Vandebilt Lady Terrier team eyes first-ever gold ball

The Vandebilt High School girls’ basketball team is hungry for gold.

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association awards a gold basketball to the state champions for the sport each season – a prize that has eluded the school throughout its history.

But with the Lady Terriers having their tickets punched to Hammond for the state semifinals, second place is not a goal the team is interested in this time around.

“This is our fourth trip to Hammond and we’ve always come out of there empty handed,” said Vandebilt coach Kathy Luke. “We’ve never come out of there with that gold ball. We’re trying to send the message to our kids that this time, we’ve got to win it. We’ve absolutely got to win it.”

In one of the Lady Terriers’ most recent games against Ruston in the Quarterfinals, winning was never a doubt as Vandebilt jumped out to a 9-0 run to start the game and never trailed, en route to a 52-29 victory.

Vandebilt had an answer for every Lady Bearkats’ run and used stifling defense to keep Ruston at a distance.

“We always responded,” Luke said. “Some teams don’t respond, but it shows a lot of character from our kids.”

Theresa Plaisance led Vandebilt with a game-high 23 points. The McDonalds All-American said the energy inside the jam-packed gymnasium motivated her to give a dominant performance.

“As a player, you love playing under these conditions,” she said. “They came out so tough and so strong and their fans were big-time into the game and so were ours. It was awesome and a great atmosphere to play in.”

Senior Shikera Ross agreed with Plaisance and said the crowd went a long way in determining the outcome of the game.

“All of the fans came out and all of the students came out, it was psyche and so much fun,” Ross said. “Even our parents were getting into it. They usually just sit there and try to look cool, but even they were getting up and getting on the refs when they made a call or something. It was what every player wants from the crowd.”

Following the game, the Lady Terriers celebrated their second-straight Final Four berth by cutting down the nets before a large crowd of friends and family.

“This feels so phenomenal, I can’t even explain it,” Plaisance said. “This year, our goal was to get to this point, so it’s so special for everyone to be able to reach this point.”

The win was also special for Luke as it was her 600th of her career. But the coach said the only thing on her mind is getting two more wins to bring home the state title.

“I think once the season is over, I’ll sit back and say, ‘Wow!'” Luke said. “But what really thrilled me tonight is that so many ex players came back and I think that’s the most important thing to me – the lives that I’ve touched and that have also touched mine.”

The Lady Terriers moved to the Final Four and played Bastrop on Monday, but a score was not available at press time.

Despite playing on a larger stage, Luke said the team would not change its style in the Final Four.

“We’ve got to do what’s got us here,” Luke said. “We’re not changing anything. We’ve got this far using our system, we’re going to do the same things up there.”

And while the team cut down the nets in Houma Thursday, Ross said the team hopes to break out the scissors again in Hammond. “We’re not done yet. Winning today is nice, but we’re not done yet. We still have some work to do.”

Sophomore forward Leah Washington backed her teammate’s sentiments and said the team is hungry for more.

“It’s all about that gold ball,” Washington said. “We’re still chasing that gold ball.”