Coriana Moreaux who placed tenth in the Division II Long Jump and competed in the Division II High Jump. Phillip Poullard ran in the prelims of Division II 60-meter hurdles but finished outside the top eight to reach the finals.
The Warriors now turn their sights onto the outdoor season which begins March 3 with a meet at Pickering. Deville expects his team "to be competitve in each track meet."
"We want to win," he added. "Last year we won three and finished two out of eight regular season meets. This will be a challenging season especially early for our girls who are talented. I hope that our senior leaders Treshunda Joseph, Jondasha Davis, and Darien Phillips will have the team ready to make a run at the district title. Our boys will be rebuilding in some key areas like long jump and hurdles, but with hard work and some luck our sophomores will fill in and help our seniors James Evins, Nick Doyle, Terrance Holmes, and Javonte Baltazar reach another district championship."
Monday, February 13, 2017
Area teams punch their playoff tickets
Area teams punch their playoff tickets
Oakdale's Lady Warriors converted a 19-10 record and a 7-5 district mark this season into a number 11 seed in the 2017 LHSAA Girls' Basketball Playoffs in Class 2A. Their prize in doing so is hosting the first round game Thursday night against the twenty-second seeded French Settlement Lady Lions.
"We are excited for the upcoming playoffs since we missed it by one spot last year," head coach Ted Fontenot stated. "The girls have worked hard this year for that number 11 seed."
Oakdale is on the bottom half of the bracket with second seed Lake Arthur and a third seed North Caddo that won the champsionship a season ago. Also on that side of the bracket is divisional rivals Rosepine at number 14 hosting number 19 DeQuincy, number 26 Bunkie travelling to number seven Doyle, and number 15 Many hosting eighteenth seed Cohen College Prep.
The winner of the Oakdale game against French Settlement will then take on the winner of six- vs-27 contest between Madison Prep and Welsh.
French Settlement finished off the season with an overall record of 15-10 and a record of 3-4 in District 9-2A. The Lady Lions were 3-4 on their home court, 12-4 away from the friendly confines, and an 0-2 mark at a neutral site. They lost the last game of the regular season 66-63 at home against St. Thomas Aquinas of February 9. Before that they won their previous three games. They won at Runnels 65-15 in Baton Rouge, won 40-33 at Springfield, and won 61-29 at home against St. Helena College and Career Academy.
"French Settlement is a very good team from the reports I am hearing," Fontenot said. "They have two good shooting guards, and they are well coached. They do not have any height on their team, just good guards, and they play man to man the entire game. It should be a great challenge for us, but we seem looking forward to it."
Tip off is Thursday night at 6:30 PM from the Oakdale gym, and admission is $6.00 at the door.
Fairview also punched its ticket for the playoffs and earned a first-round bye. The Lady Panthers under the guidance of head coach Kyle Jinks finished the year undefeated in District 4B going 8-0 and 34-2-1 overall. They await the winner of 15-seed Avoyelles Public Charter and 18-seed Bell City.
In Class C action, Elizabeth garnered the number 15 seed on the feet of its 5-22 overall record and 1-4 6C record. The Lady Bulldogs welcome 18-seed Gibsland Coleman to Elizabeth, and the winner will face number two seeded Summerfield. The team up the road from Elizabeth the Plainview Lady Hornets are the top seed in Class C and defeated Oakdale at home on December 20, 2016, 50-41.
Oakdale's Lady Warriors converted a 19-10 record and a 7-5 district mark this season into a number 11 seed in the 2017 LHSAA Girls' Basketball Playoffs in Class 2A. Their prize in doing so is hosting the first round game Thursday night against the twenty-second seeded French Settlement Lady Lions.
"We are excited for the upcoming playoffs since we missed it by one spot last year," head coach Ted Fontenot stated. "The girls have worked hard this year for that number 11 seed."
Oakdale is on the bottom half of the bracket with second seed Lake Arthur and a third seed North Caddo that won the champsionship a season ago. Also on that side of the bracket is divisional rivals Rosepine at number 14 hosting number 19 DeQuincy, number 26 Bunkie travelling to number seven Doyle, and number 15 Many hosting eighteenth seed Cohen College Prep.
The winner of the Oakdale game against French Settlement will then take on the winner of six- vs-27 contest between Madison Prep and Welsh.
French Settlement finished off the season with an overall record of 15-10 and a record of 3-4 in District 9-2A. The Lady Lions were 3-4 on their home court, 12-4 away from the friendly confines, and an 0-2 mark at a neutral site. They lost the last game of the regular season 66-63 at home against St. Thomas Aquinas of February 9. Before that they won their previous three games. They won at Runnels 65-15 in Baton Rouge, won 40-33 at Springfield, and won 61-29 at home against St. Helena College and Career Academy.
"French Settlement is a very good team from the reports I am hearing," Fontenot said. "They have two good shooting guards, and they are well coached. They do not have any height on their team, just good guards, and they play man to man the entire game. It should be a great challenge for us, but we seem looking forward to it."
Tip off is Thursday night at 6:30 PM from the Oakdale gym, and admission is $6.00 at the door.
Fairview also punched its ticket for the playoffs and earned a first-round bye. The Lady Panthers under the guidance of head coach Kyle Jinks finished the year undefeated in District 4B going 8-0 and 34-2-1 overall. They await the winner of 15-seed Avoyelles Public Charter and 18-seed Bell City.
In Class C action, Elizabeth garnered the number 15 seed on the feet of its 5-22 overall record and 1-4 6C record. The Lady Bulldogs welcome 18-seed Gibsland Coleman to Elizabeth, and the winner will face number two seeded Summerfield. The team up the road from Elizabeth the Plainview Lady Hornets are the top seed in Class C and defeated Oakdale at home on December 20, 2016, 50-41.
Warriors lose before ending the season at Menard
Coming off its first win in the last seven tries, Oakdale limped off the court at home Tuesday night against Rapides losing 107-54. The Warriors then lost again two nights later at Many 57-41.
"We played two of the top five teams in the state," head coach Dustin Howard said. "We got to see where we are at and what a top-five team looks like. We were unable to match Rapides' physicality, and they are the type of team that can step on the gas and finish you off early."
Rapides knocked down a three pointer coming out the gate. The teams traded baskets as Rapides went up 5-4. Oakdale called a timeout after Rapides added four points to go up 9-4 at the 5:47 mark of the first quarter. Rapides went on a scoring run to take a 10 point lead.
Derrick Winfield then split a pair of free throws, and Malcolm Pugh also split a pair of free throws before Rapides went up by 13 scoring on back-to-back drives. Raymond Guillory showed off his moves as he scored on a smooth spin move. The first quarter closed out with Oakdale trailing 27-12.
Rapides got another early basket to begin the second quarter. Guillory knocked down both attempts from the charity stripe, then Pugh echoed the performance as Oakdale found itself down 29-16. Guillory was back at the line 5:27 before the half and again scored on both attempts. Rapides then rode its momentum to a 20 point lead and drilled back-to-back three pointers as the dagger went deeper into the Warrior chest. Oakdale at the half was down 54-27.
James Evins got the scoring started in the second half before Rapides added 4 quick points. Rapides then knocked down another pair of three pointers as its collective foot remained firmly planted on the clutch. The third quarter mercifully ended with Rapides leading 91-45. Rapides then broke 100-points with a free throw 5:17 remaining in the game.
Then on Thursday night at Many, Howard saw some things as signs of hope from his young team. "I was really proud of the way we battled ... and especially the way we rebounded in the second half," he said. "We have been getting some great minutes out of a few younger guys, and that speaks well for the future. Miliak Hayward, Garrett Kingan, Jacob Black, and Gabe Rodriguez are really improving and will be an important part of our program very soon."
The regular season comes to a close at Menard, then the Warriors will wait their playoff fate. "We would like to get the win to improve our playoff position," Howard said. "We played well enough early in the season that we have solidified a playoff spot. It was our goal to make the playoffs this year, and now our new goal is to win a playoff game for the first time in a while."
"We played two of the top five teams in the state," head coach Dustin Howard said. "We got to see where we are at and what a top-five team looks like. We were unable to match Rapides' physicality, and they are the type of team that can step on the gas and finish you off early."
Rapides knocked down a three pointer coming out the gate. The teams traded baskets as Rapides went up 5-4. Oakdale called a timeout after Rapides added four points to go up 9-4 at the 5:47 mark of the first quarter. Rapides went on a scoring run to take a 10 point lead.
Derrick Winfield then split a pair of free throws, and Malcolm Pugh also split a pair of free throws before Rapides went up by 13 scoring on back-to-back drives. Raymond Guillory showed off his moves as he scored on a smooth spin move. The first quarter closed out with Oakdale trailing 27-12.
Rapides got another early basket to begin the second quarter. Guillory knocked down both attempts from the charity stripe, then Pugh echoed the performance as Oakdale found itself down 29-16. Guillory was back at the line 5:27 before the half and again scored on both attempts. Rapides then rode its momentum to a 20 point lead and drilled back-to-back three pointers as the dagger went deeper into the Warrior chest. Oakdale at the half was down 54-27.
James Evins got the scoring started in the second half before Rapides added 4 quick points. Rapides then knocked down another pair of three pointers as its collective foot remained firmly planted on the clutch. The third quarter mercifully ended with Rapides leading 91-45. Rapides then broke 100-points with a free throw 5:17 remaining in the game.
Then on Thursday night at Many, Howard saw some things as signs of hope from his young team. "I was really proud of the way we battled ... and especially the way we rebounded in the second half," he said. "We have been getting some great minutes out of a few younger guys, and that speaks well for the future. Miliak Hayward, Garrett Kingan, Jacob Black, and Gabe Rodriguez are really improving and will be an important part of our program very soon."
The regular season comes to a close at Menard, then the Warriors will wait their playoff fate. "We would like to get the win to improve our playoff position," Howard said. "We played well enough early in the season that we have solidified a playoff spot. It was our goal to make the playoffs this year, and now our new goal is to win a playoff game for the first time in a while."
Lady Warriors split a pair of games to close out the season
The Oakdale Lady Warriors split a pair of games losing a home game against Rapides and getting the win at Many to close out the season with a winning record.
Rapides and Oakdale each began the game Tuesady night with an 8-0 run as Oakdale tied the game at 8-8. Sanaa St. Andre tied the game again at 10 before Rapides hit another three pointer for their third of the quarter extending the scoring run to 7-0. Sanaa St. Andre missed a three point attempt as the first quarter came to an end with Rapides leading 17-10.
Treshunda Joseph scored a basket leading off the second quarter then the defense forced a turnover on the other end of the court. Sanaa St. Andre capitalized on the turnover and made the bucket. The drill was repeated on the next series, then KeMaesha St. Andre got the offensive rebound and put the ball through the hoop cutting the Rapides lead to three.
Setorie St. Andre got on the scoreboard with a big three pointer to make it a two point deficit for her Lady Warriors, but the first half ended with Rapides on another 8-0 scoring run to lead by 10 at 31-21.
Rapides began the second half with another three pointer and thus went on another scoring run extending the lead to 15. Sanaa St. Andre banked both free throws then drilled a three pointer with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Coming out of a timeout, she then scored on back-to-back possessions putting her team down by eight points. After three quarters of play from Oakdale, the Lady Warriors trailed Rapides 40-32
Rapides lead by 11 with three minutes remaining on the clock. KeMaesha St. Andre hit a three pointer with three seconds left on the clock, but it was not enough as Rapides got the win 50-40."
"Last night was another tough loss for our team," said head coach Ted Fontenot. "We were outscored by Rapides in all quarters but the third. We only had one player score in double digits. Things just did not go our way. (Rapides) shot 18 free throws, and we only shot eight. That tells me that we are not being aggressive enough in big games. The players we need to step up and do the scoring for us are not doing their part. It is tough to watch this team struggle to score when I know that we can do better."
Fontenot was singing a different tune on Thursday night as his team got the 56-46 win at Menard in the regular season finale. "We finally had that complete game from all the players that touched the floor," he said. "Everyone came in and did their part to get this important team victory that we so needed going into the playoffs. It was a game where we controlled the game from the tip off. Once we had the lead we never gave it up."
Oakdale had three players score double-digit points. In what Fontenot called "one of her best offensive and defensive games of the year," Treshunda Joseph led in scoring with 15 points. She shot six-of-eight from the field and added three free throws on three attempts. She also collected five defensive rebounds and five steals. Sanaa St. Andre scored 13 points, and Setorie St. Andre scored 12.
Said Fontenot after this game, "So proud of our team from this season for finishing 19-10 and 7-5 in district."
Rapides and Oakdale each began the game Tuesady night with an 8-0 run as Oakdale tied the game at 8-8. Sanaa St. Andre tied the game again at 10 before Rapides hit another three pointer for their third of the quarter extending the scoring run to 7-0. Sanaa St. Andre missed a three point attempt as the first quarter came to an end with Rapides leading 17-10.
Treshunda Joseph scored a basket leading off the second quarter then the defense forced a turnover on the other end of the court. Sanaa St. Andre capitalized on the turnover and made the bucket. The drill was repeated on the next series, then KeMaesha St. Andre got the offensive rebound and put the ball through the hoop cutting the Rapides lead to three.
Setorie St. Andre got on the scoreboard with a big three pointer to make it a two point deficit for her Lady Warriors, but the first half ended with Rapides on another 8-0 scoring run to lead by 10 at 31-21.
Rapides began the second half with another three pointer and thus went on another scoring run extending the lead to 15. Sanaa St. Andre banked both free throws then drilled a three pointer with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Coming out of a timeout, she then scored on back-to-back possessions putting her team down by eight points. After three quarters of play from Oakdale, the Lady Warriors trailed Rapides 40-32
Rapides lead by 11 with three minutes remaining on the clock. KeMaesha St. Andre hit a three pointer with three seconds left on the clock, but it was not enough as Rapides got the win 50-40."
"Last night was another tough loss for our team," said head coach Ted Fontenot. "We were outscored by Rapides in all quarters but the third. We only had one player score in double digits. Things just did not go our way. (Rapides) shot 18 free throws, and we only shot eight. That tells me that we are not being aggressive enough in big games. The players we need to step up and do the scoring for us are not doing their part. It is tough to watch this team struggle to score when I know that we can do better."
Fontenot was singing a different tune on Thursday night as his team got the 56-46 win at Menard in the regular season finale. "We finally had that complete game from all the players that touched the floor," he said. "Everyone came in and did their part to get this important team victory that we so needed going into the playoffs. It was a game where we controlled the game from the tip off. Once we had the lead we never gave it up."
Oakdale had three players score double-digit points. In what Fontenot called "one of her best offensive and defensive games of the year," Treshunda Joseph led in scoring with 15 points. She shot six-of-eight from the field and added three free throws on three attempts. She also collected five defensive rebounds and five steals. Sanaa St. Andre scored 13 points, and Setorie St. Andre scored 12.
Said Fontenot after this game, "So proud of our team from this season for finishing 19-10 and 7-5 in district."
Monday, February 6, 2017
Track student athletes look to qualify for state
Track student athletes look to qualify for state
Ten student athletes from Oakdale competed in the LSU Last Chance Indoor Meet Saturday in their third meet of the season with hopes of qualifying for the State Indoor Track Meet back at LSU.
"I am proud of these student athletes for their dedication and hard work," said head coach Michael Deville. "They competed against the best in the state in all classes this weekend. I expect most of these competitors to qualify (for state)."
James Evins jumped 20'3/4" in the long jump to finish ninth overall and second in his division. He also clocked a 7.44 seconds in the the 60-meter dash good enough for eleventh in his division.
Jondasha Davis came out fifth overall and first in division jumping 16'8.5" inches in the high jump. She then finished sixth in the division running the 60-meter dash.
Other jumpers placing for Oakdale were Corianna Moreaux coming out fourteenth overall and fouth in division in the high jump and coming out seventeenth overall and fifth in the division in long jump, Annisa Moton in the triple jump finished tenth, and Sanaa St. Andre placed seventeenth overall and third in her division competing in the triple jump.
She and Darien Phillips placed in shot put. St. Andre was twelth overall and fourth in her division, and Phillips shotted overall good enough for nineteenth and seventh in the division.
In the 60-meter hurdles, Phillip Poullard hurdled his way to a eleventh place finish is his division. Also placing for Oakdale was Shadiomond Johnson finishing seventh in her division in the 400-meters.
Poullard also competed in the long jump, and Myresha Johnson and Miliak Hayward competed in the 60-meter hurdles and the 60-meter dash respectively.
The State Indoor Meet will be held February 18, 2017.
Ten student athletes from Oakdale competed in the LSU Last Chance Indoor Meet Saturday in their third meet of the season with hopes of qualifying for the State Indoor Track Meet back at LSU.
"I am proud of these student athletes for their dedication and hard work," said head coach Michael Deville. "They competed against the best in the state in all classes this weekend. I expect most of these competitors to qualify (for state)."
James Evins jumped 20'3/4" in the long jump to finish ninth overall and second in his division. He also clocked a 7.44 seconds in the the 60-meter dash good enough for eleventh in his division.
Jondasha Davis came out fifth overall and first in division jumping 16'8.5" inches in the high jump. She then finished sixth in the division running the 60-meter dash.
Other jumpers placing for Oakdale were Corianna Moreaux coming out fourteenth overall and fouth in division in the high jump and coming out seventeenth overall and fifth in the division in long jump, Annisa Moton in the triple jump finished tenth, and Sanaa St. Andre placed seventeenth overall and third in her division competing in the triple jump.
She and Darien Phillips placed in shot put. St. Andre was twelth overall and fourth in her division, and Phillips shotted overall good enough for nineteenth and seventh in the division.
In the 60-meter hurdles, Phillip Poullard hurdled his way to a eleventh place finish is his division. Also placing for Oakdale was Shadiomond Johnson finishing seventh in her division in the 400-meters.
Poullard also competed in the long jump, and Myresha Johnson and Miliak Hayward competed in the 60-meter hurdles and the 60-meter dash respectively.
The State Indoor Meet will be held February 18, 2017.
Oakdale tennis serves up a winning day against Grace Christian
Oakdale tennis serves up a winning day against Grace Christian
Zealon Solomon is upbeat about his tennis teams this year at Oakdale that is returning 15 players from last year including seven who qualified for state last year. With a younger team and a tough schedule ahead against Bolton and Leesville, the coach assuredly says "It should be a good season ahead."
"We’re gonna compete overall," continued Solomon. "Consistency is a lot better from last year. It’s just gonna take a lot of gelling together for our younger players to come through."
The first match of the season was Saturday at the Alexandria City Park Tennis Courts against a Grace Christian team that is well familiar to Oakdale. "It’ll be a regional match against one of our 10 regional opponents," said Solomon before the first serve. "We’ve been successful in the past against them. It should be a nice competitive day, and we’ll see how it turns out overall."
The day turned out well for Oakdale winning 21 out of 26 matches. Team captains Andrew Sao and Kris Pelt led the boys to 13-1 on the day, while captain Cheyenne Bertrand led her girls to 8-4.
Oakdale now enjoys a three match home stand against Jennings on February 9, Leesville on February 13, and Welsh on February 14.
Zealon Solomon is upbeat about his tennis teams this year at Oakdale that is returning 15 players from last year including seven who qualified for state last year. With a younger team and a tough schedule ahead against Bolton and Leesville, the coach assuredly says "It should be a good season ahead."
"We’re gonna compete overall," continued Solomon. "Consistency is a lot better from last year. It’s just gonna take a lot of gelling together for our younger players to come through."
The first match of the season was Saturday at the Alexandria City Park Tennis Courts against a Grace Christian team that is well familiar to Oakdale. "It’ll be a regional match against one of our 10 regional opponents," said Solomon before the first serve. "We’ve been successful in the past against them. It should be a nice competitive day, and we’ll see how it turns out overall."
The day turned out well for Oakdale winning 21 out of 26 matches. Team captains Andrew Sao and Kris Pelt led the boys to 13-1 on the day, while captain Cheyenne Bertrand led her girls to 8-4.
Oakdale now enjoys a three match home stand against Jennings on February 9, Leesville on February 13, and Welsh on February 14.
Lady Warriors are two games away from the playoffs
Lady Warriors are two games away from the playoffs
Head coach Ted Fontenot was looking for good things out of his Oakdale Lady Warriors before the season began as they returned seven players from last season including two seniors Treshunda Joseph and Setorie St. Andre. The team has done good things at this point of the season with an 18-9 overall record and a district record of 6-4 with two games to go.
As a team the Lady Warriors are scoring 51.9 points per game and are shooting at 41-percent from the field. The team is also averaging 30.8 rebounds per game, 12.1 assists per game, 14.6 steals per game, and four blocks per game.
Five players Treshunda Joseph, Setorie St. Andre, Alexis Davis, KeMaesha St. Andre, and Sanaa St. Andre have played in all 27 games to this point. The freshman Sanaa St. Andre is leading the quintet with 16-points per game and 4.7 steals per game. She is tied with Joseph in assists with 3.1 per game and is behind only KeMaesha St. Andre in rebounds per game.
In their previous two games, the Lady Warriors easily handled Bunkie for the second time this season by winning 83-36 at home on senior night Tuesday and lost on the road Friday against University Academy 50-44.
"We came out with some good defense and were able to control the game from the tip off," said Fontenot about the Bunkie win. "Our two seniors were honored and both had some good nights. I was pleased with the offense and defense our team played this night."
Fontenot's seniors combined to shoot 37-percent from the field for 23 points. KeMaesha St. Andre led all scorers with 20-points shooting at a 70-percent clip from the field and shot six-for-seven from the free throw line. Joseph and Sanaa St. Andre were tied with 14 points. Alexis Davis batted 1.000 from the free throw line going four-for-four. She added eight points from the field on seven attempts.
Sanaa St. Andre in the loss to University Academy scored over half of the team's 44-points. She went nine-for-22 from the field at a 41-percent clip including 12-points from three point range in nine attempts.
"We came out a little flat and it showed," said Fontenot. "It was the first time playing on that big college floor (at Louisiana College) and that takes some getting used to. We were down the entire game and down by five at haltime. UA played a solid game and we just could not take the lead the entire night. We pressed late in the game and got some turnovers to get within 4 points but we just could not get closer than that."
Head coach Ted Fontenot was looking for good things out of his Oakdale Lady Warriors before the season began as they returned seven players from last season including two seniors Treshunda Joseph and Setorie St. Andre. The team has done good things at this point of the season with an 18-9 overall record and a district record of 6-4 with two games to go.
As a team the Lady Warriors are scoring 51.9 points per game and are shooting at 41-percent from the field. The team is also averaging 30.8 rebounds per game, 12.1 assists per game, 14.6 steals per game, and four blocks per game.
Five players Treshunda Joseph, Setorie St. Andre, Alexis Davis, KeMaesha St. Andre, and Sanaa St. Andre have played in all 27 games to this point. The freshman Sanaa St. Andre is leading the quintet with 16-points per game and 4.7 steals per game. She is tied with Joseph in assists with 3.1 per game and is behind only KeMaesha St. Andre in rebounds per game.
In their previous two games, the Lady Warriors easily handled Bunkie for the second time this season by winning 83-36 at home on senior night Tuesday and lost on the road Friday against University Academy 50-44.
"We came out with some good defense and were able to control the game from the tip off," said Fontenot about the Bunkie win. "Our two seniors were honored and both had some good nights. I was pleased with the offense and defense our team played this night."
Fontenot's seniors combined to shoot 37-percent from the field for 23 points. KeMaesha St. Andre led all scorers with 20-points shooting at a 70-percent clip from the field and shot six-for-seven from the free throw line. Joseph and Sanaa St. Andre were tied with 14 points. Alexis Davis batted 1.000 from the free throw line going four-for-four. She added eight points from the field on seven attempts.
Sanaa St. Andre in the loss to University Academy scored over half of the team's 44-points. She went nine-for-22 from the field at a 41-percent clip including 12-points from three point range in nine attempts.
"We came out a little flat and it showed," said Fontenot. "It was the first time playing on that big college floor (at Louisiana College) and that takes some getting used to. We were down the entire game and down by five at haltime. UA played a solid game and we just could not take the lead the entire night. We pressed late in the game and got some turnovers to get within 4 points but we just could not get closer than that."
Warriors' losing streak comes to an end
Warriors’ losing streak comes to an end
Oakdale’s seven game losing streak came to an end Friday night on the campus of Louisiana College as Dustin Howard’s Warriors defeated University Academy 50-47.
The losing streak came full circle as it began on January 11 with an overtime loss at Bunkie after a home win against University Academy the night before. The games in back-to-back nights was due to the regularly scheduled game at Bunkie being postponed the week before because of the weather.
The streak included 25-plus point losses on the road at Rapides and at Pickering and home losses against Many, Menard, Rosepine, and Bunkie. The Warriors were competitve in the home losses but came up just short in the end. Howard, the head coach, summed up the home losses when he described the loss Menard loss. “We lost another close one,” he said. “We played well just couldn’t quite finish them off.”
"Bunkie is a very scrappy team that plays very physical. This game was back and forth the entire way, but Bunkie was able to make a run late in the game that was the difference,” said Howard about the home loss to Bunkie Tuesday night. "We were without one of our key ball handlers and that hurt us. Not to mention we missed enough free throws to win the game. Bunkie is a team that makes you play ugly, and we couldn't quite get it done tonight. "
The win that the Warriors were searching for came on a court well familiar to Howard. "Coaching again at H.O. West brought back a lot of great memories from my days as Women's Basketball coach at East Texas Baptist University,” he said. “We definitely had some wars on that court. Probably the best basketball environment playing a night game in H.O. West."
Howard coached his team to the 50-47 win against University Academy. Leading the way again in scoring was Raymond Guillory with 26-points. Oakdale enjoyed an 11-point lead before half, but the Lions closed the gap. That is when Howard made a necessary adjustment.
"We switched to a new half court defense we have been working on, and Nick Davis got a steal and threw it ahead to Raymond Guillory for a two handed dunk that energized our defense,” the coach said. “We made a run during that time and we finished them off. "
The win comes at a big time for the Warriors as they host Rapides and then travel to Many and Menard to close out the regular season. “This was a win our young team needed,” Howard said. “We need to carry this momentum into the last three games and playoffs. Once you get into the playoffs anything can happen on any given night. We will be a dangerous team. At least that's the plan.”
“Better times ahead for us,” promised Howard.
Oakdale’s seven game losing streak came to an end Friday night on the campus of Louisiana College as Dustin Howard’s Warriors defeated University Academy 50-47.
The losing streak came full circle as it began on January 11 with an overtime loss at Bunkie after a home win against University Academy the night before. The games in back-to-back nights was due to the regularly scheduled game at Bunkie being postponed the week before because of the weather.
The streak included 25-plus point losses on the road at Rapides and at Pickering and home losses against Many, Menard, Rosepine, and Bunkie. The Warriors were competitve in the home losses but came up just short in the end. Howard, the head coach, summed up the home losses when he described the loss Menard loss. “We lost another close one,” he said. “We played well just couldn’t quite finish them off.”
"Bunkie is a very scrappy team that plays very physical. This game was back and forth the entire way, but Bunkie was able to make a run late in the game that was the difference,” said Howard about the home loss to Bunkie Tuesday night. "We were without one of our key ball handlers and that hurt us. Not to mention we missed enough free throws to win the game. Bunkie is a team that makes you play ugly, and we couldn't quite get it done tonight. "
The win that the Warriors were searching for came on a court well familiar to Howard. "Coaching again at H.O. West brought back a lot of great memories from my days as Women's Basketball coach at East Texas Baptist University,” he said. “We definitely had some wars on that court. Probably the best basketball environment playing a night game in H.O. West."
Howard coached his team to the 50-47 win against University Academy. Leading the way again in scoring was Raymond Guillory with 26-points. Oakdale enjoyed an 11-point lead before half, but the Lions closed the gap. That is when Howard made a necessary adjustment.
"We switched to a new half court defense we have been working on, and Nick Davis got a steal and threw it ahead to Raymond Guillory for a two handed dunk that energized our defense,” the coach said. “We made a run during that time and we finished them off. "
The win comes at a big time for the Warriors as they host Rapides and then travel to Many and Menard to close out the regular season. “This was a win our young team needed,” Howard said. “We need to carry this momentum into the last three games and playoffs. Once you get into the playoffs anything can happen on any given night. We will be a dangerous team. At least that's the plan.”
“Better times ahead for us,” promised Howard.
Oakdale returns home against Rosepine
All the world for Oakdale is a stage, and the Warriors are merely players searching for a win as they traveled to Pickering and hosted Rosepine last week. However, Oakdale lost 75-49 to Pickering and lost 55-53 to Rosepine on a questionable call at the buzzer.
Oakdale was a player down as they were without Raymond Guillory and his average of 30-points a game against the Red Devils. "It probably hurt us more mentally than I expected," said head coach Dustin Howard about Guillory being out. "We were able to pass the ball better and score enough points. So we got enough offense, but we were weak just mentally. And we didn't play defense. If you don't play defense and rebound and give up 75 points, then you can't win on the road like that."
The team got the early 2-0 lead, but the lead was short lived as Pickering gets the three. Malcolm Pugh answered with a three ball. Pickering tied the game at five on its next possession then went up 7-5. Derrick Winfield got the big three pointer after hard fought offensive rebounds from his Warrior teammates kept the possession alive.
The Pickering lead grew to 10 as Oakdale called a timeout at the 2:12 mark of the opening frame. Coming out of the timeout, the Warriors get the ball into the hands of Garrett Kingan who got the score from under the net. The first eight minutes of the game ended with Pickering leading 20-10.
The lead grew to 20 at 31-11, but then Oakdale scored on back-to-back possessions as Pugh hit another three ball shot to make the score 33-22. First half ended with Oakdale trailing 35-24. Malcolm Pugh continued to carry his team in the second half with 18 points on four baskets from beyond the arc. He finished the game with 34 points overall and 24 points from three point range. However, it was not enough as the rest of his team could not rally together without Raymond Guillory who returned Friday night against Rosepine.
"We were pressing trying to get a steal," Howard said when describing the end of the game. "We knew that was the only way. They inbounded the ball and threw from out of bounds to out of bounds which is legal, but we guarded it. I thought they had inbounded the ball, and I thought we had the ball when the whistle was blown. I assumed we were going to have two untimed free throws with an attempt to tie the game. Jacob Black had the ball in his hands, but the foul was on us and time had expired."
Oakdale came out forcefully to an early 2-0 lead after a basket off the fingers of Derrick Winfield. The teams were then trading buckets as Oakdale went up 6-4 before Rosepine again ties the game. Wearing number 10 on his back, Guillory tied the game at 10 with 1:54 in the 1st quarter. He later connected on the three point play then gave his squad the one point lead as the first quarter wound down. At the end of the first quarter, Oakdale lead 15-14.
The Warriors kept the momentum on their side going into the locker rooms at the half leading 27-23. Rosepine scored a quick three points leading off the second half then knotted up the game at 27.
Oakdale tied it at 31 as the teams continued to trade baskets. The score was knotted at 35 heading into the final 8 minutes in regulation. Rosepine was hanging around and took the three point lead with under four minutes remaining on the clock.
Pugh cut it to 1, then the Warriors forced the turnover. Guillory capitalized with a three ball taking the two point lead. James Evins then scored off the assist from Guillory. Rosepine again was hanging in the game because of their ability to score from the charity stripe. Jacob Black scored from under the basket making it a two point game with .7 seconds on the clock, but the game ended on the call at the buzzer.
"It was another battle tonight, and we had our chances to win the game. We showed our immaturity on both offense and defense. For ninety percenct we executed our defensive game plan, but we slipped up a couple times at the worst possible times. And we weren't able to pull it off."
Oakdale was a player down as they were without Raymond Guillory and his average of 30-points a game against the Red Devils. "It probably hurt us more mentally than I expected," said head coach Dustin Howard about Guillory being out. "We were able to pass the ball better and score enough points. So we got enough offense, but we were weak just mentally. And we didn't play defense. If you don't play defense and rebound and give up 75 points, then you can't win on the road like that."
The team got the early 2-0 lead, but the lead was short lived as Pickering gets the three. Malcolm Pugh answered with a three ball. Pickering tied the game at five on its next possession then went up 7-5. Derrick Winfield got the big three pointer after hard fought offensive rebounds from his Warrior teammates kept the possession alive.
The Pickering lead grew to 10 as Oakdale called a timeout at the 2:12 mark of the opening frame. Coming out of the timeout, the Warriors get the ball into the hands of Garrett Kingan who got the score from under the net. The first eight minutes of the game ended with Pickering leading 20-10.
The lead grew to 20 at 31-11, but then Oakdale scored on back-to-back possessions as Pugh hit another three ball shot to make the score 33-22. First half ended with Oakdale trailing 35-24. Malcolm Pugh continued to carry his team in the second half with 18 points on four baskets from beyond the arc. He finished the game with 34 points overall and 24 points from three point range. However, it was not enough as the rest of his team could not rally together without Raymond Guillory who returned Friday night against Rosepine.
"We were pressing trying to get a steal," Howard said when describing the end of the game. "We knew that was the only way. They inbounded the ball and threw from out of bounds to out of bounds which is legal, but we guarded it. I thought they had inbounded the ball, and I thought we had the ball when the whistle was blown. I assumed we were going to have two untimed free throws with an attempt to tie the game. Jacob Black had the ball in his hands, but the foul was on us and time had expired."
Oakdale came out forcefully to an early 2-0 lead after a basket off the fingers of Derrick Winfield. The teams were then trading buckets as Oakdale went up 6-4 before Rosepine again ties the game. Wearing number 10 on his back, Guillory tied the game at 10 with 1:54 in the 1st quarter. He later connected on the three point play then gave his squad the one point lead as the first quarter wound down. At the end of the first quarter, Oakdale lead 15-14.
The Warriors kept the momentum on their side going into the locker rooms at the half leading 27-23. Rosepine scored a quick three points leading off the second half then knotted up the game at 27.
Oakdale tied it at 31 as the teams continued to trade baskets. The score was knotted at 35 heading into the final 8 minutes in regulation. Rosepine was hanging around and took the three point lead with under four minutes remaining on the clock.
Pugh cut it to 1, then the Warriors forced the turnover. Guillory capitalized with a three ball taking the two point lead. James Evins then scored off the assist from Guillory. Rosepine again was hanging in the game because of their ability to score from the charity stripe. Jacob Black scored from under the basket making it a two point game with .7 seconds on the clock, but the game ended on the call at the buzzer.
"It was another battle tonight, and we had our chances to win the game. We showed our immaturity on both offense and defense. For ninety percenct we executed our defensive game plan, but we slipped up a couple times at the worst possible times. And we weren't able to pull it off."
Lady Warriors lose against Vernon Parish teams
Lady Warriors lose against Vernon Parish teams
After squandering a lead at Pickering late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Warriors lost 52-51 against the Lady Devils and were held at bay at home by the Rosepine Lady Eagles 43-36.
"Our girls played well," head coach Ted Fontenot stated after the Pickering loss. "I thought we had a comfortable lead there in the fourth, then things didn't go right. They got in a rythm, and we got out of our rythm. When Sanaa came back in the fourth with about four minutes left, we just couldn't score for some reason. For three and a half quarters, I thought we hung in well."
KaMaesha St. Andre and Sanaa St. Andre each had 4 points in the first quarter that ended with Pickering scoring a basket to go up 15-12. KaMaesha St. Andre finished the game with 19 points, and Sanaa St. Andre finished the game with 12 points.
Treshunda Joseph in the second quarter picked up another Lady Warrior defensive rebound and finished it with the basket to tie the game at 15. Good ball movement leads to Setorie St. Andre getting the score to go up 19-17. Alexis Davis then connected from free throw range for two points from the field as a timeout was called on the court with 3:16 before halftime and with Oakdale leading 21-17.
Pickering went on a scoring run and made it a one point game from the charity stripe as the Lady Devils still trail 23-22. Pickering retook the lead in the waning moments of the first half and maintained it as the teams headed into the locker rooms at half.
Brianna Hargrove put her team back on top coming out the gate of the second half, and Kamaesha St. Andre extended the lead to three. The lead grew to six as Pickering called a timeout with 4:49 on the third quarter clock.
Oakdale was on the midst of a 15-2 scoring run, until Pickering got on a scoring run of its own as it trailed 41-36. After three quarters of play from Pickering, the Oakdale Lady Warriors led 43-36. Pickering from just inside the arc again made it a five point game to extend another scoring run. Coming out of a timeout with 4:21 remaining on the clock, Pickering got the steal and capitalized at the basket cutting the Warrior lead to one. Pickering then took the one point lead as Oakdale calls a timeout with 3:02 on the clock. The Lady Warriors could not regroup and went on to lose a tough one on the road Tuesday night.
Then on Friday night Rosepine went on a 10-2 scoring run to start the game as Oakdale called a timeout at the 2:24 mark of the first quarter. Setorie St. Andre scored on a jump shot, and the first quarter closed out with Oakdale trailing 14-6 and still looking flat from nights before.
Sanaa St. Andre went on a personal 6-0 run as the Warriors began to adjust to Rosepine's defensive scheme. Hargrove made it a one point game from the charity stripe as her team trailed 17-16 with under four minutes until the half. KaMaesha St. Andre gave her team the lead and was fouled as Rosepine calls a timeout with 3:35 before the half.
The Lady Warriors maintained the lead as the score was 22-19 going into the half. Sanaa St.
Andre got the steal and drove coast-to-coast for the score to go up 24-19 before Rosepine made it a one possession game from the free throw line.
Rosepine kept hovering around as a timeout was called on the court with Oakdale leading 28-16 with 3:24 left in the third. Oakdale was held to three points in the fourth quarter allowing Rosepine back in the game and earn the win.
"We shot a bunch of three pointers that didn't go in," Fontenot said after. "Then we missed a lot of shots that we usually make. We had three bad scoring quarters, but they played good defense on us. It was just one of those nights when the shots didn't fall."
The Lady Warriors have three district games remaining on the schedule. They host Bunkie on Senior Night January 31 then host Rapides February 7. The regular season wraps up February 9 at Many.
After squandering a lead at Pickering late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Warriors lost 52-51 against the Lady Devils and were held at bay at home by the Rosepine Lady Eagles 43-36.
"Our girls played well," head coach Ted Fontenot stated after the Pickering loss. "I thought we had a comfortable lead there in the fourth, then things didn't go right. They got in a rythm, and we got out of our rythm. When Sanaa came back in the fourth with about four minutes left, we just couldn't score for some reason. For three and a half quarters, I thought we hung in well."
KaMaesha St. Andre and Sanaa St. Andre each had 4 points in the first quarter that ended with Pickering scoring a basket to go up 15-12. KaMaesha St. Andre finished the game with 19 points, and Sanaa St. Andre finished the game with 12 points.
Treshunda Joseph in the second quarter picked up another Lady Warrior defensive rebound and finished it with the basket to tie the game at 15. Good ball movement leads to Setorie St. Andre getting the score to go up 19-17. Alexis Davis then connected from free throw range for two points from the field as a timeout was called on the court with 3:16 before halftime and with Oakdale leading 21-17.
Pickering went on a scoring run and made it a one point game from the charity stripe as the Lady Devils still trail 23-22. Pickering retook the lead in the waning moments of the first half and maintained it as the teams headed into the locker rooms at half.
Brianna Hargrove put her team back on top coming out the gate of the second half, and Kamaesha St. Andre extended the lead to three. The lead grew to six as Pickering called a timeout with 4:49 on the third quarter clock.
Oakdale was on the midst of a 15-2 scoring run, until Pickering got on a scoring run of its own as it trailed 41-36. After three quarters of play from Pickering, the Oakdale Lady Warriors led 43-36. Pickering from just inside the arc again made it a five point game to extend another scoring run. Coming out of a timeout with 4:21 remaining on the clock, Pickering got the steal and capitalized at the basket cutting the Warrior lead to one. Pickering then took the one point lead as Oakdale calls a timeout with 3:02 on the clock. The Lady Warriors could not regroup and went on to lose a tough one on the road Tuesday night.
Then on Friday night Rosepine went on a 10-2 scoring run to start the game as Oakdale called a timeout at the 2:24 mark of the first quarter. Setorie St. Andre scored on a jump shot, and the first quarter closed out with Oakdale trailing 14-6 and still looking flat from nights before.
Sanaa St. Andre went on a personal 6-0 run as the Warriors began to adjust to Rosepine's defensive scheme. Hargrove made it a one point game from the charity stripe as her team trailed 17-16 with under four minutes until the half. KaMaesha St. Andre gave her team the lead and was fouled as Rosepine calls a timeout with 3:35 before the half.
The Lady Warriors maintained the lead as the score was 22-19 going into the half. Sanaa St.
Andre got the steal and drove coast-to-coast for the score to go up 24-19 before Rosepine made it a one possession game from the free throw line.
Rosepine kept hovering around as a timeout was called on the court with Oakdale leading 28-16 with 3:24 left in the third. Oakdale was held to three points in the fourth quarter allowing Rosepine back in the game and earn the win.
"We shot a bunch of three pointers that didn't go in," Fontenot said after. "Then we missed a lot of shots that we usually make. We had three bad scoring quarters, but they played good defense on us. It was just one of those nights when the shots didn't fall."
The Lady Warriors have three district games remaining on the schedule. They host Bunkie on Senior Night January 31 then host Rapides February 7. The regular season wraps up February 9 at Many.
Oakdale in the midst of a three game losing streak
Oakdale in the midst of a three game losing streak
Coach Dustin Howard his Oakdale Warriors to hot start enjoying an 11-6 record including a 2-0 record in district as they defeated Pickering on their home court and Rosepine on the road. However, the Warriors fell on hard times losing their next three games.
The losing skid began with an overtime loss at Bunkie. "We lost a heartbreaker at Bunkie by two in overtime," Howard said. "Malcom Pugh hit a big three to send it to overtime, and I thought we were going to pull it out, but the ball didn't bounce our way this time. Our district is tough. Every game is a battle." The Warriors then faced Rapides in Glenmora and Many at home. Howard called these teams "the two toughest teams in the district (because) they both were quarterfinalists last year." "At Rapides was an environment that our young team wasn't quite ready for," Howard said. "That's a quality opponent with a great basketball tradition. They play so hard and so physical. You can't prepare for it. We cut the lead into the teens but we had dug our hole too deep. It will be fun when they come to our place later in the season." "I felt like Many is the best basketball team in our district, and the best team we have faced this season," Howard continued. "They really shot the ball well and played solid defense. They didn't have an obvious weakness. I thought we played some of the best basketball we have played lately in the second half. We challenged them at half time to show some mental toughness and they responded."
In the Many game, Oakdale faced a very physical line up with four players from the Tiger football team including senior quarterback Tabarius Garner, junior wide receiver Demarious Coleman, sophomore wide receiver Ni'kendrick Carter, and freshman tight end Alonzo Carter. All four are hovering around six feet tall and are averaging 178.75 pounds.
Garner is the smallest of the quarter coming in at five-feet 11-inches and 170-pounds, and the biggest of the bunch is Alonzo Carter at six-feet three-inches and 185-pounds. The physicallity of Many was no match for Oakdale as the Tigers won 74-56.
Howard does see some positives during his team's losing streak that gives him hope down the stretch. "We showed a lot of character and how bad my guys want to be great in the way we played in the second half (at Rapides)," he said. "We are headed in the right direction, but we weren't ready for Many just yet."
Coach Dustin Howard his Oakdale Warriors to hot start enjoying an 11-6 record including a 2-0 record in district as they defeated Pickering on their home court and Rosepine on the road. However, the Warriors fell on hard times losing their next three games.
The losing skid began with an overtime loss at Bunkie. "We lost a heartbreaker at Bunkie by two in overtime," Howard said. "Malcom Pugh hit a big three to send it to overtime, and I thought we were going to pull it out, but the ball didn't bounce our way this time. Our district is tough. Every game is a battle." The Warriors then faced Rapides in Glenmora and Many at home. Howard called these teams "the two toughest teams in the district (because) they both were quarterfinalists last year." "At Rapides was an environment that our young team wasn't quite ready for," Howard said. "That's a quality opponent with a great basketball tradition. They play so hard and so physical. You can't prepare for it. We cut the lead into the teens but we had dug our hole too deep. It will be fun when they come to our place later in the season." "I felt like Many is the best basketball team in our district, and the best team we have faced this season," Howard continued. "They really shot the ball well and played solid defense. They didn't have an obvious weakness. I thought we played some of the best basketball we have played lately in the second half. We challenged them at half time to show some mental toughness and they responded."
In the Many game, Oakdale faced a very physical line up with four players from the Tiger football team including senior quarterback Tabarius Garner, junior wide receiver Demarious Coleman, sophomore wide receiver Ni'kendrick Carter, and freshman tight end Alonzo Carter. All four are hovering around six feet tall and are averaging 178.75 pounds.
Garner is the smallest of the quarter coming in at five-feet 11-inches and 170-pounds, and the biggest of the bunch is Alonzo Carter at six-feet three-inches and 185-pounds. The physicallity of Many was no match for Oakdale as the Tigers won 74-56.
Howard does see some positives during his team's losing streak that gives him hope down the stretch. "We showed a lot of character and how bad my guys want to be great in the way we played in the second half (at Rapides)," he said. "We are headed in the right direction, but we weren't ready for Many just yet."
Many Lady Tigers at Oakdale
Many Lady Tigers at Oakdale
After losing a game to district leading Rapides, the Oakdale Lady Warriors seized the day and earned a hard fought win by a final score of 65-61 at home Tuesday night against the Many Lady Tigers.
"(Tonight) was such a big win for us in that it kept us in second place in the district all alone," said head coach Ted Fontenot. "Sanaa St. Andre had a big night scoring 36 points, and she had by far her best night. Brianna Hargrove played big in the middle for us causing their big girls to battle and get into foul trouble which was huge for us. All the girls that played did something to help us win against Many."
Sanaa St. Andre scored early off a defensive rebound from Hargrove, and Setorie St. Andre added a jumper to go up 5-2. Sanaa St. Andre then gave her team the 8-4 lead. At the end of the first quarter, Oakdale was winning from 9 to 5.
Sanaa St. Andre in the second quarter got the rebound on her third missed three point try of the half and scored on the put back to go up 11-7. Many then made it a one point game. A cat-and-mouse game ensued, and Many went to the charity stripe with a chance to take the lead and tied the game at 15.
Many then tied it at 17 before Sanaa St. Andre started to get going and scored another layup. KaMaesha and Sanaa St. Andre with back-to-back steals and scores padded the lead. Many cut it to a three point affair in the waning moments of the first half, and the teams went into their respective locker rooms at the half with Oakdale leading 25-22.
Many capitalized on another missed three point attempt from Sanaa St. Andre and took the 26-25 lead for its first lead of the night. KaMaesha St. Andre tied it up at 26 from the free throw line. Many retook the lead, but the lead was shortlived as Oakdale goes up 30-29. Treshunda Joseph would later put the Lady Warrior back up by 1 after Many took the lead again, but Many scored off the rafters to go up 35-34.
With her team down 42-36, Sanaa St. Andre connected from beyond the arc, but Many scored a bucket as the clock expired on the third quarter making it a five point game. KaMaesha St. Andre put the ball through the hoop as Oakdale found itself down by three, but Many again padded the lead on the other end of the court. Sanaa St. Andre tied the game at 49 with a basket inside the arc then made a three pointer from WNBA range.
Sanaa St. Andre with a hurt thumb after coming down hard on the court and with her team on her back scored and headed to the line where she was true for the old fashioned three point play. With her team down 58-57, Sanaa St. Andre again retook the lead. Sanaa St. Andre on her birthday scored insurance points from inside the arc and from the free throw line as her team got the win.
Then on Friday night, Oakdale faced the Menard Lady Eagles for the second time around this season. This time on the Lady Warriors' home court they won big 63-18 to sweep the Lady Eagles after winning 40-35 in Alexandria on December 27 in the first district game.
"Setorie St. Andre gave us an offensive boost in the first half scoring 11 points," Fontenot said. "She shot the ball well when Menard was stopping Sanaa St. Andre. In the second half, things opened up for us with steals and layups on the other end. Sanaa St. Andre ended the game with 24 points. We held Menard to 4 points in the second half. It was a good defensive win for us."
After losing a game to district leading Rapides, the Oakdale Lady Warriors seized the day and earned a hard fought win by a final score of 65-61 at home Tuesday night against the Many Lady Tigers.
"(Tonight) was such a big win for us in that it kept us in second place in the district all alone," said head coach Ted Fontenot. "Sanaa St. Andre had a big night scoring 36 points, and she had by far her best night. Brianna Hargrove played big in the middle for us causing their big girls to battle and get into foul trouble which was huge for us. All the girls that played did something to help us win against Many."
Sanaa St. Andre scored early off a defensive rebound from Hargrove, and Setorie St. Andre added a jumper to go up 5-2. Sanaa St. Andre then gave her team the 8-4 lead. At the end of the first quarter, Oakdale was winning from 9 to 5.
Sanaa St. Andre in the second quarter got the rebound on her third missed three point try of the half and scored on the put back to go up 11-7. Many then made it a one point game. A cat-and-mouse game ensued, and Many went to the charity stripe with a chance to take the lead and tied the game at 15.
Many then tied it at 17 before Sanaa St. Andre started to get going and scored another layup. KaMaesha and Sanaa St. Andre with back-to-back steals and scores padded the lead. Many cut it to a three point affair in the waning moments of the first half, and the teams went into their respective locker rooms at the half with Oakdale leading 25-22.
Many capitalized on another missed three point attempt from Sanaa St. Andre and took the 26-25 lead for its first lead of the night. KaMaesha St. Andre tied it up at 26 from the free throw line. Many retook the lead, but the lead was shortlived as Oakdale goes up 30-29. Treshunda Joseph would later put the Lady Warrior back up by 1 after Many took the lead again, but Many scored off the rafters to go up 35-34.
With her team down 42-36, Sanaa St. Andre connected from beyond the arc, but Many scored a bucket as the clock expired on the third quarter making it a five point game. KaMaesha St. Andre put the ball through the hoop as Oakdale found itself down by three, but Many again padded the lead on the other end of the court. Sanaa St. Andre tied the game at 49 with a basket inside the arc then made a three pointer from WNBA range.
Sanaa St. Andre with a hurt thumb after coming down hard on the court and with her team on her back scored and headed to the line where she was true for the old fashioned three point play. With her team down 58-57, Sanaa St. Andre again retook the lead. Sanaa St. Andre on her birthday scored insurance points from inside the arc and from the free throw line as her team got the win.
Then on Friday night, Oakdale faced the Menard Lady Eagles for the second time around this season. This time on the Lady Warriors' home court they won big 63-18 to sweep the Lady Eagles after winning 40-35 in Alexandria on December 27 in the first district game.
"Setorie St. Andre gave us an offensive boost in the first half scoring 11 points," Fontenot said. "She shot the ball well when Menard was stopping Sanaa St. Andre. In the second half, things opened up for us with steals and layups on the other end. Sanaa St. Andre ended the game with 24 points. We held Menard to 4 points in the second half. It was a good defensive win for us."
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