Prep Roundup: Illness protocols postpone multiple games; Lady Bearcats pick up pair of wins
By T. Scott Boatright
Illness protocols were the toughest opponents for the Ruston boys basketball team last week, postponing the Bearcats game slated against Richwood until Jan. 25 and also forcing them to reschedule Friday’s game to have been played against Jonesboro-Hodge to a later date.
Scheduled up next for the Bearcats is a road game slated for Tuesday night at Pineville.
But the Ruston girls were able to play their game against Richwood on Tuesday and their District 2-5A Opener against Alexandria on Friday.
Ruston 63, Richwood 21 (GIRLS)
Defense was the name of the game for the Lady Bearcats on Tuesday against Richwood, as Ruston held the Lady Rams below double-digit scoring in all four quarters.
That defensive effort pushed the Lady Bearcats to a 12-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and a 27-10 halftime advantage.
Kemiah Spencer led RHS with 15 points while adding three rebounds, four assists and eight steals.
Emerald Parker was a force inside for the Lady Bearcats, totaling a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds while adding a steal and three blocked shots.
Jaliyah McWain chipped in with 10 points, three boards, two assists and two steals for the Lady Bearcats, who also received a nine-point, six-rebound, three-assist and three-steal effort from Kiersynce McNeal.
Ruston 67, Alexandria 38 (GIRLS)
On Friday, the Lady Bearcats opened their district season with a 29-point win over Alexandria Senior High.
Ruston did its talking with the Lady Bearcats’ inside game, outscoring ASH 38-6 in the paint.
The Lady Bearcats also dominated the battle on the boards, outrebounding ASH 56 -34 and pouring in 15 second-chance points.
McWain was the chief catalyst for Ruston against the Lady Trojans as took the ball to the basket and poured in 22 points while adding 15 rebounds (nine offensive) along with three steals and three assists.
Parker added her second-straight double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Bearcats, while Spencer totaled 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals.
McNeal added 10 points for Ruston along with three rebounds and three steals.
The Lady Bearcats (14-5) will continue District 2-5A play on Tuesday with a game at Pineville (3-10).
Cedar Creek (BOYS)
Saline 55, Cougars 53 (OT)
Cougars 60, Ouachita Christian 46
After falling to Saline in hard-fought overtime contest on Thursday, the Cedar Creek boys rebounded for a home, non-district game win over Ouachita Christian on Friday.
The Cougars played both games without starting guards Davis Walsworth and Connor Johnson.
Hayden McClusky led the Cougars in the win over the Eagles with 22 points while Carter Hill chipped in with 21 for Cedar Creek.
Cedar Creek GIRLS
Lady Cougars 50, Saline 47
Sarah Adams led the way for the Lady Cougars Thursday night as she poured in 19 points while dishing off eight assists to lead Cedar Creek (12-0) to the road win at Saline.
Lizzie McAdams double-doubled for Creek with 10 points and 15 rebounds while Allie Furr added eight points and Millie Venters added seven points and eight boards for the Lady Cougars.
Cedar Creek is next slated to play a girls/boys doubleheader at Sicily Island on Friday.
Carroll 69, Lincoln Prep 66 (BOYS)
The Lincoln Preparatory School Panthers opened the new year with a tough loss as they fell at home to Carroll on Jan. 3.
A slow start proved too much for the Panthers to overcome as the Bulldogs stormed out to a 25-11 advantage by the end of the opening stanza and led 42-27 at halftime.
Carroll outscored Lincoln Prep 15-12 in the third quarter to push its lead to 57-39 before the Panthers roared back with a four-quarter rally.
Lincoln Prep outscored the Bulldogs 27-12 in that final stanza but ran out of time to catch up for a comeback win.
Dmitry Payne led the Panthers with 19 points, four rebounds and one steal, one blocked shot and one assist while Bralyn Mafield double-doubled for Lincoln Prep with 16 points, 12 rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal.
Ja’kyren Montgomery chipped in with 12 points, four rebounds, an assist and a steal for Lincoln Prep, which also received six points each from Brandon Heard and Darrell Jackson while Emmanuel Bryant added four points.
Heard also recorded six assists, two rebounds and two steals while Bryant added five rebounds and five assists along with three steals.
Simsboro
Simsboro’s girls and boys doubleheader scheduled for last Tuesday was canceled due to illness protocols.
The Tigers’ home girls and boys games slated for tonight against Neville have also been postponed until a later date.
Simsboro’s boys and girls hope to return to the court on Friday night with a road doubleheader at Arcadia.
Choudrant
Gibsland-Coleman 72, Aggies 39 (BOYS)
Gibsland-Coleman 52, Lady Aggies 27 (GIRLS)
In the boys game played as part of a Friday doubleheader, Gibsland-Coleman took over early, building a 19-10 lead by the end of the first quarter and 38-17 at the half.
Chris Williams led the Aggies (9-7) with 13 points while Lachlan Thompson added 11.
The Choudrant girls also fell to Gibsland Coleman, losing by 25 points.
Choudrant’s boys next are slated to play at Claiborne Christian tonight while the Lady Aggies are scheduled to host Doyline on Monday.
