By Kyle Roberts
WEST MONROE, La. — It now comes down to power points.
But Ruston High (13-13, 1-4 District 2-5A) closed out the season winning both of its games this past week, first at Ouachita and then Friday at West Monroe (10-16, District 1-4 District 2-5A) by a final score of 45-35 in the final game of the regular season.
The Lady Bearcats entered the contest No. 29 in the power rankings and will need to finish one seed higher after the regular season concludes in Louisiana to see if they’ll play in the postseason.
“The girls truly stepped up to the challenge today,” Ruston High head coach LaShanda Cooper said. “We emphasized the importance of not underestimating this team, as they were fighting for a playoff spot just like we were. While our offense wasn’t quite on target, we were determined to apply strong defensive pressure, force turnovers, and ultimately secure the win.”
Ruston jumped out to an early 10-2 lead in the first quarter, thanks to a pair of early baskets by sophomore Bailee Harrison and another basket by senior Kiersynce McNeal. Sophomore Gioia Tatum added three free throws, while sophomore Angelica Green added one.
Ruston extended its lead to 23-13 going into the halftime locker room after McNeal scored seven points in the quarter, including a three-pointer. Senior Jasmine Summerford added a pair of baskets, while Green scored a bucket as well.
Harrison led the Lady Bearcats in the third quarter with four points, while senior Samiya Lewis knocked down two free throws. Both Tatum and Green added baskets, putting Ruston up 33-25.
A seven-point effort by Lewis in the fourth quarter propelled Ruston across the finish line as Ruston would close out to get the 45-35 win.
McNeal led the team in scoring with 10 points, while Lewis added nine.
Ruston now waits to see if the final week’s effort will be enough to get into the postseason in Cooper’s first year as head coach.
