Nicholls aims to earn respect in 2013 season
February 26, 2013
Looming budget woes: Governors brace for cuts
February 26, 2013
ALEXANDRIA – Vandebilt Catholic senior guard Lionheart Leslie was fantastic Friday night in the Terriers’ second round playoff game with Alexandria.
Unfortunately for Vandebilt, Trojans guard Christavious Gill was just a few buckets better.
As a result, it is Alexandria who will move to the next round of the Class 4A playoffs, while Leslie and the Terriers go home with a finished season.
In a back-and-forth game that featured multiple lead changes in the second half, the two college-bound guards stole the show and were near-unstoppable throughout the night.
Leslie grilled Alexandria’s defense with 35 points – an inside-out showcase that wowed the home-standing crowd and puzzled the Trojans’ defense that often shaded two and three defenders in his direction.
But for every basket Leslie made, Gill had an answer – usually a 3-pointer.
The UNO-bound guard scored 16 of his game-high 40 points in the final quarter to spoil a one-point Vandebilt lead with a minute to play and push the Trojans to a 78-68 win.
The loss ends the Terriers’ season with a 22-7 record.
“Lionheart and Elijah just weren’t going to let us lose,” Vandebilt Catholic coach Hank Washington said. “But once we got the lead, I was supposed to put our team in a better situation. I left us in man when I should have put us in a zone. That’d have allowed us to crowd up on (Gill) and take him away. … I should have put us in a better situation.”
Leslie almost had enough magic to help Vandebilt pull off the road upset.
The teams headed to halftime tied at 26.
The Trojans stormed out of the gates in the third quarter and took a 36-26 lead with just more than three minutes to go in the third quarter.
Leslie took over from there.
When the Trojans sagged off Leslie, he rose above the defense and made 3-pointers – some from beyond the NBA-line.
When the defense crowded and trapped him, Leslie was a one-man wrecking ball, dribbling through sometimes the entire defense to either score or get fouled.
His efforts opened things for his Elijah McGuire, who also pitched in 24 points.
Leslie’s offensive output is even more impressive when one considers the 5-foot, 10-inch point guard was defending 6-foot, 3-inch, 220-pound post Shaan Washington – an elite athlete set to play college football at Texas A&M.
Following the game, Gill, Washington and a few other Alexandria players walked into the Vandebilt locker room to applaud Leslie’s efforts and to congratulate the team on its successful season.
“A normal coach would be surprised to see something like that,” Washington said. “But he’s been doing that since he’s been here, so we’re just used to it. It’s like that every game with him.”
“That dude is good,” Gill said with a laugh. “He’s crazy good – something special.”
Leslie’s heroics pushed the game into the fourth quarter with Alexandria ahead 46-43.
Once there, he continued to carve and slice the Trojans’ defense. Leslie sunk a layup to put Vandebilt ahead 56-54 with 5:20 to play.
But a pair of offensive fouls sent the Terriers’ senior to the bench with four fouls with just more than four minutes to play.
With the dominant guard off the floor, Alexandria regained control and made a run to go ahead 67-58.
But Leslie and McGuire had one final stand, scoring all the points in a gutsy 10-0 run to push the Terriers ahead 68-67 with a minute to play.
Gill fired back with a bucket of his own to put the Trojans back ahead by one with 51 seconds to play.
Following a Vandebilt turnover, Leslie fouled out on a made layup, which put Alexandria ahead by four after the free-throw.
Without Leslie, the Terriers couldn’t get back into the game.
The Trojans sunk their free throws to seal the deal and move to the next round.
Dry eyes were hard to find among the Terriers’ players following the game.
Washington was among those most emotional.
He said he will miss the team’s four seniors – Leslie, McGuire, Tanner Whatley and Aaron Smith.
“I’ve been watching Lionheart since he was 7-years-old,” Washington said. “I had a chance to coach AAU and I had a choice between a 16-year-old team or a younger team. When I saw Lionheart, I knew I wanted the younger team.
“Then when I got called years later about the Vandebilt job, they told me that Lionheart was out there – it was an easy decision. So we had Lionheart, Elijah and we saw over the years so many of our other guys come together and develop and get better. I’m going to miss these guys. Who wouldn’t? They are great players.”
Elsewhere in the
Tri-parish area
Leslie’s heroics were not unmatched around the area.
Houma Christian guard Nate Frye had a pretty amazing Friday night, as well.
The Warriors’ guard scored a career-high 43 points to help push No. 8 Houma Christian past No. 9 East Iberville 85-68.
The win moved the Warriors to the Class 1A quarterfinals where they took on No. 1 Christian Life on Tuesday night with a score unavailable at press time.
Also still alive in 1A is No. 2 Central Catholic who pushed into the quarterfinals with a 85-78 home win against Southern Lab.
With the win, the Eagles traveled to play No. 7 Arcadia last night with a score unavailable at press time.
While the Eagles and Warriors rejoiced in victory, Patterson went home empty handed.
The No. 7 Lumberjacks were bounced from the Class 3A playoffs in a 59-42 road loss to No. 23 Parkview Baptist.
Vandebilt Catholic guard Lionheart Leslie picks up one of his five fouls during Friday’s loss to Alexandria. The Terriers’ guard scored 35 points in the game – the final contest of his prep career. Houma Christian and Central Catholic remain in the field.
