BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
LOACHAPOKA — The Loachapoka High School girls’ and boys’ basketball teams (2A) both earned victories over Booker T. Washington Magnet School (5A) on Dec. 2, with the Lady Indians dominating 41-10 and the Indians overcoming a late deficit 45-40.
Lady Indians
With those victories, the Lady Indians moved to 4-4 on the season and the Indians improved to 4-3. The Lady Indians are now 4-5 after a 28-26 loss to Beauregard High School on Dec. 5, and the Indians are 5-3 after beating BHS 54-42 that same day.
In the girls’ game, LHS came out firing on all cylinders, taking a 13-4 first quarter lead behind a suffocating full-court press and efficient offense that prioritized getting scorers into the paint. That first half lead only widened in the second quarter as the Lady Indians went on a 13-5 run that was eerily similar to the first frame.
Coming out of halftime, LHS turned in their most dominant quarter of the game with a 12-1 third quarter run that showcased the Lady Indians’ fast-break offense in transition. With LHS up big in the fourth quarter, both teams opted to effectively shut the game down with the Lady Indians scoring three points and the Lady Yellow Jackets scoring no points in the final frame.
Sanaa Drummond led all scorers with 15 points while Amanda Harris and Jalady Winchester scored eight and seven points, respectively, for LHS.
Boys
Following the girls’ game, the Indians and Yellow Jackets got the nightcap started with a low-scoring, hard-fought first quarter that saw both teams work their way into the paint for tough buckets. With the game tied 8-8 entering the second quarter, BTW went on a commanding 12-4 run after several LHS mistakes and at-times lackluster defending gave the Yellow Jackets numerous fast-break opportunities.
Following the break and still down 20-12, the Indians managed to stay within striking distance with a 13-12 scoring advantage in the third quarter as second-chance opportunities proved crucial. Then, the dam broke in the fourth quarter with a complete team effort that resulted in a 20-8 LHS run and a come-from-behind victory for the Indians.
Mitchell Chenier led LHS with 15 points while Jordan Tyner and Montrevious Poole scored 10 and seven points, respectively.
See photos from both games on B5.
