Despite an explosive third quarter for the Ruston Bearcats (13-9, 2-2 District 2-5A), it would not prove enough Friday night as the Alexandria Senior High Trojans upset Ruston 55-46 in Memorial Gym on the campus of Louisiana Tech.
“I’m at a loss,” Ruston head coach Ryan Bond said of his team’s performance. “We try to coach them the right way. We try to scout them the right way. We try to prepares the guys the right way. We’re just not very good right now. It’s a terrible time to be inconsistent and not wanting to play together. We’re trying to figure this out.”
Friday’s loss takes Ruston out of the running for this year’s district title.
After trailing 25-14 at the half, the Bearcats opened the first half of the third quarter on a 16-9 run that was accentuated by a thunderous dunk by freshman Ahmad Hudson with 4:35 in the period.
Ruston would finally get take a second half lead 32-30 off a three-pointer in transition by senior Lonnie Dimmer with 3:02 left in the third. The Bearcats would outscore the Trojans 21-11 overall in the third.
“We stepped up our defensive intensity and started pushing the ball down,” Bond said. “We were playing at their pace in the first half. When we pushed the tempo up a bit (in the second half), we pressured them because they wanted to be methodical and run their offense over and over and over. But I think that got us a little fatigued.”
The Trojans would finally regain the lead with 5:14 left to play at 39-38 and would not trail again for the remainder of the night, with ASH holding Ruston’s offense to only 10 points in the fourth.
“I feel bad for the people that paid to come out and watch us tonight,” Bond said. “We have got to start playing better.”
Junior Joran Parker had a stellar night with 17 points overall for the Bearcats.
Ruston returns to action Tuesday, Feb. 6, to take on Ouachita in what will be non-district matchup, as the teams will be rematching from a previous district matchup. Ouachita beat Ruston 62-60 in the first game.
Point guard Trumarion Smith (11) dished off 11 assists during Lincoln Prep’s win over St. Frederick on Friday night. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
Three wins in three days.
Sometimes a high school basketball season can be like trying to battle through a juggernaut.
That’s what the Lincoln Preparatory School Panthers faced last week — three crucial showdowns over a 72-hour period.
But the Panthers roared to wins in all three games, capping things off with a 64-60 road win at St. Frederick on Thursday that kept Lincoln Prep undefeated in District 2-1A play at 4-0.
That win came after the Panthers earned a 66-53 home win over Homer on Thursday after defeating Ouachita Christian on Tuesday inside the LPS Gym.
The three-day gauntlet wasn’t originally planned.
“St. Frederick called maybe three weeks ago saying they had some kind of program set for (Friday night), so we went ahead and rescheduled it,” said Lincoln Prep coach Antonio Hudson about Friday’s contest. “That was before all the ice and weather and all of that, so we agreed to the change.”
Hudson admitted three wins in three days wasn’t easy. Early on it looked like his Panthers might have been just plain worn out against St, Frederick,
The Warriors led 17-13 at the end of the opening stanza and pushed their lead to 37-26 at halftime.
“We were down but fought back,” Hudson said. “We were obviously tired, but I’m so proud because at the end of the day we found a way to win. I told my kids they have to be able to handle adversity at times. We didn’t play our best game. St. Fred had a kid who shot the light out.
“So hat’s off to them and their game plan. But to be able to pull that one out after being down 16 in the third quarter, that’s a positive even in a negative. We got the win. That’s all that counts in the end.
It was outscoring the Warriors 38-23 after intermission that flipped the switch to a win for the Panthers.
“I can;t say enough about the way my guys keep fighting when it matters,” Hudson said. “They’re not perfect, but neither am I. Who is? They kept on fighting, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Stephen Burks III double-doubled for the Panthers with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Amarje Young added 15 points and Trey Spann hit for 10.
Point guard Trumarion Smith also played a key role for the Panthers, dishing off 11 assists.
Next on tap for Lincoln Prep (14-7 overall, 4-0 in District 2-1A) is a game at Cedar Creek on Tuesday.
While Michael Jones turned in a monster night for Choudrant Friday night, Carson Carrico added 10 key points to help lift the Aggies to a District 2-B win over Simsboro. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
The Choudrant Aggies knew their backs were against the wall.
They also knew they had control of their own destiny.
And Destiny danced on the side Friday night as the Aggies defeated Simsboro 77-74 to close out the 2-B season tied with the Tigers at 2-1.
Michael Jones dominated — as in DOMINATED — the paint to the tune of 37 points — yes, 37 — points Friday night to lift the Aggies to a 77-74 District 2-B showdown win over Simsboro at the CHS Gym.
That win means the Aggies and Tigers ended district play tied at 3-1, meaning they’ll face each other in an extra game — potentially, or probably next week — for the 2-B title and better Class B playoff seeding.
It was a win that left Aggies coach Ryan Smith breathless.
“I don’t know what to say —- it was incredible,” Smith said. “Both teams played so hard. I’m so proud of the way our guys kept fighting. Michael Jones was a monster. But it wasn’t just him. He and Lawson (Stevens) were both awesome inside and just fed off each other. They just kept fighting.
“But the reason we held on was probably our other guys. Michael and Lawson deservedly earned the most attention, but this was a total team win tonight, and that’s what’s most important of all.”
It wasn’t an easy win. The Aggies led 15-14 at the end of the opening stanza but trailed 32-31 at the half.
Things didn’t get much better in the third quarter as the Tigers outscored the Aggies 26-21 to build a 58-52 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play.
Jones took over from there, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter to help lift the Aggies to the win.
The fact his Aggies outscored the Tigers 25-16 in the final stanza wasn’t unnoticed by their coach.
“They kept fighting — they weren’t going to quit,.It might not look totally that way on the stat sheet, but that was a total team win, and without our younger guys it wouldn’t have happened,” Smith said
Stevens and Carson Carrico added 10 points each for the Aggies while Tucker Batterton added nine and Brayden Pye hit for seven.
“As good as Michael and Lawson played, like they always go, it was guys like Tucker and Brayden that played big roles tonight. Big roles. As we move forward we can’t just rely on our two older guys. We need the younger guys to step up and they did tonight.”
Itavius Brown led Simsboro with 23 points while Jakaleb Modest chipped in with 20 and Ahmad Smith hit for 11 for the Tigers.
The CHS win puts up a likely potential tie for the regular season District 2-B with both Sijmsboro and Choudrant standing at 3-1.
Choudrant will next play host to Downsville on Tuesday before playing at Forest on Friday.
“We need to focus on taking care of business, that’s the main deal,” Smith said. “But this was big. Simsboro is a good team. But we are too. This is all fun right now.”
Simsboro will next play at Forest on Tuesday before closing out District 2-B play on Friday by hosting Downsville Charter.
The Lady Aggies put themselves in the “Catbird’s Seat” Friday night as they remained undefeated in District 2-B with a 42-29 victory to lock up a season sweep of Simsboro at the CHS Gym.
Reese Brown did the driving for the Lady Aggies, pouring in 16 points while Sadie Jones added eight and Brelyn Pyle and Piper Jackson chipped in with six each for Chourant.
The Lady Tigers kept things tight early on, allowing Choudrant only a one-point advantage at 8-7 heading into the second quarter.
But the Lady Aggies battled back in the second stanza, outsourcing the Lady Tigers 14-6 to build a 22-13 lead at intermission.
One more District 2-B victory over either 2-18 Downsville Charter, which is winless in league play, on Tuesday or at Forest, which has only one district win over DCHS, on Friday will lock up the district title for the Lady Aggies, who stand at 13-17 overall and 4-0 in district play.
“It was awesome — I just kept telling my girls we should secure it with a win,” said CHS Brandy Roberson. “Our gym was super packed-out. We hadn’t played in an atmosphere like that all season. It was loud. It was crazy.”
But early on, Roberson wasn’t convinced her team would walk out with the home win.
“We came out a little rattled,” Roberson said. “We didn’t start off very good and Simsboro came ready to play.
“And when you come down to it, our two top players, Reese and Brelyn, really didn’t play that well — not like they’re capable of. They both had four fouls early in the fourth quarter. Reese had four in the third quarter. So, I was really worried about one of them fouling out.”
Simsboro cut into the CHS lead in the third quarter, slicing a point off the Lady Aggies’ advantage as Choudrant held a six-point advantage at 30–24 heading into the final eight minutes of action.
That’s when the Lady Aggies took over at the charity stripe, with Brown connecting on all five of her free throw attempts while Pyle netted all four of her tries to propel the Lady Aggies to the win.
“In the end, Reese and Brelyn played really smart in that fourth quarter and neither fouled out,” Roberson said. “And they both made huge free throws when we needed them. We normally struggle at the free-throw line, but they stepped up and made them when it mattered. We didn’t really show up until later in the game.”
In addition to playing host to Downsville on Tuesday before playing at Forest on Friday, the Lady Aggies will play at Ouachita Parish High School on Wednesday.and at undefeated Claiborne Christian on Thursday.
“We’re right on the brink of making that cut for the 28 teams that will go to the playoffs,” Roberson said. “We’re at 32 in the power rankings right now, so we’re hoping getting points playing against those two teams — even if we don’t win we’ll get points playing two powerhouses like those two are — and of course taking care of business with our remaining two district games will be enough where we won’t have to play the No. 1 team if we get in.
“Heading into the season, our goals were to get more wins than last year, win district and make the playoffs. Now we just need to make sure we finish strong, especially in district, and hopefully we’ll accomplish all three of those goals.”
The Ruston High Lady Bearcats (20-7; 4-0 District 2-5A) left no doubt Friday in Memorial Gym at any point after an offensive onslaught to beat Alexandria Senior High 71-38.
Lady Bearcat head coach Meredith Graf credited a productive week for her team’s fast start after not having a midweek game on the schedule.
“You never know how your team is going to come out after a break like that,” Graf said. “I really felt like we took advantage of our time off. We weight-lifted and got some good shots up, got some good running and ice baths. I thought we came out locked in and focused.
“I’m very pleased. I thought our energy was really good tonight. Everybody was focused and really paid attention. We were locked in from the bench and to the floor.”
Ruston’s fast start saw the Lady ‘Cats take control early with seven of the team’s 18 first quarter points from junior forward Kiersynce McNeal.
The Lady Bearcats would have a 21-point second quarter to take a 39-20 lead into the halftime locker room.
Senior Jaliyah McWain finished with 16 points overall, while McNeal finished with 12.
The Lady Bearcats return to action Tuesday, Feb. 6, to take on Ouachita in what will be non-district matchup, as the teams will be rematching. Ruston gots its official district win over Ouachita last week by a final of 62-36 on the road.
Mallory Smith (10) draws a foul during Friday night’s loss to OCS. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek fell behind early and never found an offensive rhythm as the Lady Cougars dropped a 53-43 decision to Ouachita Christian Friday night in Monroe.
With the win, the two teams are now tied for first place at 3-1 in District 2-1A action with both both squads still to face Lincoln Prep and St. Frederick one more time in the coming week.
The Lady Eagles (18-8, 3-1) executed against the Lady Cougars (14-10, 3-1) full-court press much more efficiently compared to last week’s 58-57 victory by Creek.
“We weren’t able to score early to get into it and get our momentum going,” said head coach Katie Hall. “I never felt like we were able to get our momentum going at all. They handled it tonight. They worked on it so give credit to them for being able to handle it a lot better this time.”
After OCS took a 6-0 lead, the Lady Cougars rallied to tie the score at 8-8 on a pair of free throws by Olivia Underwood with 2:58 to play in the opening stanza. However, OCS scored the final three points of the first quarter to take an 11-8 lead and the Lady Eagles would never trail again.
OCS utilized its own full-court press and it caused the Lady Cougars trouble, forcing turnovers that resulted in some easy buckets in transition. In addition to the turnovers, Creek hit just 6-of-22 from the three-point line and consistently missed some opportunities to knock down shots.
“We still have to take care of the basketball and I feel like that was a problem (in the fourth quarter) at our house and it was a problem again here tonight,” said Hall. “We struggled to score. I feel like we were attacking their zone in the first game where tonight we missed a lot of shots that we normally hit. We got in a rut of not being able to score.”
OCS post Mary Louise Hogan had a strong performance in the paint, scoring a game-high 19 points for the Lady Eagles while Kate Woodward added 13 points and Madison Gibson netted 13 points.
The Lady Eagles used a 12-0 run covering the final two minutes of the first quarter and the opening three minutes of the second quarter to build a 20-8 advantage. Mallory Smith, who led Creek with 18 points, scored five straight, Caroline James added a jumper in the lane and Leah Sutherland scored on the interior to keep the contest competitive.
Smith nailed her second three-pointer of the quarter with 1:01 to play to close the deficit to 26-20. Creek had a late possession that could have cut even further into the lead, but a turnover led to a late OCS basket and a 28-20 score.
Twice in the first half, Sutherland exited the game with an ankle injury for the Lady Cougars, but returned both times. Hall said she didn’t feel it affected the senior.
“She is pretty tough,” said Hall. “She walked it off and said she was ready to go. From then on I never saw her favor it and she never let up defensively. She never let up being a leader. I don’t think it bothered her too badly.”
James opened the third quarter scoring the first six points for Creek and a buzzer-beating layup by Smith made the score 39-30 OCS entering the fourth quarter.
An Underwood three-pointer and a Smith fast-break bucket with 6:38 to play in the game pulled the Lady Cougars to within 41-35, but the Lady Eagles pulled away building as much as a 14-point lead with just over two minute to play.
Creek held OCS to just one three-pointer, but the Lady Eagles converted on 21 two-point field goals in the win.
James added eight points while Underwood and Sutherland each scored five in the loss.
Landon Hall (15) pulls down a rebound in Friday night’s loss to OCS. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
In a competitive back and forth affair on the hardwood Friday night in Monroe, a lack of composure ultimately cost Cedar Creek its chance for victory in a 72-53 loss to Ouachita Christian in District 2-1A action.
With OCS hanging on to a slim 53-49 lead with 6:30 to play in the fourth quarter, Cougars leading scorer Jake Doan picked up his second technical foul of the game for a verbal altercation. Doan was disqualified from the game for the two technical fouls, and the Eagles used a game-ending 19-4 run the rest of the way to pick up the win.
“Down the stretch we couldn’t make buckets,” said head coach Lance Waldron. “We just couldn’t make buckets.”
With one of its top two offensive threats sitting on the bench down the stretch, the Eagles locked down defensively on Connor Johnson and the rest of the Cougars players. Cedar Creek managed just two free throws by Jack Bell and a late bucket by Blake Robinson over the final six minutes of action.
Waldron said his message to his sophomore guard was short and to the point.
“I told him he has to keep his mouth shut,” said Waldron. “These days it’s popular for everybody to talk trash on the court. Some people think they can’t play unless they talk trash. Well we aren’t supposed to play like that. That’s not Cedar Creek basketball, and we don’t want any part of that. He let his team down by running his mouth out there on the floor. He’s a sophomore. I guess he is young. It’s a lesson you got to learn.”
Doan and Johnson got the Cougars off to a strong start, combining to score all 16 points in the opening quarter as Creek trailed 18-16 at the end of one. In fact the duo scored every point by the Cougars in the first half with Doan tallying 14 points and Johnson 13 points as Creek trailed 29-27 at halftime.
“Connor has really been playing well for us and he hit some big shots,” said Waldron. “In the second half they did a box and one on him and didn’t let him get back into the flow of things.”
The second half was all about the Bell Brothers for the Cougars as Jack and Brett combined to score 18 of the 26 second half points.
Brett Bell connected on three three-pointers in the third quarter and Jack scored the final two buckets of the stanza to keep the Cougars within striking range at 49-47.
“Both of those guys hit some big shots,” said Waldron. “Brett hit a couple of big threes (in the third quarter). Brett really does a good job even though he is a freshman.”
OCS outscored Creek 24-6 in the final quarter to pull away for the win.
William Blain Markham September 7, 1958 – January 31, 2024 Visitation: Piney Woods Christian Church, Saturday, February 3, 2024, 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Service: Piney Woods Christian Church, Saturday, February 3, 2024, 2:00 pm Cemetery: Douglas Cemetery, Saturday, February 3, 2024
Billie Jean Clinton April 14, 1927 – January 31, 2024 Visitation: Farmerville Methodist Church, Sunday, February 4, 2024, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Service: Farmerville Methodist Church, Sunday, February 4, 2024, 3:00 pm Cemetery: Farmerville City Cemetery, Sunday, February 4, 2024
Point guard Trumarion Smith (11) dished off 11 assists during Lincoln Prep’s win over St. Frederick on Friday night. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
Three wins in three days.
Sometimes a high school basketball season can be like trying to battle through a juggernaut.
That’s what the Lincoln Preparatory School Panthers faced last week — three crucial showdowns over a 72-hour period.
But the Panthers roared to wins in all three games, capping things off with a 64-60 road win at St. Frederick on Thursday that kept Lincoln Prep undefeated in District 2-1A play at 4-0.
That win came after the Panthers earned a 66-53 home win over Homer on Thursday after defeating Ouachita Christian on Tuesday inside the LPS Gym.
The three-day gauntlet wasn’t originally planned.
“St. Frederick called maybe three weeks ago saying they had some kind of program set for (Friday night), so we went ahead and rescheduled it,” said Lincoln Prep coach Antonio Hudson about Friday’s contest. “That was before all the ice and weather and all of that, so we agreed to the change.”
Hudson admitted three wins in three days wasn’t easy. Early on it looked like his Panthers might have been just plain worn out against St, Frederick,
The Warriors led 17-13 at the end of the opening stanza and pushed their lead to 37-26 at halftime.
“We were down but fought back,” Hudson said. “We were obviously tired, but I’m so proud because at the end of the day we found a way to win. I told my kids they have to be able to handle adversity at times. We didn’t play our best game. St. Fred had a kid who shot the light out.
“So hat’s off to them and their game plan. But to be able to pull that one out after being down 16 in the third quarter, that’s a positive even in a negative. We got the win. That’s all that counts in the end.
It was outscoring the Warriors 38-23 after intermission that flipped the switch to a win for the Panthers.
“I can;t say enough about the way my guys keep fighting when it matters,” Hudson said. “They’re not perfect, but neither am I. Who is? They kept on fighting, and that’s all I can ask for.”
Stephen Burks III double-doubled for the Panthers with 25 points and 11 rebounds while Amarje Young added 15 points and Trey Spann hit for 10.
Point guard Trumarion Smith also played a key role for the Panthers, dishing off 11 assists.
Next on tap for Lincoln Prep (14-7 overall, 4-0 in District 2-1A) is a game at Cedar Creek on Tuesday.
Reese Brown (with ball) led the Lady Aggies with 16 points in Friday night’s home win over Simsboro. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
The Lady Aggies put themselves in the “Catbird’s Seat” Friday night as they remained undefeated in District 2-B with a 42-29 victory to lock up a season sweep of Simsboro at the CHS Gym.
Reese Brown did the driving for the Lady Aggies, pouring in 16 points while Sadie Jones added eight and Brelyn Pyle and Piper Jackson chipped in with six each for Chourant.
The Lady Tigers kept things tight early on, allowing Choudrant only a one-point advantage at 8-7 heading into the second quarter.
But the Lady Aggies battled back in the second stanza, outsourcing the Lady Tigers 14-6 to build a 22-13 lead at intermission.
Simsboro cut into that lead in the third quarter, slicing a point off the Lady Aggies’ advantage as Choudrant led 30–24 heading into the final eight minutes of action.
That’s when the Lady Aggies took over at the charity stripe, with Brown connecting on all five of her free throw attempts while Pyle swished all four of her tries to propel the Lady Aggies to the win.
The Lady Aggies will next play host to Downsville on Tuesday before playing at Forest on Friday.
Sandwiched in between those District 2-B contests will be a game at Ouachita Parish High School on Wednesday.
While Michael Jones turned in a monster night for Choudrant Friday night, Carson Carrico added 10 key points to help lift the Aggies to a District 2-B win over Simsboro. (Photo by T. Scott Boatright)
By T. Scott Boatright
The Choudrant Aggies knew their backs were against the wall.
They also knew they had control of their own destiny.
And Destiny danced on the side Friday night as the Aggies defeated Simsboro 77-74 to close out the 2-B season tied with the Tigers at 2-1.
Michael Jones dominated — as in DOMINATED — the paint to the tune of 37 points — yes, 37 — points Friday night to lift the Aggies to a 77-74 District 2-B showdown win over Simsboro at the CHS Gym.
That win means the Aggies and Tigers ended district play tied at 3-1, meaning they’ll face each other in an extra game — potentially, or probably next week — for the 2-B title and better Class B playoff seeding.
It was a win that left Aggies coach Ryan Smith breathless.
“I don’t know what to say —- it was incredible,” Smith said. “Both teams played so hard. I’m so proud of the way our guys kept fighting. Michael Jones was a monster. But it wasn’t just him. He and Lawson (Stevens) were both awesome inside and just fed off each other. They just kept fighting.
“But the reason we held on was probably our other guys. Michael and Lawson deservedly earned the most attention, but this was a total team win tonight, and that’s what’s most important of all.”
It wasn’t an easy win. The Aggies led 15-14 at the end of the opening stanza but trailed 32-31 at the half.
Things didn’t get much better in the third quarter as the Tigers outscored the Aggies 26-21 to build a 58-52 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play.
Jones took over from there, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter to help lift the Aggies to the win.
The fact his Aggies outscored the Tigers 25-16 in the final stanza wasn’t unnoticed by their coach.
“They kept fighting — they weren’t going to quit,.It might not look totally that way on the stat sheet, but that was a total team win, and without our younger guys it wouldn’t have happened,” Smith said
Stevens and Carson Carrico added 10 points each for the Aggies while Tucker Batterton added nine and Brayden Pye hit for seven.
“As good as Michael and Lawson played, like they always go, it was guys like Tucker and Brayden that played big roles tonight. Big roles. As we move forward we can’t just rely on our two older guys. We need the younger guys to step up and they did tonight.”
Itavius Brown led Simsboro with 23 points while Jakaleb Modest chipped in with 20 and Ahmad Smith hit for 11 for the Tigers.
The CHS win puts up a likely potential tie for the regular season District 2-B with both Sijmsboro and Choudrant standing at 3-1.
Choudrant will next play host to Downsville on Tuesday before playing at Forest on Friday.
“We need to focus on taking care of business, that’s the main deal,” Smith said. “But this was big. Simsboro is a good team. But we are too. This is all fun right now.”
Simsboro will next play at Forest on Tuesday before closing out District 2-B play on Friday by hosting Downsville Charter.
Mallory Smith (10) draws a foul during Friday night’s loss to OCS. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
Cedar Creek fell behind early and never found an offensive rhythm as the Lady Cougars dropped a 53-43 decision to Ouachita Christian Friday night in Monroe.
With the win, the two teams are now tied for first place at 3-1 in District 2-1A action with both both squads still to face Lincoln Prep and St. Frederick one more time in the coming week.
The Lady Eagles (18-8, 3-1) executed against the Lady Cougars (14-10, 3-1) full-court press much more efficiently compared to last week’s 58-57 victory by Creek.
“We weren’t able to score early to get into it and get our momentum going,” said head coach Katie Hall. “I never felt like we were able to get our momentum going at all. They handled it tonight. They worked on it so give credit to them for being able to handle it a lot better this time.”
After OCS took a 6-0 lead, the Lady Cougars rallied to tie the score at 8-8 on a pair of free throws by Olivia Underwood with 2:58 to play in the opening stanza. However, OCS scored the final three points of the first quarter to take an 11-8 lead and the Lady Eagles would never trail again.
OCS utilized its own full-court press and it caused the Lady Cougars trouble, forcing turnovers that resulted in some easy buckets in transition. In addition to the turnovers, Creek hit just 6-of-22 from the three-point line and consistently missed some opportunities to knock down shots.
“We still have to take care of the basketball and I feel like that was a problem (in the fourth quarter) at our house and it was a problem again here tonight,” said Hall. “We struggled to score. I feel like we were attacking their zone in the first game where tonight we missed a lot of shots that we normally hit. We got in a rut of not being able to score.”
OCS post Mary Louise Hogan had a strong performance in the paint, scoring a game-high 19 points for the Lady Eagles while Kate Woodward added 13 points and Madison Gibson netted 13 points.
The Lady Eagles used a 12-0 run covering the final two minutes of the first quarter and the opening three minutes of the second quarter to build a 20-8 advantage. Mallory Smith, who led Creek with 18 points, scored five straight, Caroline James added a jumper in the lane and Leah Sutherland scored on the interior to keep the contest competitive.
Smith nailed her second three-pointer of the quarter with 1:01 to play to close the deficit to 26-20. Creek had a late possession that could have cut even further into the lead, but a turnover led to a late OCS basket and a 28-20 score.
Twice in the first half, Sutherland exited the game with an ankle injury for the Lady Cougars, but returned both times. Hall said she didn’t feel it affected the senior.
“She is pretty tough,” said Hall. “She walked it off and said she was ready to go. From then on I never saw her favor it and she never let up defensively. She never let up being a leader. I don’t think it bothered her too badly.”
James opened the third quarter scoring the first six points for Creek and a buzzer-beating layup by Smith made the score 39-30 OCS entering the fourth quarter.
An Underwood three-pointer and a Smith fast-break bucket with 6:38 to play in the game pulled the Lady Cougars to within 41-35, but the Lady Eagles pulled away building as much as a 14-point lead with just over two minute to play.
Creek held OCS to just one three-pointer, but the Lady Eagles converted on 21 two-point field goals in the win.
James added eight points while Underwood and Sutherland each scored five in the loss.
Landon Hall (15) pulls down a rebound in Friday night’s loss to OCS. (Photo by Darrell James)
By Malcolm Butler
In a competitive back and forth affair on the hardwood Friday night in Monroe, a lack of composure ultimately cost Cedar Creek its chance for victory in a 72-53 loss to Ouachita Christian in District 2-1A action.
With OCS hanging on to a slim 53-49 lead with 6:30 to play in the fourth quarter, Cougars leading scorer Jake Doan picked up his second technical foul of the game for a verbal altercation. Doan was disqualified from the game for the two technical fouls, and the Eagles used a game-ending 19-4 run the rest of the way to pick up the win.
“Down the stretch we couldn’t make buckets,” said head coach Lance Waldron. “We just couldn’t make buckets.”
With one of its top two offensive threats sitting on the bench down the stretch, the Eagles locked down defensively on Connor Johnson and the rest of the Cougars players. Cedar Creek managed just two free throws by Jack Bell and a late bucket by Blake Robinson over the final six minutes of action.
Waldron said his message to his sophomore guard was short and to the point.
“I told him he has to keep his mouth shut,” said Waldron. “These days it’s popular for everybody to talk trash on the court. Some people think they can’t play unless they talk trash. Well we aren’t supposed to play like that. That’s not Cedar Creek basketball, and we don’t want any part of that. He let his team down by running his mouth out there on the floor. He’s a sophomore. I guess he is young. It’s a lesson you got to learn.”
Doan and Johnson got the Cougars off to a strong start, combining to score all 16 points in the opening quarter as Creek trailed 18-16 at the end of one. In fact the duo scored every point by the Cougars in the first half with Doan tallying 14 points and Johnson 13 points as Creek trailed 29-27 at halftime.
“Connor has really been playing well for us and he hit some big shots,” said Waldron. “In the second half they did a box and one on him and didn’t let him get back into the flow of things.”
The second half was all about the Bell Brothers for the Cougars as Jack and Brett combined to score 18 of the 26 second half points.
Brett Bell connected on three three-pointers in the third quarter and Jack scored the final two buckets of the stanza to keep the Cougars within striking range at 49-47.
“Both of those guys hit some big shots,” said Waldron. “Brett hit a couple of big threes (in the third quarter). Brett really does a good job even though he is a freshman.”
OCS outscored Creek 24-6 in the final quarter to pull away for the win.
Despite an explosive third quarter for the Ruston Bearcats (13-9, 2-2 District 2-5A), it would not prove enough Friday night as the Alexandria Senior High Trojans upset Ruston 55-46 in Memorial Gym on the campus of Louisiana Tech.
“I’m at a loss,” Ruston head coach Ryan Bond said of his team’s performance. “We try to coach them the right way. We try to scout them the right way. We try to prepares the guys the right way. We’re just not very good right now. It’s a terrible time to be inconsistent and not wanting to play together. We’re trying to figure this out.”
Friday’s loss takes Ruston out of the running for this year’s district title.
After trailing 25-14 at the half, the Bearcats opened the first half of the third quarter on a 16-9 run that was accentuated by a thunderous dunk by freshman Ahmad Hudson with 4:35 in the period.
Ruston would finally get take a second half lead 32-30 off a three-pointer in transition by senior Lonnie Dimmer with 3:02 left in the third. The Bearcats would outscore the Trojans 21-11 overall in the third.
“We stepped up our defensive intensity and started pushing the ball down,” Bond said. “We were playing at their pace in the first half. When we pushed the tempo up a bit (in the second half), we pressured them because they wanted to be methodical and run their offense over and over and over. But I think that got us a little fatigued.”
The Trojans would finally regain the lead with 5:14 left to play at 39-38 and would not trail again for the remainder of the night, with ASH holding Ruston’s offense to only 10 points in the fourth.
“I feel bad for the people that paid to come out and watch us tonight,” Bond said. “We have got to start playing better.”
Junior Joran Parker had a stellar night with 17 points overall for the Bearcats.
Ruston returns to action Tuesday, Feb. 6, to take on Ouachita in what will be non-district matchup, as the teams will be rematching from a previous district matchup. Ouachita beat Ruston 62-60 in the first game.
The Ruston High Lady Bearcats (20-7; 4-0 District 2-5A) left no doubt Friday in Memorial Gym at any point after an offensive onslaught to beat Alexandria Senior High 71-38.
Lady Bearcat head coach Meredith Graf credited a productive week for her team’s fast start after not having a midweek game on the schedule.
“You never know how your team is going to come out after a break like that,” Graf said. “I really felt like we took advantage of our time off. We weight-lifted and got some good shots up, got some good running and ice baths. I thought we came out locked in and focused.
“I’m very pleased. I thought our energy was really good tonight. Everybody was focused and really paid attention. We were locked in from the bench and to the floor.”
Ruston’s fast start saw the Lady ‘Cats take control early with seven of the team’s 18 first quarter points from junior forward Kiersynce McNeal.
The Lady Bearcats would have a 21-point second quarter to take a 39-20 lead into the halftime locker room.
Senior Jaliyah McWain finished with 16 points overall, while McNeal finished with 12.
The Lady Bearcats return to action Tuesday, Feb. 6, to take on Ouachita in what will be non-district matchup, as the teams will be rematching. Ruston gots its official district win over Ouachita last week by a final of 62-36 on the road.
Louisiana Tech President Jim Henderson announced this morning that Austin Johnson, the victim of this morning’s shooting, was a Tech student and encouraged students, faculty and staff to seek counseling if need.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, Austin Johnson,” Henderson wrote in an email to the Tech community. “Our hearts, along with our thoughts and prayers, are with Austin’s loved ones as the entire Louisiana Tech family feels the weight of this tragedy.
“Navigating grief is not something to do alone. Counseling Services is available to support students during this difficult time.”
Henderson said walk-in appointments are available today in Keeny Hall 337 or by making an appointment by calling 318-257-2488.
“Continue to care for one another today and always,” he said.
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Earlier this morning at about 1:48 a.m., the Ruston Police Department responded to a gunshot victim report in the drive through Cane’s on the North Service Road East in Ruston.
Upon arrival officers located an 18-year-old white male suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. The victim was transported by ambulance to the Northern Louisiana Medical Center and then airlifted to LSU Shreveport where he later died due to his injuries.
The victim was identified as Austin Johnson, 18, of Bossier. The investigation found that Johnson was in a vehicle in the drive through with friends when he was shot in the chest accidentally. Investigators charged Matthew Embry, 19, of Dubach, with negligent homicide. Bail was set at $300,000.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. If anyone has information regarding this or any other crime, they are requested to contact the Ruston Police Department’s Criminal Investigative Division at 318-255-4141 or Crimestoppers of Lincoln Parish.
Crimestoppers information can be given in several ways; either by calling 318-255-1111, text a tip to “TIP515 plus your message” to CRIMES (274637), or submitting a tip online at www.rustonlincolncrimestoppers.com. But please keep in mind that crimes in progress should always be reported immediately to the appropriate law enforcement agency or by calling 911.
Officially adding Dr. Birdex Copeland Jr. Avenue to the city map and hearing an update on the situation surrounding the Grambling Economic Development Corporation (GEDC) were primary orders of business Thursday as Grambling’s City Council conducted its February meeting.
During the GEDC update, City Attorney Ronald Lattier told Grambling’s City Council that Third District judge Monique Clement on Tuesday filed paperwork denying a request for pretrial exemptions requested by the GEDC, potentially opening the door for the case to be sent to trial should the entity fight a request by the city to have the GEDC
In December, the city of Grambling filed for a petition of involuntary dismissal of the GEDC on the grounds that the city feels the entity didn’t have any transparency that applied to the purpose for which it was created.
Lattier contends that the GEDC, headed by former Grambling mayor Ed Jones, is not a classic private corporation not needed by the city.
During the January Grambling City Council meeting, Lattier said that while the GEDC held no meetings last year, it spent some of its funding, and said it appears the GEDC improperly purchased a vehicle for GEDC President Edwards Jones, Grambling’s Mayor from 2011-23.
After Thursday’s City Council meeting was over, Lattier said he expects that one way or another, the matter will be closed within two or three months in the city’s favor.
Grambling’s City Council also approved a motion Thursday to accept a roadway coming off of La. Hwy. 151, also known as “Old Grambling Road, leading into Lincoln Preparatory School and the planned Traditions subdivision and naming it Dr. Birdex Copeland Jr. Avenue in honor of the late former Grambling alderman and Grambling State University professor.
Copeland also played a key role in founding Lincoln Preparatory School. The naming of the road came at the request of Lincoln Prep Executive Director Gordan Ford.
In other business, Grambling’s City Council introduced an ordinance to govern short-term housing rentals within city limits. That matter will be discussed and possibly voted on next month. A public hearing will be held at 5:45 p.m. March 8 before the City Council is expected to discuss and vote on the ordinance during the following meeting that will begin at 6 p.m. that night.
Grambling’s aldermen also approved a motion during Thursday’s meeting for Mayor Alvin Bradley to put his signature on a USDA grant request to provide a police vehicle for the city. The request for the change from former Jones’ signature to Bradley’s was made by the USDA.
Also approved was a motion to hire David Keith to the city’s Sanitation Department.
During his monthly update, Police Chief Tommy Clark warned that ongoing car break-ins continue to occur and asked that city residents call the Grambling Police Department if they have trouble dealing with youth.
“This is a different breed of kid today than back in our day,” Clark said. “And if you chastise them, they get mad, but even worse, their parents get mad because their kids were chastised. So please call the police department and let us handle the matter if that happens.”
Richard Anderson, a candidate to become a Louisiana Democratic State Central Committee member, also spoke during the meeting asking for votes during the upcoming March 23 election.
One of the pieces of the proposal includes a $900,000 allocation for activity buses for District No. 1; a price that could possibly include purchasing as many as six activity buses that will never run routes, which would coincide with a yearly sunsetting of a yet-to-be determined number of route buses out of the fleet due to age and mileage.
For LPSB superintendent Ricky Durrett, this is a need that could be very helpful to District No. 1 for both sports and field trips.
“This could be a huge benefit to our athletic programs and even our elementary and junior high schools that go on field trips,” Durrett said. “Most of our trips are not just across the parish; they are to Monroe, Shreveport and Alexandria. Playoff games, regular season games; there’s a lot more travel involved nowadays with that. Having a bus that has the seat belts, has a little bit more comfort, a little more room and storage would be a big advantage of putting our athletes in a better situation riding. I think all of those things factor into being able to get off the bus and play a ballgame and would help a lot.”
LPSB transportation supervisor Doc Hoefler echoed Durrett’s comments in a Tuesday interview from this week and spoke to the safety of begin able to immediately move some of the newer activity buses already in the fleet to route buses.
“It will help us with athletics, no doubt, but it will help with our routes much better,” Hoefler said. “We will have safer, newer route buses out there running road miles.”
Currently, the parish owns approximately 100 buses at any given time, with 80 that run daily that include Simsboro, Ruston, Choudrant, Dubach and special needs routes. Nearly 3,000 kids in Lincoln Parish are bused every school day.
Of the remaining estimated 20 buses, around 15 buses are newer and designated as activity buses first, and five are used as spares in case of an incident, such as a breakdown or a flat tire.
“The differences between the two types of buses are a route bus has the stop arm and the stop sign,” Hoefler said. “It’s also yellow. The activity buses that we are looking to purchase will not have the stop arms, which means you cannot run them on a route.”
Currently, LPSB has newer buses in the fleet that are designated for activity routes, but they are buses that would still, for all intents and purposes, be capable of running regular routes because they have the stop arms and stop signs. Currently, they run activity field trip routes during the school year, unless there are issues where they run out of spare buses. These new buses would not be able to be used as spare route buses because of the lack of stop arms and stop signs.
Concerning the number of buses in the main fleet, a potential issue of adding up to six new activity buses into the rotation could potentially raise the cost of operation and maintenance. Hoefler explains why there is not expected to be an increase, citing the yearly retiring of buses and purchase of newer ones.
“There is going to be no difference,” Hoefler said. “We’ll retire a certain amount of route buses, regardless. We’re planning to get three to five buses next year, no matter what. It’s just that we could have the chance to purchase strictly activity buses for the fleet.”
The plan, should the bond measure pass, is to purchase six activity buses and then retire the appropriate amount of route buses based on a criteria that includes age and mileage. The goal is to not add more to the fleet than necessary.
Outside of not having the features of a route bus, the activity buses will have some new amenities for students that are traveling for activities and sports.
“We’ll have storage underneath the bus,” Hoefler said. “Then, we’ll also have individualized seating and seat belts. One of the biggest things with route buses is safety being compartmentalized with the way seats are built. And with activity buses, what we’re looking at getting is more of the captain’s chair, bucket seats for each individual person and having its own seatbelt with that.
Each activity bus will be air-conditioned and heated, as well, and are expected to hold around 48 total seats. For context, route buses boast around a 72-passenger capacity, but that’s with three to each bench seat, which is not feasible for older students.
Sports teams also spend money to rent out charter buses for longer trips, such as the football team requiring multiple charter buses to get to the state championship game in 2022 and 2023.
“When I added everything up that was paid, it was around $120,000 over two years,” Hoefler said, admitting that is a conservative estimate given that some teams use funds from their private booster accounts for travel.
A typical route bus also has a proposed driving life of 20 years for running road miles, though Hoefler admitted it’s closer to 12 years due to the “start-stop” of pick-ups in populated areas of the parish that are more dense than their rural counterparts. This requires the warranty, Hoefler added, to be taken into consideration.
“When we purchase a bus now, it goes into activity rotation it is there for two to five years,” Hoefler said. “It’s running road miles and doing great. When we move it to route rotation, the warranty is out and is not running roads miles and issues occur that could have been fixed within the warranty period. Getting the activity buses helps with this situation where we are able to work out the issues while the bus is still under warranty.”
The members of the school board will be voting on whether to send this to the public for the April election at the next LPSB meeting to be held Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 12 p.m. at Ruston Elementary.
The entire 2024 schedule for Louisiana Tech Football has been finalized as Conference USA released the eight-game league slate on Thursday.
Along with four non-conference games, LA Tech will play four CUSA contests at home against Middle Tennessee, UTEP, Jacksonville State, and Kennesaw State and four on the road versus FIU, New Mexico State, Sam Houston, and WKU. Liberty is the lone CUSA opponent that the Dogs will not see on the regular season schedule.
The 99th edition of Homecoming is set for Saturday Nov. 9, when the Bulldogs host Jacksonville State.
The 122nd season of LA Tech Football will officially kick off on Aug. 31 when the Bulldogs play host to Nicholls inside Joe Aillet Stadium, the first of six home games.
Following the season opener, LA Tech will have a bye on Sept. 7 before traveling to NC State on Sept. 14. The Bulldogs will return to Ruston to host Tulsa on Sept. 21.
Conference USA play begins with a trip to Miami where they will face FIU on Sept. 28, followed by a bye week on Oct. 5.
For the second straight year, CUSA will play midweek contests in October as part of the league’s five-year television contract. Middle Tennessee visits The Joe for a Thursday night showdown on Oct. 10. The Bulldogs then travel to Las Cruces to play New Mexico State the following Tuesday (Oct. 15).
The LA Tech schedule will then stay on Tuesdays for the remainder of the month with a home showdown against UTEP (Oct. 22) and a trip to Sam Houston (Oct. 29).
The Bulldogs welcome Jacksonville State to The Joe for the first time since 1939 on Nov. 9, followed by a trip to WKU (Nov. 16). Tech will conclude its non-conference schedule by visiting Arkansas on Nov. 23 before returning to Ruston to host Kennesaw State for the regular season finale on Nov. 30, the inaugural meeting between the two programs.
The 20th annual Conference USA Championship Game will take place on Friday, Dec. 6, and will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network (kickoff time will be announced at a later date).
Bulldog fans will have the opportunity to purchase or renew season tickets on March 1. Additionally, the 2024-25 LTAC Membership year begins March 1 as well giving fans the opportunity to renew their memberships.
It is important to note that all games are subject to date changes, and some dates could be moved to accommodate national television. A schedule of televised games, as well as kickoff times and promotional schedules, will be released at a later date.
2024 Tech Schedule
Aug 31 (Saturday) vs. Nicholls State (Ruston)
Sept. 14 (Saturday) at NC State (Raleigh)
Sept. 21 (Saturday) vs. Tulsa (Ruston)
Sept. 28 (Saturday) at FIU (Miami)
Oct. 10 (Thursday) vs. Middle Tennessee (Ruston)
Oct. 15 (Tuesday) at New Mexico State (Las Cruces)
Oct. 22 (Tuesday) vs. UTEP (Ruston)
Oct. 29 (Tuesday) at Sam Houston (Huntsville)
Nov. 9 (Saturday) vs. Jacksonville State (Ruston – HC)
A Ruston man was arrested on numerous weapon and drug charges after being stopped walking in a residential neighborhood about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday morning.
A Ruston police officer on patrol in the area of West Barnett Springs Avenue and Maple Street saw two men wearing dark hooded sweatshirts carrying backpacks. Several burglaries have been committed in the area in recent months by men wearing similar clothing.
The two men were contacted and told the reason for the stop. Shortly thereafter, one man fled on foot. The second man, Ke’Marrion S. Coleman, 19, was detained. A records check showed Coleman was wanted by the Union Parish Sheriff’s Office for simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling.
A subsequent search discovered 18 grams of marijuana in Coleman’s pants pocket and a fully loaded Smith & Wesson pistol in his backpack. The serial number on the pistol had been scratched off.
Coleman refused to identify the other man. He was taken to the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and booked for illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of a controlled substance, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, illegal carrying of a weapon, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia, and the Union Parish warrant.
Bail on the local charges was set at $45,000.
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.
As the Louisiana Tech Debate Team hits the halfway mark of their 2023-24 season, head debate coach and communication instructor Megan Smith reflected on a journey marked by camaraderie, individual successes and a continuous pursuit of excellence.
Smith shared her insights into the team’s dynamics and the unique qualities that make debate a transformative and unparalleled experience. These qualities are represented by a team chock-full of eager competitors, aiming to improve and represent their school with every passing tournament.
“At the beginning of the season what stuck out to me was that I had a team that primarily consisted of men, which is very rare for me,” Smith said.
The demographic has been a bit of a running joke for the debate team, as they entered the season with a roster of all men, which is quite unusual in most debate circles.
“It worked to our advantage in certain ways because of the team comradery that was building between these young men in a competitive nature,” said Smith. “It’s been very interesting to see that dynamic.”
Throughout recent years, various budgetary cuts and limitations have stunted the team’s ability to advertise and travel to certain tournaments. Despite the adversity that the team has faced, debate continues to enthrall the hearts of many on Louisiana Tech’s campus. One of those students is senior biology major Joseph Miller who’s now in his second year with the team. Miller recently took home first place in the entire Novice division at Louisiana Tech’s annual “Hot and Spicy” Tournament.
“I first started debate as an excuse to learn how to argue,” Miller said. “It’s a lot of fun, I love debating people.”
An often-overlooked aspect of debate is how addictive the atmosphere and overall allure of each respective competition can be. This adage can be proven true when accounting for how many graduates and debate alumni often find themselves returning in some fashion.
“The great thing about this type of debate and my team is that I have people who are wanting to and willing to come back,” Smith said. “Even though people graduate I never really lose them.”
There is a competitive aura that is directly attached to the overall essence of debate. It’s hard to understand unless one has attended a tournament, felt the atmosphere and witnessed the processes that make it so extraordinary. Schools from across the nation gather on a near monthly basis with the common goal of bringing recognition to their universities and gaining invaluable experience.
Recent Louisiana Tech graduate, four-year debate veteran and former team captain Nate Goldstein explained his roots and ever-growing love for debate.
“Ater doing my first debate, it was love at first sight, using my brain with other people and working through argumentation, all while trying to be more persuasive than the person beside you. I’ve enjoyed debate for four years and even after graduation, I’m still attending debate tournaments,” said Goldstein.
Debate encompasses working together to learn about and argue on a myriad of potential topics. However, as clique as it may sound, a team is a mirroring reflection of the effort that its coach pours in. With over two decades of experience, Smith possesses the knowledge and tools to properly equip her debaters for success.
“She is one of the most persuasive people I know, and that persuasion rubbed off on me as well,” said Goldstein. “That fire and passion that she has for debate, along with her story of becoming a debater, really built a love for me wanting to be persuasive like her.”
As the team gears up for the back-half of the season and aims to prepare for this year’s national tournament at Mississippi State University, Smith invites those interested in the team to come and “find your voice” by reaching out to her via email, megan@latech.edu.
