By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Ruston High sophomore Gioia Tatum put on a shooting clinic Tuesday night in the main gym — knocking down five total threes on the night and adding two more baskets for game-high 19 points for the Bearcats, leading Ruston (9-11) to a 71-48 win over the Gibsland-Coleman Bulldogs in a non-district matchup.
Tatum’s 19 points was match by senior Kiersynce McNeal, who scored 13 of her points in the second half.
“We’ve really been pushing the confidence factor for Tatum,” Ruston High head coach LaShanda Cooper said. “She’s really been stepping up. At first when we started coaching her, she didn’t know if we wanted her taking shots or not. And we told her “You’re a shooter.” It’s what she’s really good at. So her confidence has shot up, and it’s allowing her to gain her defensive confidence, as well.
“And McNeal really stepped up and made some good shots and good decisions. We always tell her to go get a bucket and make the play. She’s still in the process of trying to find herself, but she’s really stepping up with that senior leadership, especially by being vocal.”
Ruston used a combination of good shot selection along with a fast-paced offense to pull away in the second half.
“We knew (Gibsland-Coleman) wanted to play more of a slow game,” Cooper said. “We really put emphasis on pushing the ball. Every time the ball comes out of the net, push the ball, push the ball, push the ball. We knew they had some senior leadership that would give us problems, and we missed a lot of defensive assignments early. But we were able to make those adjustments. We knew that with our speed, we would eventually cause them to play up and push their pace. We always feel like we’re the most conditioned team, so we relied on that.
“We kept the momentum, pushed the ball, and we could do that because we’re always pushing them in practice. I really feel like we stepped up as a collective effort and knocked down some good shots, especially in very important moments.”
Lady Bearcat senior guard Jasmine Summerford opened the game with a quick layup to put Ruston up 2-0 with 7:10 to go in the first quarter. Following four-straight points by Gibsland-Coleman, sophomore Gioia Tatum hit her first three-pointer of the night at the 5:02 mark in the first, followed by a fast break layup by Summerford less than a minute later to give Ruston a 7-4 lead.
Ruston pulled ahead to 12-6 with 1:45 to go in the first quarter with a layup by Ruston High senior Kiersynce McNeal off a backdoor pass by sophomore Angelica Green. The Lady Bearcats would take a 12-8 lead into the second quarter.
McNeal knocked down her first three of the night at the start of the next period to give Ruston a 15-8 lead. The Bulldogs answered with a 7-0 run to tie the game 15-15 with 5:19 to go before the half. After a made free throw by Summerford on the following Ruston possession, Tatum hit a corner three to give the Lady Bearcats a 19-15 lead with 4:14 to play in the half. Tatum followed with another basket after to put Ruston up 21-15 and then another three to go up 24-17.
Following another quick 4-0 run by Gibsland-Coleman, Summerford made a quick layup in transition as the clock expired to end the half, putting Ruston up 26-21.
The Bulldogs were able to get as close to a one-point deficit in the third quarter, cutting the score to 29-28 with 5:58 to go in the third quarter. From that point forward, Ruston out-scored Gibsland-Coleman 41-20 for the remainder of the night, getting a third double-digit performance on the night after senior Jasmine Summerford’s 13 points.
“Jasmine always gives us a boost of energy and makes everybody else want to play fast and play hard,” Cooper said.
In a scary moment near the end of the night, Gibsland-Coleman forward Baileigh Hauley got tangled up with a couple of Lady Bearcats under her basket and fell hard to the floor and twisting her knee. Hauley was clearly in pain on the ground and was helped off by multiple coaches and support staff minutes later. She returned from the locker room on crutches and with a bag of ice on her left knee.
Ruston returns to action Friday, Jan. 31, at 5:30 p.m. for a district matchup with Ouachita in the Ruston High Main Gym.
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