Cedar Creek head coach Jacob Angevine took eight of his powerlifting competitors to North DeSoto High School Saturday to participate.
Three of the seven Cougars earned a spot on the podium.
“We took some of our younger and first year lifters got a chance to shine on the big stage this weekend,” said Angevine. “Of the eight that took to the platform, three finished on the podium, two entered the 1,000-pound club, and all finished with multiple PRs.”
On the boys side, Chandler Bullock finished second in the 275-pound weight class with a three-lift total of 1,035 pounds. While on the girls side, Bella DiGiovanni finished third in the 198-pound class with a total fo 685 and Olivia Ferrell finished third in the 220-pound class with 510.
Logan Amidon, competing in the 181-pound class, didn’t make the podium but did earn a spot in the 1,000-pound club with a three lift total of 1,025 pounds.
“Having two young kids break into the 1000-pound club is a big accomplishment for them,” said Angevine. “All of our lifters had some left in the tank and left fired up for the next meet. You know it’s a good day when everyone leaves with either smiles or hardware. This was a great day for the future of the program.”
Cedar Creek will next compete this weekend at D’Arbonne Woods Charter School on Saturday.
An increasingly common scam has hit north Louisiana again, according to Union Parish Sheriff Dusty Gates.
Gates has reached out to the community to alert residents of a scam that has occurred several times in the region and has apparently returned. The Union Parish Sheriff’s Office received several reports of the scam on Monday.
In the scam, an unknown caller phones citizens and claims to represent UPSO or Sheriff Gates, stating a warrant has been issued for their arrests. Typically, the warrant is for supposedly missing jury duty. The caller further claims a credit card number, or a Green Dot money card or similar gift card will clear up the matter.
According to Gates, UPSOnever asks for financial information over the phone. You should not give anyone your credit card or bank account information over the phone. If you believe you have been the victim of such a scam, call the UPSO at 318-368-3124 or your local law enforcement agency if you live in other parishes.
UPSO has asked that this information be passed along to friends and family members.
Lincoln Parish deputies arrested a local man allegedly acting erratically while he disturbed his neighborhood early Tuesday morning.
Deputies were sent to a mobile home park on Castle Street just outside Ruston about 5:30 a.m. Tuesday to investigate a report of a man pacing up and down the street while screaming and yelling profanities. Deputies had answered a similar call the previous night.
Deputies found Antonio Spivey, 45, in the street and asked him multiple times to identify himself. He repeatedly said his name was Jesus or Jesus Christ. He was carrying a box cutter blade and was instructed several times to place it on the ground.
Spivey was eventually taken into custody and taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center where he was booked for disturbing the peace and resisting an officer by giving false information.
Bail was set at $1,000.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Ruston Police Department is seeking assistance in identifying an individual in a theft case at Lowes in December.
It is alleged the man entered the store at 809 Morrison Drive in Ruston, obtained merchandise and left the premises without paying. Officials at Lowes estimate about $900 in merchandise was lost. The man reportedly had a white BMW in the parking lot.
Callers to Crime Stoppers at 318-355-1111 remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward if the information given leads to an arrest or grand jury indictment. Crime Stoppers will pay up to $2,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of this individual.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Tourism announced the launch of the “Year of Music” campaign, designed to emphasize Louisiana’s musical culture and historical impacts across a variety of genres. As the birthplace of jazz, Cajun and zydeco music, Louisiana’s music is one of the state’s defining characteristics. The year officially kicked off with Louisiana’s float and performance in the 135th annual Rose Parade® on January 1 in Pasadena, Calif. The parade’s theme was “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language.” The Explore Louisiana float took home the Showmanship Award for the second year in a row.
The Explore Louisiana float featured a larger-than-life Mardi Gras jester, fleur-de-lis and second-line-inspired umbrellas. Louisiana once again took the stage for the mid-parade performance. Mardi Gras music was performed by Louisiana musicians – Louisiana Music Hall of Famer and fiddler Amanda Shaw; James Burton, who is ranked number 24 in Rolling Stone’s list of 250 greatest guitarists of all time and has played with the likes of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash; and four-time GRAMMY-nominated Zydeco artist Sean Ardoin.
“We were really excited to kick off our Year of Music at the Rose Parade this year,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “We have an incredible amount of musical talent in Louisiana, and every year it attracts visitors from all over the world. All throughout 2024 we’re going to be inviting people to come and hear our great music in person at music venues all across the state.”
The Rose Parade is just one example of how Louisiana is celebrating the “Year of Music.” The state will also be participating in events such as CMA Fest in Nashville and DC Jazz Festival in Washington D.C. Louisiana is also working with Louisiana-based artists on a series of social media takeovers for these talented music ambassadors to share what they love about Louisiana and what inspires their music and writing.
The “Year of Music” also coincides with the launch of the Louisiana Music Trail, which will go live on ExploreLouisiana.com later this month. The trail celebrates all the genres of music Louisiana has impacted, the artists of Louisiana, historical sites, music venues and more.
“The music trail is a great opportunity to share our musical history and culture with the world,” said Assistant Secretary of Tourism Doug Bourgeois. “Through exploring the trail visitors can discover hidden gems and gain a deeper appreciation of Louisiana’s impact on a huge variety of musical genres.”
To stay up to date on Louisiana’s plans, visit the Explore Louisiana Year of Music webpage.
Nike Praetzel finished fifth in the 60m hurdles by running an 8.64.
Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Julian Forde’s 14h fastest 60m time in the nation highlighted a strong finish by the Louisiana Tech track and field teams at the Robert Platt Invitational at Yeoman Fieldhouse on Saturday.
Forde ran a 6.62 in the finals of the 60m to not only take home the gold but also moved into the top time in Conference USA. His time came just two hours after finishing with a 6.65 in the semis to qualify with the fastest time heading into the finals.
“I am truly proud of how we competed this weekend,” said Tech Director of Track and Field Brian Johnson. “We are starting to get into championship shape with 30 days to go. We had numerous people step up over the last two days.”
Tonie-Ann Forbes has been one of the best in the 60-meter hurdles and didn’t disappoint. She improved her mark with an 8.29 for a bronze and move into No. 39 on the NCAA performance list.
Eight other Bulldogs finished in the top 10 in their respective event, with three more setting personal best.
Mateo Smith improved his conference-leading mark in the long jump with his third attempt, netting him a distance of 23’8.75”.
Shatalya Dorsett improved her 60m time by 0.01 seconds with a 7.49 to take sixth. Rodney Heath Jr. was the other Bulldog inside the top 10 in the event, running a 6.75 for fifth. Nike Praetzel finished fifth in the 60m hurdles by running an 8.64.
Reigning CUSA Freshman of the Week, Valentino Rudolph continues to have a strong rookie campaign for the Bulldogs. Rudolph finished third in a field of 80 athletes with a time of 21.40. For the women, Saran Kouyate set a new season-best time of 24.57 to finish 10thg out of 100 runners.
The men’s and women’s 4×400 teams finished third. The women’s team of Jamara Patterson, Osaretin Usenbor, Nia Wiley, and Kouyate was the fastest college team at the meet, finishing behind Athletics TX by only two seconds.
Louisiana Tech will travel to Fayetteville, Ark. for the Tyson Invitational from Feb. 9-10 at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
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Tech Tennis
The Louisiana Tech Tennis team did not drop a single set on Sunday, claiming a pair of shutout victories in defeating Louisiana Christian, 4-0, and Southern Arkansas, 5-0, in a home doubleheader at the LA Tech Tennis Complex.
While LA Tech (4-2) was in complete control of almost every match against LCU (0-1) and SAU (1-1), the Bulldogs ended up getting their points from the exact same lines in both doubles and singles.
Starting off the day was winning the doubles point versus the Wildcats with wins of 6-1 and 6-0 on courts two and three, respectively. Collecting those victories were the tandems of Alexia Romero/Olga Bienzobas and Zoie Epps/Tiffani Nash.
In singles, Epps and Romero garnered the second and third points for LA Tech by winning all 12 games in their matches. Epps defeated Elizaveta Mikhailova 6-0, 6-0 at No. 5 while Romero overpowered Chloe Batterton 6-0, 6-0 at No. 6.
The clincher was provided by Bienzobas who outdueled Alexandra Cedeno 6-1, 6-3 at the No. 1 position. Play was stopped while Ana Rodrigues, Valentina Vasquez, and Nash were all up a set in their respectively matches.
The second match of the day against the Muleriders played out almost the exact same way, except this dual was played under the lights. Romero/Bienzobas and Epps/Nash grabbed the opening doubles point for the Bulldogs, each winning 6-1.
It was again the lower part of the lineup in singles picking up points as Epps cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Lisa Lochter while Romero raced to a 6-1, 6-2 win against Roksana Kokocha. And then clinching point again was provided by Bienzobas at the top spot, taking a 6-1, 6-4 win versus Greta Wallin.
Tacking on another point was Nash who closed out her match a mere seconds later at the No. 4 spot, defeating Amelie Gindle by a score of 6-2, 6-2. Both Rodrigues and Nash were up a set and a point or two away from winning before play was stopped.
LA Tech is back home on Wednesday, Jan. 31 to face LSU-Alexandria. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT at the LA Tech Tennis Complex.
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Bowling
Louisiana Tech went 2-1 and shot a nearly perfect game on the final day of the Prairie View Invitational at the International Training and Research Center. The fourth-ranked Bulldogs moved up one spot and finished fifth in the tournament with 10 of the top 11 teams in the country.
“The team went through a lot of ups and downs this weekend,” said head coach Matt Nantais. “We started on a high note by going 4-1 for the day in a very strong field. Saturday proved that we still have a lot of work to do to get everyone on the same page as we are gearing up for the postseason.
“We finished with two great wins, and I’m proud that even after struggling, the girls never gave up. We have more to work on for the next tournament.”
LA Tech had a solid start to the day, but No. 5 North Carolina A&T would come out with a 995-948 win. Kylee Trexler rolled a 213 to finish with a 1,162 for a top-30 finish. Allie Leiendecker finished 26th with a 1,192 after finishing with a 203. Patricia Rosales ended the tournament in the plus after finishing with a six-game total of 1,241 to finish 13thg.
The Bulldogs finished sixth after qualifying and set up a rematch with the Aggies. This time, Tech pulled out a 4-3 win.
Tech found their mark early against No. 11 Sam Houston and dominated the Bearkats 4-1. With the match tied 1-1, the Bulldogs were back on the lane they shot 258 in game one. Tech carried that momentum and rolled the front-11 before a 10-pin ended the Bulldog run at perfection. They would close the match with 236-193 and 224-214 wins.
Louisiana Tech will travel to Missouri for the Columbia 300 Saints Invite hosted by Maryville University.
The Ruston High Lady Bearcats solidified an overall 8-8-1 record Monday night with a 3-2 win over West Ouachita to take second place in district play.
The Lady Bearcats finished with a 4-1 record in district, and with Monday’s win, Ruston is expected to host a first round home playoff matchup.
“This season has allowed my girls many chances to demonstrate how much heart they have,” Ruston head coach Jacquelyn Bean said. “We’ve had to dig deep in this last series of district games to move up the power rankings. I’m proud of how they came together, and their perseverance to get to the playoffs. And we get to host? Let’s go. I’d love for my girls to have a record crowd for them at the Hoss in our first round game.”
Ruston will likely host its first round opponent by the end of the week, likely on Friday. Pairings will be announced at 9 a.m. this morning.
The Lady Bearcats scored first with junior Elliana Ramos scoring her 28th goal of the season, with junior Mia Tapia following shortly after with a goal off an assist by freshman Nnenna Ighade.
Freshman Diana Santos would score her first goal of the season for Ruston’s third goal of the night.
Junior goalkeeper Morgan Foster started the night and recorded four saves.
“Morgan is one of our most coachable players, where ever she is asked to play, whether that’s in defense, holding mid, forward or like tonight in goal, she brings all she has each moment the ball comes her way,” Bean said.
Junior keeper Rilee Atwood played in the net for the second half Monday after injuring her finger in last week’s match with Ouachita. Atwood would get seven saves on the night, allowing only one goal.
Lincoln Parish School Board superintendent Ricky Durrett will hold an open forum tonight at 6 p.m. for the public to invite feedback regarding a potential bond measure that could offer upgrades to both Ruston High School and Ruston Junior High.
The forum will be held at the Ruston High School auditorium. All members of the public are welcome to come.
“We are presenting some options that we will propose in a bond election before our meeting with the school board in the February meeting,” Durrett said. “We want to get some input back from the public on what they think of some of the projects that we’re going to propose. We want to do this before we get to a final plan so that everybody’s had an opportunity to see it and digested a little bit before we get to the school board meeting.”
Potential projects could include roof replacements, security upgrades for both schools, additional parking, athletic facility upgrades and activity bus purchases.
The next school board meeting with be Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 12 p.m. at Ruston Elementary.
Two Florida girls abducted from the home of their foster parents were recovered unharmed after a police pursuit on Interstate 20 in Ruston Friday.
Tillie Claire Williams, 5, and Natalia Williams, 1, were reported missing Thursday morning out of Sorrento, Florida where they were last seen. An Amber Alert was issued according to the Lake County, Florida Sheriff’s Office.
Dixie Williams, 41, the biological mother of the girls, is accused of taking the children from their foster home. She was arrested on Florida warrants on Interstate 20 near the Tarbutton Road exit by Louisiana State Police with the assistance of local law enforcement agencies, including the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office, according to Sheriff Stephen Williams.
On Thursday, a foster parent contacted the Lake County Sheriff’s Office about 7:00 a.m. to report two of her foster children were missing from the residence located in Sorrento. The two girls were last seen about 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night by the foster parent.
According to a probable cause affidavit for kidnapping arrest warrants, Dixie Williams recently borrowed the foster parents’ vehicle, and they later noticed the pass to enter their neighborhood was missing. They believed Dixie Williams or Cody Williams, the girls’ biological father, possibly used the pass to enter the neighborhood and take the girls.
Sorrento, where the children lived, is located about 40 minutes north of Orlando. Driving time to Ruston is approximately 12 hours.
Technology played a big role in locating Williams and recovering the children.
“A tipster came forward and said, ‘I rented a vehicle for Dixie,’ and that vehicle just happened to have GPS tracking capabilities, so we were quickly jumping on that, tracking the vehicle,” said Lt. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
By the time Lake County began tracking the car, it had reached North Louisiana.
Louisiana State Police said troopers tried to pull Williams over, but she refused to stop for them. She pulled in briefly at the westbound Choudrant rest area, placed one of the children on her lap, and continued to flee. Lincoln Parish deputies joined the pursuit and tire deflation devices were deployed to stop the vehicle. Once the vehicle stopped, Williams was taken into custody without incident.
According to State Police, Williams was booked for two counts of kidnapping on the Florida warrants, resisting an officer, aggravated flight from an officer, driving under suspension, two counts of no child passenger restraint system, and no seat belt use.
Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office investigator Lt. Matt Henderson said Williams refused to tell him where she was headed but mentioned a lawyer in California who could help her regain custody of her children.
Since the kidnapping, Florida TV stations have been airing police body cam video of Williams’s 2022 arrest where she argued with the police officer that she didn’t need a driver’s license to be behind the wheel. Video also showed Williams throwing herself on the ground and screaming at the officer.
While Williams and her husband have been identified as “sovereign citizens” by Florida authorities, Henderson said Dixie Williams refused to confirm that but did make some statements often identified with that movement.
The FBI defines sovereigns as “anti-government extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or ‘sovereign’ from the United States.”
Sovereign citizens believe the courts have no jurisdiction over people and the use of certain procedures (such as writing specific phrases on bills they do not want to pay) and loopholes can make one immune from government laws and regulations. They also regard most taxation as illegitimate and reject the need for government documents like driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations. They typically do not recognize the authority of any law enforcement officer except the county (parish) sheriff. Sovereign citizen arguments have no basis in law and have never been successful in any court.
Williams is incarcerated at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center. She will be extradited back to Florida at some point, but prosecutors will determine whether she will face charges in Louisiana or Florida first.
The children were turned over to the custody of the Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services until arrangements can be made to return them to Florida.
The 43rd broadcast of North Louisiana’s St. Jude Radiothon is set for Feb. 8-9 from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. on Ruston station Z107.5.
At that time donations can be made by calling 1-800-787-5288 or by donating online via the station’s Facebook (Z107.5) or Instagram (Z1075fm) pages. In-person donations will be taken in related side events at the Ruston Walmart Supercenter and Super 1 Foods.
The Zeta Rho chapter of the service group Epsilon Sigma Alpha is co-sponsor of the event, which last year raised more than $88,000 for the Memphis, Tennessee, hospital that focuses on treating catastrophic childhood diseases.
Radiothon Chair Nancy Darland said, “For the last 42 years, our community has opened its hearts and their pocketbooks generously to St. Jude Hospital. We hope people will continue to give this year so that these children can have proper care. Not only does St. Jude provide medical care – it also provides mental health services, the opportunity for patients to keep up with their schoolwork, fun activities so that this stressful time can be more bearable, and so much more.”
Over 8,500 patients are treated by the hospital each year, with more than 800 active patients from Louisiana. Annual operating costs total over $2 billion.
An estimated 89% of the funds necessary to sustain and grow St. Jude must be raised by donors’ public contributions, according to hospital officials. No family is ever billed for treatment, travel, meals or lodging.
A 21-year-old man reportedly living one block from the Louisiana Tech University campus was arrested Tuesday for allegedly running a drug sales operation across the street from Grambling State University.
Louisiana State Police arrested Deterious B. Dawson Tuesday afternoon at the Pinecrest II Apartments on College Avenue directly across from the GSU campus.
Troopers received information about drug trafficking and conducted surveillance of an apartment in the complex. Numerous people were seen going to and from the residence.
During a subsequent search of the apartment, troopers encountered the overwhelming odor of marijuana. The search recovered approximately twelve pounds of marijuana and over 300 grams of THC wax.
Dawson was present at the time of the search and said all the marijuana belonged to him but refused to answer any questions. Dawson’s sister said her brother sold marijuana and stored it in the apartment.
Two Lincoln Parish warrants for distribution of Schedule I and IV controlled substances and violation of a drug free zone were served on Dawson.
Based on the search, Dawson was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of THC was with intent to distribute, and possession of a controlled substance in the presence of a minor.
Bail on the two warrants was set at $170,000.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
“Timelapse,” the Seventh Louisiana Biennial National Juried Exhibition, is now open to visitors through Feb. 20, each Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the F. Jay Taylor Visual Arts Center (TVAC) Galleries on the Louisiana Tech campus.
Admission is free.
A “Juror Talk” at the TVAC with curator Laura Blereau, the Curator of Exhibitions at Newcomb Art Museum of Tulane University, will be Tuesday, Jan. 30, 5-6 p.m., followed by an awards reception from 6-7 p.m. Blereau had the difficult task of selecting 56 artworks out of nearly 464 submissions by artists throughout the United States, including two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and video works.
Blereau will announce awards during the Juror Talk; the winner will get a solo exhibition at Tech in 2024-25.
The exhibition is an excellent opportunity for students, faculty, and the public to see emerging contemporary work from around the country in a local gallery setting. Several regional artists are represented in the show, including Tech student Melanie Douthit, Tech faculty Markus Wobisch, and Bulldog alums Frank Herbert, Carey Roberson, Adrianna Speer, and Ben Wreyford.
Other featured works are by the following:
Sarah Amacker, Diana Behl, Susan Carr, Cheeny Celebrado-Royer, Jinghong Chen, WangLing Chou, Jeanne Ciravolo, Lionel Cruet, Sara Dismukes, Lynda Frese, Matt Frieburghaus, Timothy Gonchoroff, Michael Hower, Jeremiah Johnson, Bette Kauffman, Katie Kehoe, Amanda Kralovic, Christopher Latil, Sandra Eula Lee, Madison Manning, Nick Mendoza, Sarah Moschel Miller, Sarah Nance, Jacqueline Neale, Kristin Powers Nowlin, Robert Patrick, Millian Giang Pham, Natalie Preston, Suzanna Scott, Sabrina Skinner, David Samuel Stern, Clifford Tresner, Scott Turri, Lindsey Waters, Rebecca Welz, Lauren Woods, and Jenny Wu.
The TVAC is at 1 Mayfield Avenue on campus. The exhibition is sponsored by the University’s School of Design.
For more information, contact Brooke Cassady, Director of SOD Galleries, at either bcassady@latech.edu or 318.257.3910.
Ruston Police arrested a Bastrop man Thursday after a traffic stop led to the discovery of drugs and an illegal firearm.
Christian O. Smith, 24, was stopped for running the red light at West California Avenue and Trenton Street about 9:00 p.m. Thursday night. Smith was the only occupant of the vehicle. Smith seemed nervous and was unable to confirm the status of his driver’s license or give the last four numbers of his Social Security number to confirm his identity.
The officer saw indications of drug possession inside the vehicle. Smith admitted a couple of grams of marijuana were in his vehicle.
A search of the vehicle discovered a firearm, a set of scales, and a small amount of marijuana in the center console. A records check showed Smith was a convicted felon not authorized to possess a firearm and that his driver’s license was under suspension. Smith admitted to a bag of marijuana inside his pants. An additional small amount of marijuana was found in his left pants pocket.
Smith was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center for possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm in proximity of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by convicted felon, driving under suspension, and running a red light.
Bail was set at $30,000.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Each Monday and Friday, the Lincoln Parish Journal will post a list of non-for-profit upcoming events happening in the parish. If you would like to add your event to this list or advertise your for-profit events, please email us at lpjnewsla@gmail.com.
Monday, Jan. 29 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome 5:30 p.m.: GSU women’s basketball game (Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center) 6 p.m.: Toastmasters International meeting (Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street) 7:30 p.m.: GSU men’s basketball game (Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center)
Tuesday, Jan. 30 10 a.m.: Storytime at Lincoln Parish Library 5-8 p.m.: 7th Louisiana Biennial: National Juried Exhibition (Tech’s F. Jay Taylor Visual Arts Center) 6 p.m.: Adult Craft Hour (Lincoln Parish Library) 6 p.m.: Lady Techsters basketball game
Wednesday, Jan. 31 7-8 a.m.: Veterans Coffee Club (PJ’s Coffee) 11:30 a.m.: Lunch on Us (Presbyterian Church, 212 North Bonner Street., Ruston) — everyone welcome
Thursday, Feb. 1 6-8 p.m.: Ruston-Lincoln Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet (Ruston Civic Center) 6 p.m.: Lady Techsters basketball game
Friday, Feb. 2 2 p.m.: Ribbon cutting for T Mobile (1204 Woodward Ave., Unit 1)
Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Isaiah Crawford who had a game-high 25 points, as Louisiana Tech won its fifth straight by defeating New Mexico State, 73-53, on Saturday afternoon inside the Thomas Assembly Center on Karl Malone Court.
A subpar shooting performance in the first half led to LA Tech (15-6, 5-1 CUSA) holding just a 33-28 advantage at halftime. The Bulldogs exploded though in the second half behind their dynamic frontcourt of Crawford and Daniel Batcho who combined for 26 of the team’s 40 points.
“We just could not hit shots [in the first half],” said head coach Talvin Hester. “We got great shots but could not hit them. We were guarding well, playing good defense, but what I talked to the team about at halftime were the possessions we left on the table. We talked about having a good first few possessions and really opened up the game. Then some of those shots in the second half went in.”
NM State (9-12, 3-3 CUSA) did not shoot much better in the first stanza but did make four of its last five field goals to slice into a deficit that was as large as 10 points through the first 20 minutes.
The Bulldogs opened the second half on a 13-2 run, getting the first six points from Crawford. Then the forward found his fellow big man Batcho for an alley-oop dunk. The run continued with Tahlik Chavez burying a three-pointer from the wing followed by another alley-oop slam by Batcho to make it 46-30 with 14:54 to go.
Meanwhile, the Aggies continued to be held in check on the offensive end by another stellar effort on defense by LA Tech. NM State managed just eight points through the first 9-plus minutes of the second half.
The Bulldogs continued capped off their largest lead of the game after five straight points from Jordan Crawford including a wing three and a driving layup, giving the home team a 58-36 advantage with 10:29 left.
“I think his confidence is in his trust he has for other teammates around him,” said Hester on Crawford. “When he is stagnate, he has all the coaches on the bench telling him to be aggressive. I don’t want him to dial it back. I want him to stay on the attack.”
That largest lead was matched late in the game when Devin Ree banked in a three-pointer from the top of the arc, his third triple of the game.
The duo off the bench combined for 21 points (11 for Ree and 10 for Crawford) while the frontcourt went for a combined 37 points and 23 rebounds. Isaiah Crawford added eight rebounds to his scoring effort while Batcho tallied his ninth double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 15 boards.
LA Tech shot 37.9 percent from the field, knocking down seven three-pointers and 22 free throws. NM State was limited to 32.8 percent from the field with Jordan Rawls the lone Aggie in double figures with 10 points.
Antwan Burnett notched a 14-point, 12 rebound double-double to help Grambling State defeat a pesky Mississippi Valley State squad, 54-46, on Saturday afternoon at Willis Reed Court at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.
The win was GSU’s fourth consecutive win and improved the Tigers to 8-11 overall and 5-1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). MVSU dropped to 0-20, 0-7 SWAC.
In addition to scoring and snagging rebounds, Burnett was a disruptive force on defense. He racked up a game-high four steals. As a team, GSU forced 24 MVSU turnovers including 15 steals.
In the first half, both teams struggled to find a rhythm offensively. GSU shot 26.9 percent from the field (7-of-26), while MVSU shot a slightly lower percentage going 5-of-21 from the floor (23.8 percent).
Trailing the Delta Devils 6-5 at the 13:25 mark of the first half, the Tigers used a 12-2 run to build its biggest lead of the opening period, 17-8, with 3:45 remaining in the half. GSU carried a 19-12 advantage into the locker room.
Mississippi Valley State came out of the locker room with energy, erasing GSU’s halftime lead and jumping in front 25-24 with 13:17 to play.
MVSU’s lead was short lived however as Mikale Stevenson responded with a three-pointer to make it 27-25 in favor of GSU at the 12:34 mark. Grambling State began to wear the Delta Devils down from that point.
Later in the half, with the Tigers ahead 42-35, back-to-back layups from Burnett gave GSU its first double-digit lead of the contest, 46-35, with 4:27 to go.
MVSU eventually whittled Grambling State’s lead down to three points 49-46 with 1:09 remaining, but the Tigers managed to shut the door with free throws down the stretch to secure the win.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Down by 17 halfway through the third quarter, the Lady Techsters mounted a comeback to force overtime but would come up short in the extra period, falling 66-64 to New Mexico State at the Pan American Center on Saturday afternoon.
Louisiana Tech dropped to 8-13 overall and 2-4 in Conference USA, while New Mexico State improved to 9-10 and 3-3 in CUSA.
New Mexico State came out on fire, connecting on their first five shots to take an early 12-0 lead just two and a half minutes into the ball game. LA Tech responded with a nine-point run, but NMSU would close the quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 22-10 lead after one.
“They dictated things defensively,” Lady Techster head coach Brooke Stoehr said. “We played tentative, passive, and turned the ball over, which led to transition, which is why they scored 22 in the first quarter. We finally settled in and started taking care of the ball. We started scoring 36 in the second half and then eight in overtime.
“We shot ourselves in the foot to start the game with our lack of toughness. They bodied us up and were physical with us, and we didn’t handle it very well. That resulted in some poor decision-making in terms of passes and some bad shots. They attacked us from the tip, and we didn’t do a good job. We responded, and I’m proud of that. I’m proud of the fight that they had.”
The defenses stepped up in the second quarter, forcing each team into five turnovers and less than 30 percent from the field. The Lady Techsters closed the half on a six-point run to close the deficit to 31-20 at the intermission.
The Aggies looked to be in control at the media timeout of the third quarter, up 42-25, but that’s when Jianna Morris and Anja Bukvic started to take control. The duo connected on three 3-pointers over the final three minutes to cut the deficit to eight heading into the fourth.
Early in the fourth, New Mexico State seemed to have an answer every time the Lady Techsters tried to make a comeback. Tech never gave up, and after an Anna Larr Roberson jumper in the paint capped off an eight-point run, the lead was down to one. Robyn Lee stole an Aggie pass and went the length of the floor to tie the game up with 19 seconds remaining.
In overtime, New Mexico State scored the first five points, but the Lady Techsters continued to fight. Bukvic banked in a three from the right wing with seven seconds remaining to cut it back to a one-point game. The Aggies would make 1-of-2 from the line, and a Bukvic floater would fall short as time expired.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win the game, but we don’t play to be close,” Stoehr said. “We play to win the game. I am appreciative of their effort, and we had a gut check. We came out and competed hard, but we’re not about just competing like we’re trying to win.”
Bukvic and Morris both finished with career nights from the field. Bukvic finished with 18 points, setting a career-high in three of the last four games. Morris finished with 17 points and tied a career-high six rebounds while adding four assists.
Jaila Harding and Ene Adams led New Mexico State with 16 and 15 points, respectively.
The Ruston High School Lady Bearcats (19-7, 3-0 District 2-5A) used an explosive second quarter to get a key district win on the road at Ouachita by a final score of 62-36.
“Anytime you can come into Ouachita and get a win, it’s a big deal,” Ruston High head coach Meredith Graf said. “We knew they were capable of getting hot at any moment. Our goal was to play hard and active defense in order to prevent that from happening.”
Ruston and Ouachita were tied 16-16 after the first quarter but poured on the points in the second quarter to outscore Ouachita 22-4 to take a 38-20 lead into the halftime locker room.
“Ouachita puts a lot of pressure on the ball, and it can make for a long night,” Graf said. “I was pleased with how we handled the pressure and make the next easy pass which helped give us transition scoring opportunities.”
Both seniors Jaliyah McWain and Zaccheya Jackson finished the night with 17 points apiece, while junior Kiersynce McNeal finished with 11 points.
Graf said she was pleased with her overall team effort playing in a tough environment.
“Bottom line is everyone from the floor to the bench showed up tonight and did their job when called upon,” Graf said. “That’s what being apart of a team is all about.”
The Lady Bearcats will have a full week off before returning home for a district matchup with Alexandria Senior High Friday, Feb. 2, at 5:30 p.m. The game will be played at Memorial Gym on the campus of Louisiana Tech.
Leah Sutherland (24) makes a pass on the fast break during the Lady Cougars 56-51 win over Lincoln Prep Friday. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
After a nightmarish performance on the free throw line, Cedar Creek hit three of its last four in the final 22 seconds, including a pair by Caroline James with 5 seconds to play, sealing a 56-51 road win over Lincoln Prep in a District 2-1A match-up.
Mallory Smith scored 15 points and Leah Sutherland added 13 points as the Lady Cougars (13-9, 2-0) snapped the Lady Panthers (8-12, 1-1) five-game winning streak that dated back to late December.
“I knew this was a crucial, valuable game for us to win on the road,” said head coach Katie Hall. “Watching film on them I told my husband earlier today that they are good. I knew they were playing with confidence. Thad had a win streak. What I saw on film is they could be explosive and dangerous, and I was worried about the match-up coming in to tonight.”
In a game that saw 13 lead changes and six ties, the Lady Cougars were able to finally take the lead for good at 48-46 on a Sutherland three-pointer with 5:05 to play in the fourth quarter. However, the final five minutes saw plenty of drama — much thanks to Creek’s struggles at the not-so-charitable stripe.
The Lady Cougars, who made only 15-of-36 free throws in the game, made only 4-of-12 between Sutherland’s go-ahead three-pointer and James’ game-sealing two free throws with five seconds to play.
“I tried to not make a big deal about it, but I knew we needed to make (those free throws in that situation),” said Hall. “The girls knew it. I am proud that we were able to hit a couple (late), but we definitely struggled. I am glad we were able to get to the line as much as we did.
“It was a very physical game. Our girls were ready for a physical game. We told them going into it that it was going to be a physical game. I am glad we kept our cool and not loose our composure.”
After struggled on the defensive end for most of the first three quarters, Creek used a strong defensive performance over the final five minutes to secure the win. Lincoln Prep took a 46-45 lead with six minutes to play, but managed only five points the rest of the way.
“I will take blame for (our struggles defensively),” said Hall. “I kept trying to mix it up. The girls got confused. I will take responsibility for that. I was trying to figure out what was going to work because I was trying to figure out what may work. We got out of sync defensively, and I will take blame for that.”
Creek led 16-13 after the first quarter before the Lady Panthers rallied in the second quarter to take a 27-26 advantage into the halftime lockerroom. Jayleen Spann and Asijah Wright were the catalysts for Lincoln Prep most of the night, combining to score 30 points.
“They are a great team,” said Hall. “My hats off to them. I felt they played a really great game.”
The third quarter saw the Lady Cougars capitalize on the play of Smith, who scored 10 of her 15 points during the eight-minute frame. She opened the quarter with a three-pointer and then after the Lady Panthers took a 34-30 lead, Smith answered with back-to-back buckets to pull to within 36-34.
Sutherland’s conventional three-point play gave Creek a 37-36 lead with 2:17 to play in the quarter and then Smith’s second three-pointer of the frame tied the game at 42-42 in the closing seconds of the quarter.
Mary Grace Hawkins layup gave the Lady Cougars an early lead in the final quarter before Lincoln Prep answered to regain the advantage on back-to-back buckets by Tracionna Hampton, setting up the frenzied final six minutes of the game.
Although Sutherland’s 13 point effort was huge, it was her job on the glass that might have been even bigger. Twice in the final 60 seconds of the game, Sutherland pulled down an offensive rebounds on a missed free throw to maintain possession for the Lady Cougars.
“The girl is a warrior,” said Hall. “She just finds a way to get to the ball. She is relentless. It is all about heart with her. I really wanted to give her a quick breather early in the fourth, but I couldn’t take her out because she was clearing off every defensive board and those two offensive boards late were amazing.”
James added nine points, Zoey Venters eight points and Hawkins seven points in the win.
The Lady Cougars will travel to face St. Fred’s Tuesday.
(Ruston junior Aidan Anding led Ruston with 21 points. Photo Credit: Reggie McLeroy)
By Kyle Roberts
A 21-point effort from junior guard Aidan Anding was not enough for Ruston as the Bearcats (13-8, 2-1 District 2-5A) fell 62-60 in the Madhouse on Millhaven to the Ouachia Lions in a district showdown.
The ‘Cats and the Lions took a tie in the halftime locker room at 24-24 with a two-point differential in the third quarter proved to be the difference for Ouachita.
“I’m proud of our effort tonight,” Ruston head coach Ryan Bond said. “The guys fought hard. We have to learn from this and move forward. We still have a lot to play for.”
Freshman Ahmad Hudson picked up multiple fouls in the first half after scoring nine points for the Bearcats and was held scoreless in quarters three and four.
Twelve of Anding’s 21 points came in the fourth quarter, alone.
Senior Jay Lillard added 10 points for Ruston.
Ruston returns to action Tuesday, Jan. 30, to take on Parkview High School out of Arkansas, who is coached by Ruston High Bearcat legend Scotty Thurman.
Lincoln Prep’s Devin Burton drives in for a layup during first-half action Friday night during the Panthers’ home win over Cedar Creek. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
Big wins aren’t always a thing of beauty, but the “W” always counts.
That’s the way Lincoln Preparatory School basketball coach Antonio Hudson summed up his team’s victory Friday night after the Panthers rolled past Cedar Creek 54-37 in a District 2-1A showdown at the LPS Gym.
Lincoln Prep (10-7, 2-0) didn’t gain its first lead until Trey Spann hit a 3-pointer at the 3:21 mark of the opening stanza that put the Panthers on top 11-10.
Those were the first points of an 8-0 run to close out the first quarter that gave the Panthers a 17-10 advantage.
The Panthers’ press forced numerous turnovers in the second quarter as Lincoln Prep outscored the Cougars 14-7 in the period to take a 31-17 lead into the locker room at halftime.
But the Panthers came out cold to start the second half, with Cedar Creek (11-8, 1-1) pulling within nine points at 33-24 on a Brett Bell 3-pointer at the 5:00 mark of the third quarter.
By the end of the stanza, Lincoln Prep only led 41-29, something that Hudson admittedly found frustrating after the strong second quarter.
“I don’t know if it’s because we’re young or what,” Hudson said. “I guess as coaches we’ve got to do a better job of stressing the importance of executing.
“What happens is that when we go to the stall, we get away from executing. When we run our normal offense, we get the looks we want. When you see us stall, as head coach I’ve got to do a better job of stressing the importance of time and score of the game and the importance of executing when you have to execute.”
Hudson was especially disappointed in the start of the second half when the Cougars went on a 7-2 run to cut the Lincoln Prep lead down to nine.
“We went into halftime up by 14 and the first three possessions we did nothing and suddenly it was a single-digit lead,” Hudson said. “We’re up double digits and we come out with the ball and get nothing on the first three offensive possessions and give up a layup and a foul and then it was a single-digit game.
“We actually felt like we could press them a little more. In the first half we got them going pretty good. Maybe they got a little fatigued toward the end. They handled the pressure pretty well at times, and they also made big shots.”
Cedar Creek sophomore Jake Doan led the Cougars with 13 points and caught Hudson’s attention with his play.
“He and (Bell) are just (underclassmen)? Those guys are going to be pretty good,” Hudson said. “I’m not looking forward to staying in the same district with them with the changes coming next season.”
Lincoln Prep outscored the Cougars 13-8 in the fourth quarter, with Zion Hicks scoring the final four points for the Panthers on a reverse layup and another layup off a steal.
While not exactly pleased with his team’s overall play, Hudson was still pleased to see his Panthers earn the win and move to 10-7 overall and 2-0 in district play.
“It’s always good to go 2-0 in district, especially with the power rankings,” Hudson said. “I can see that race getting real tight for that four, five and six slot. You want to be the highest seeds in the playoffs so you can get a homecourt advantage, so to start 2-0 in the district is a blessing.”
Stephen Burks III led the Panthers with 20 points and adding nine rebounds, five steals and three assists while Devin Burton and Trumarion Smith chipped in with 10 points each, with Burton pulling down eight boards..
Now Lincoln Prep turns its attention to the Arcadia Hornets, who the Panthers will play host to Saturday night.
“That’s a big one just because it’s Arcadia, and they’ve been playing well,” Hudson said. “I saw film and they were actually leading Ruston at points in that recent game. And they upset Ringgold (Thursday) night, too, so they’ve been playing well and it will be a challenge. They’re bigger, they’re more physical, so we just have to make sure that we execute.”
