By Kyle Roberts
RUSTON, La. — Tough defense and timely three-pointers: always a recipe for success on the court.
That was certainly the case Thursday night as the Ruston High Lady Bearcats (3-0) throttled future district opponent Peabody 57-25 in the Ruston High Main Gym to win their third game in four nights.
“I feel like after every game it’s the same words: defense, defense, defense,” Lady Bearcat Head Coach LaShanda Cooper said. “We’re really pushing our full-court man-to-man defense, and I just really like our resilience. We had a high intensity and a lot of energy. We were physical and that’s what I really like about our gameplay tonight.”
Ruston opened with back-to-back threes within the first minute of the ballgame — first by senior Journi Double and then sophomore Jaylen Spann to put the Lady Bearcats up 6-2 with 7:04 to go in the first.
Peabody would rally over the next four minutes to take an 11-10 lead over the Lady Bearcats with just over three minutes in the first quarter. Ruston then responded with a 10-1 run to end the quarter, which included multiple blocked shots by sophomore Adrianna Robinson and a steal-plus-layup from freshman Dakota Powell, giving the Lady Bearcats a 21-11 lead going into the second.
The Lady Horses came out firing early in the following period to score five straight points and cut the lead to 22-16 with 6:40 to go before the half. Ruston would answer with 16 unanswered points over the course of five minutes before Peabody knocked down a free throw for a 38-17 score with 1:36 on the clock. A three-pointer by senior Akierah Jones put Ruston up 41-17 heading into the halftime locker room.
Ruston’s defense would keep Peabody off the scoreboard all the way until the 1:45 mark of the third quarter, setting up a running clock scenario for the remainder of the night with Ruston up 52-19.
Powell led the Lady Bearcats in scoring with 12 points, while Jones added 10, thanks to three three-pointers in the first half. On the night, Ruston High finished with seven made baskets from behind the three-point line.
“They’re getting a feel for each other and being able to pass up good shots in order to get their teammates great shots,” Cooper said. “The selflessness they’re putting on display is pretty impressive to us. And having enough confidence to step up and shoot those shots really speaks volumes about them individually and being able to play together.”
Earlier in the week, Ruston got its first road win of the season with a 71-37 victory over the Bastrop Rams.
“After a slow start, our team found its rhythm and finished the game with a strong performance,” Cooper said of the Tuesday win. “Our focus was to push the pace and stay locked in defensively on their top offensive players. Consistent pressure created problems for them throughout the night, allowing us to control the game’s tempo. We anticipated having open shot opportunities, and our players stepped up and knocked them down when it mattered. Coming off a game the night before, then returning with this level of dominance, shows the growth and resilience of our team.”
Junior Bailee Harrison led the Lady Bearcats with 20 points, while Kearra Wilson and Jones added 13 and 11 points, respectively.
Ruston returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 29, against Oak Grove at the Origin Bank Classic, which will be held in the Thomas Assembly Center. Tip off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
