12-0 run, 18 points from Smith pace Tigers
The Hahnville Tigers picked up their first district win of the season in impressive fashion by knocking off rival Destrehan, 59-44.
A packed crowd at the R.K. Smith Middle School gym did little to slow the Tigers, who were led to the victory by guard Jamal Smith, who scored 18 points. Hahnville head coach Jerry Hernandez was proud of how his team focused on the game at hand and didn’t get caught up in the outside distractions brought upon by the rivalry.
“It was a game in which we played under control both on the court and emotionally,” he said. “It would have been easy to get caught up in the rivalry aspect, but in reality it was another district game that we needed to win.”
After a close first quarter, Hahnville (8-7, 1-1) took control in the second with a 12-0 run that gave their lead a cushion they would not relinquish.
“The 12-0 run was nothing more than continuing our game plan and being aggressive on both ends of the court while taking good shots at the right time,” Hernandez said.
The victory over Destrehan (9-10, 1-1) was a much-needed win for the Tigers, who had suffered a 31-point loss to Thibodaux in their first district game a few days earlier.
Hernandez said his team’s ability to bounce back from that defeat and knock off Destrehan showed a lot of maturity on the part of his players.
“The Thibodaux game was not us. We are better than that,” he said. “That’s not to say we’re going to beat them the next time we play, but we got away from what is good basketball and we paid the price…a good tail whipping.”While Smith, who is also a star on the football field, led all scorers with 18 points, Hernandez was impressed with his guard’s defensive play.
“Jamal had a good game on Friday and he has been pretty consistent lately. His defensive anticipation was excellent, which probably comes from being a good defensive back in football,” Hernandez said.
Hahnville’s Juwan Green added 15 points in the victory while fellow Tiger Timmy Roberts finished with 12. Tyson Clark led the Wildcats with 15 points.
As the Tigers enter the heart of district play, Hernandez wants his team to improve in the way they approach games mentally in order to become consistent winners.
“With so many distractions and so many things that young people see in the NBA, it’s a challenge to get them to hear one voice and get directions from one person, the coach,” he said. “They have to trust each other.”
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