Thibodaux girls peaking for district

Chasing a ring: Vandy girls’ soccer off to successful start; hopes 2015 brings state title
January 6, 2015
Player of the Week: Gabrielle "Joelie" Cantrelle
January 6, 2015
Chasing a ring: Vandy girls’ soccer off to successful start; hopes 2015 brings state title
January 6, 2015
Player of the Week: Gabrielle "Joelie" Cantrelle
January 6, 2015

With dynamic senior guard Jewel Triggs back and the memory of last season’s 22-win season fresh on their minds, the Thibodaux girls’ basketball teams had high hopes for the 2014-15 season.


But for whatever reason, things just didn’t click early in the season, and the Lady Tigers started the year with just a 6-4 record, including several blowout losses.

But with a little work and a renewed confidence, it’s safe to say that things are clicking for Thibodaux heading into the New Year.

The Lady Tigers are playing their best basketball of the season at press-time, currently sitting at 9-5 on the season, including an unblemished 2-0 mark in district play.


Arguably Thibodaux’s biggest win came on Dec. 18 when the Lady Tigers stormed into a jam-packed South Lafourche gymnasium and roared to a close, hard-fought 44-43 comeback win over the previously 13-2 Lady Tarpons. That game was the first district game for both teams – a win that gave the Lady Tigers a leg-up on a rival they expect to compete with for playoff positioning.

After that win, Lady Tigers’ coach Damon Robinson was sold – his team had just played its best game of the 2014-15 season.

“We haven’t played as well as we could have – all year, honestly,” Robinson said. “But to come into this gym – the hardest gym in our district to win in – and to be without a starter, but still win? That’s a great feat for our team. We grew up a lot tonight. This is the best we’ve played all year, and I’m proud of and am happy for how they handled everything they faced tonight.”


For the Lady Tigers, things begin with Triggs – the George Mason signee who is arguably the best player in our area.

The talented senior guard averaged close to 20 points per game last season as a junior, dominating teams both from the inside and outside in her multi-faceted, versatile skillset.

But Triggs has picked up right where she left off this year and is currently the leading scorer for a Thibodaux team that is young at a lot of positions on its depth chart.


Against the Lady Tarpons, Triggs scored 16 points and made several difficult shots to silence Lady Tarpon runs, and silence the jam-packed crowd in attendance at the Galliano-based gym.

“She was great tonight,” Robinson said after the game, pointing his finger sideways toward Triggs, who was visiting with family and friends during the interview. “That’s what we’re going to need from her every night. She made some shots, and she stepped up to the challenge when we needed her to make plays.”

A near-Herculean effort from Triggs is needed, because her supporting cast is young – not nearly the veteran crew that the Lady Tigers relied on during last year’s run.


The Lady Tigers do have four seniors on their varsity roster, including guards Erica Chaisson, Miantte Guidry and Alexis Becnel – all players the team will rely heavily upon throughout the season.

But Thibodaux also relies on a potpourri of youthful players like freshman guard Destiny Baptiste, sophomore Courtney Clark and juniors Breon Richard and Destinee Cole.

Robinson said those players need to grow up in a hurry so that the team can maximize its full potential this season.


Baptiste missed the South Lafourche game with an injury, and Robinson said the rest of the team’s ability to adjust to her absence is proof that his youngsters are coming along at the right time.

South Lafourche jumped out to an early lead in that game, so Thibodaux also showed the ability to withstand a deficit and crowd noise to score a hard-fought win against a quality team.

“We had a starter out, so we were already short-handed,” Robinson said. “And then South Lafourche comes out and they can’t miss – they get on us early. I think that we grew up as a team. I think that we learned a lot about ourselves. These are the kinds of games that we were letting get away from us earlier this year. To finally be able to get one is something we’re really happy about.”


Triggs said despite the inexperience, she trusts her role players to make plays when needed.

“I think we have what it takes,” Triggs said earlier this season. “We might be a little bit younger, but I like our team, and I trust my teammates.”

Now, the Lady Tigers are hoping to ride the recent momentum and get on a roll.


Thibodaux topped Central Lafourche last Monday night to roll to 2-0 in district play – the team’s third win in its past four games.

The Lady Tigers will now set its sights on Hahnville and H.L. Bourgeois – teams with just four combined wins on the year.

Assuming Thibodaux is able to get past that two-game stretch unscathed, it would set up a Jan. 13 showdown with Destrehan – the powerful squad that rolled through the district with an unbeaten record last season.


The Lady Tigers, Lady Tarpons and Lady Wildcats are widely expected to compete against one another for the district crown this season.

Thibodaux already won one of the games against its district rivals. Robinson said he thinks the sky is the limit for his Lady Tigers – assuming they continue to mature and blossom as a team as the playoffs near.

If what we’ve seen in recent weeks is any indication that is happening right before our eyes.


“We’ve got a ways to go, but we’re getting better,” Robinson said. “The good thing is I think we’re playing our best ball right now, and this is a good time of the year to be saying that – the district season.”

Thibodaux girls