Shirley Prejean
March 12, 2007Clyde Dennis
March 14, 2007
Almost as if on cue, the Ellender Patriots used a key third-quarter rally to separate themselves from their opponent. Only this time, the rally helped the Patriots to clinch a spot in the Class 5A State Championship game, after beating Barbe 68-43.
The Patriots will face Westgate at approximately 7:30 p.m., Friday night. Earlier in the year, Ellender beat Westgate 87-73 at the MidSouth Bank Classic.
It is Ellender’s first trip to the championship game since 1999, when it won the Class 4A title.
All season, Ellender has used third-quarter runs to help itself to a state-best 38-2 record. Sunday at the Lafayette Cajundome was no different.
Trailing 25-23 at the 6:56 mark of the third quarter, the Patriots took control of the game, going on a 14-0 run to take a 37-25 lead.
Chris Duthu keyed the rally, with a three-point play from the free-throw line and another from behind the arc, to make it 34-25.
From there, the Patriots took a 43-33 lead into the fourth quarter.
Ellender head coach Scott Gauthreaux said his team’s third-quarter runs are a matter of players stepping up. “Really, it’s not adjustments that I make as a coach,” said Gauthreaux. “It’s these athletes. I go in there, I might chew them out a little bit, and then it’s amazing. It’s these guys pinning their ears back and going out there and working. It’s impressive when they get it going.”
The Patriots made 15-of-22 shots in the second half.
Early in the fourth quarter, Barbe tried to get back into the game, pulling to 43-37, but Ellender again answered with a rally, taking a 56-38 lead at the 2:25 mark.
“I thought we were in really good shape at halftime,” said Barbe head coach Shannon Lafargue. “We come out in the second half and took a lead. Their pressure kind of caught up with us a little bit, and I think it gave them a cushion in the middle of that third quarter.
“I don’t think you can play from behind against (Ellender). It’s too tough, and I think that’s what happened.”
While Ellender dominated the second half, it started slow in the first half. The Patriots shot a dismal 6-for-25 in the first half, but still jumped to an early 16-4 lead. From there, Gauthreaux cleared the bench, and Barbe pulled within 16-12 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was even, as Barbe continuously threatened, but could never get the lead. They pulled to 22-21 at the 1:37 mark on a fast break dunk by Daniel Richard. A late free throw by Jamal Nixon put Ellender ahead 23-21 at halftime.
Gauthreaux said the slow start in such a big game was not a surprise. “The first quarter … your team’s going to make mistakes,” said Gauthreaux. “Barbe’s going to make mistakes. They’re going to do something spectacular, and we’re going to do something spectacular. But once habits take over, that’s where you’ve got to pin it back and do what you do.
“It took us a little while,” added Gauthreaux. “We missed an outrageous amount of layups in the post. But we were up there with the big boys battling for (rebounds). It was a matter of relaxing and falling into the pattern.”
The Patriots had four players scoring in double digits, with Sterling Jones leading all scorers with 18 points. Duthu and Nixon added 13 each, while Bruce Harding had 10 points.
Troy Wainwright led Barbe with 11 points.
