Basketball time in T’bonne

After a one-year absence, the Terrebonne Parish high school basketball jamborees return to the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center this month.

Ellender Memorial High School will host the girls’ jamboree on Nov. 10, and Vandebilt Catholic High School hosts the boys’ jamboree on Nov. 12.

The civic center has held the parish basketball jamborees every year since it opened in 1999 until last year when they were moved to Terrebonne High School.

“We couldn’t host the event because our floors were damaged from Hurricane Gustav,” said Brian Detiller, event services manager. “We had to send it off to get repaired and refurbished so we could have the games this year.”

Terrebonne Parish has produced championship caliber basketball teams over the past dozen years. The Ellender Lady Patriots have won four state titles since 1996. The Vandebilt Catholic Lady Terriers were state runner-up in Class 4-A last season.

On the boys’ side, H.L. Bourgeois was state Class 5-A runner-up in 2008 and Ellender was state Class 4-A state runner-up in 2007.

The girls’ jamboree will feature three games consisting of two 10-minute periods with a five-minute halftime. There will be a 10-minute warm-up between games.

The tentative schedule is as follows:

Central Lafourche vs. South Terrebonne at 6 p.m.

Vandebilt Catholic vs. H.L. Bourgeois at 7 p.m.

Ellender vs. Terrebonne at 8 p.m.

“Girls’ basketball has really grown in this area over the past decade,” said Cleveland Joseph, Ellender’s athletic director. “We have some good teams this year. Vandebilt Catholic was the state runner-up last year. Terrebonne is formidable and Ellender is a traditional powerhouse.

“I hope people come and support these girls because they’re going to see some basketball,” he added.

The boys’ jamboree will include five contests consisting of one 10-minute half and an eight to 10-minute warm-up between games.

The schedule is as follows:

Vandebilt Catholic vs. H.L. Bourgeois at 6 p.m.

South Terrebonne vs. H.L. Bourgeois at 6:30 p.m.

South Terrebonne vs. Terrebonne at 7 p.m.

Ellender vs. Terrebonne at 7:30 p.m.

Ellender vs. Vandebilt Catholic at 8 p.m.

Vandebilt Catholic head coach Henry Washington said patrons will have fun watching teams with expectations of making deep playoff runs this season.

“The fans and coaches get a look at all the up and coming players around the area,” he said. “A lot of teams have some good young talent. We as coaches get to see what our teams can do and what we still need to work on.”

Tickets for both jamborees are $5 for adults and $4 for students.

For more information on the girls’ jamboree, call Ellender at (985) 868-7903 or (985) 868-5318.

For more information on the boys’ jamboree, call Vandebilt Catholic at (985) 876-2551 or (985) 879-2717.