Hahnville hammers East. St John

Singleton leads the charge

Brian "Bry" Singleton (right) drives to the basket against East St John on Tuesday night. Singleton finished with a game-high 22 points.

It was opening night in district 5-5A as Hahnville met East St. John in Boutte on Tuesday night. The Tigers, who are returning five starters from last year's team, appear to be the odds on favorite to capture this year's 5-5A district title. Hahnville jumped to a quick lead, wasting little time in setting the tone for the Wildcats.

Led by senior guard Brian "Bry" Singleton, Hahnville jumped out to an 11-2 lead and never looked back. Singleton finished the night with 22 points going 5 of 8 from the field and 3 for 3 beyond the three-point line. He also added three free throws. With steady defensive play and the hot hands on offense, Hahnville held a 33-18 halftime lead.

Hahnville stayed aggressive in the second half, increasing their lead to 16 points at the end of three. Hahnville held onto the 16-point lead and in the end defeated East St. John 67-51.

Senior forward McArthur Strickland contributed 14 points and senior center Kentrell Lockett dropped in 12, putting three Tiger players in double digits.

William Lago led all of East St. John scorers with 16 points. The loss drops East St. John to 15-9 on the season and 0-1 in district play. Hahnville next game is Friday night as they travel to face 5-5A opponent West Jefferson in Harvey.