Bayou Blue Middle School opens its doors to students
January 5, 2007Bayou Blue Middle School opens its doors to students
January 9, 2007
Throughout the season, Ellender’s boy’s basketball team has used the third quarter to separate itself from most of its opponents. Last Friday night at H.L. Bourgeois, the team did not stray from the usual script, as the Patriots used a 25-8 run in the third quarter to pull away and remain undefeated in District 6-5A action with a 79-60 win.
The teams went in to halftime tied 33-33, and 17 seconds into the second half Sidney Mitchell’s layup put H.L. Bourgeois ahead 35-33.
Ellender’s Chris Duthu answered with a three pointer, making it 36-35, and the Patriots never gave up the lead in the remainder of the game.
Duthu scored 18 points on the night.
Phillip Jackson’s layup pulled the Braves within 38-37, but Ellender rattled off 13-unanswered points to take a commanding 51-37 advantage at the 2:43 mark in the third quarter.
Ellender coach Scott Gauthreaux said the key to the third quarter run was a matter of executing. “That third quarter was a heck of a run,” said Gauthreaux. “We came out and we adjusted to their 1-2-2 zone defense That was probably the adjustments we made, but it was matter of executing. Playing defense, rebounding, pushing the ball the Ellender way and playing unselfish.”
Gauthreaux added that he felt in the first half, too many players tried to make things happen on their own. “Too many individuals tried to take the game on their own shoulders. Nothing against them, they were just trying to make good things happen.”
At the end of the third quarter, Ellender helt a 58-41 lead.
The fourth quarter was even, but the damage had been done, as the Braves struggled to get back into the game, getting no closer than 15 points, and trailing by as many as 22 points.
H.L. Bourgeois coach Andrew Caillouet said he was disappointed in his team’s second-half performance. “We have a bunch of good kids,” he said. “A bunch of good athletes. A bunch of good players. The thing that is obvious to me is they work hard in practice. We bust their tails in practice. They work hard, and I told them, the biggest thing in a game, if things are given to us we take them. But if it requires work, we don’t work.
“Things flowed for us in the first half, and we stayed in the game,” he added. “We’re such an up and down team. We’re either great or we’re terrible. There’s no in between.”
And in the first half, it appeared to be the former, as the Braves kept the score close throughout, with a 20-16 second half.
Early on, it appeared Ellender might run away with the game, as it got out to a 17-9 lead on a run keyed by Duthu and Jamal Nixon (17 points).
But after taking a 17-13 lead after the first quarter, Ellender allowed the Braves to get back into the game late in the second quarter. With the game’s pace slowed by fouls—there were a total of 34 called fouls in the first half—the Braves prevented Ellender from pushing the ball.
At the 1:53 mark, Kiamni Washington’s layup put the Braves ahead 30-29. Sterling Jones (22 points) answered with a layup that regained the lead for Ellender, and the teams eventually went into halftime tied.
The Patriots played much of the night without starter Walter Jones, who was sick with a cold, Gauthreaux said. “It’s nice when somebody could step up,” said Gauthreaux. “I think the key to us tonight was our bench play. John Woodside and David Stewart both came in and did a phenomenal job of running the show (with Walter Jones out).”
For Calliouet, more questions remained than answers. “We go into lulls,” he said. “And you can’t go into lulls against quality teams. If you can find a way to get back on defense in the first half, why can’t you find a way to get back and defend them in the second half? I don’t know.”
