Just days before his Lady Tigers’ opening round playoff game against visiting H.L. Bourgeois, Hahnville head girls basketball coach Joshua Bellaire noted how junior guard J’Kasia Bourgeois was lifting the team with her play over the season’s stretch run.
She keeps on delivering.
Bourgeois’s game-winning 3-pointer with seconds left sent Hahnville and its home crowd into jubulation as the Tigers rallied to earn a 45-44 Division I opening round playoff victory over the Braves and a ticket to round two of the playoffs.
What was going through her mind before sinking the biggest shot of her prep career?
“A lot,” said Bourgeois. “I knew I needed to make it – I couldn’t let my team down. I had to make it. We wanted to get to the second round and we did. We’ve got a sisterhood on this team and we made it together.
“It made me happy, so happy to be able to make my team smile.”
For Bellaire, in his second season as Tigers’ head coach, this was his first playoff win guiding the program.
“And to get it in that fashion,” a smiling Bellaire said, gesturing at the scoreboard, “A game-winner. I know I’ll remember this day forever. I’m so proud to be part of this Hahnville family – I’m blessed to be able to do what I love every single day and to do it here.
“This is a great testament to how these kids believe in themselves, how tight they are with one another. It showed down the stretch.”
Bourgeois had just one point before firing the game-winner, but Bellaire said he nor the team ever lost confidence in her – and that more importantly, she didn’t lose confidence in herself.
“She had a few plays early in the fourth quarter that she felt she could have done better with,” Bellaire said. “She was a little frustrated … I told her, ‘Hey, we’re coming back to you.’ She’s one tough kid, never afraid of the moment.”
Dihlynn Mitchell scored 12 to lead Hahnville. Arielle Brown scored nine and Paige Friloux added eight for the Tigers. Jayla Thompson led Bourgeois with nine, while Ja’Niyah Williams and Destiny Holmes each scored eight.
14th seeded Hahnville advanced to round two, where it is set for a road matchup with No. 3 Zachary. That game is set for Monday night (Feb. 24) at 6 p.m.
The end scene in the Tigers’ gym was joyful Thursday, but just moments earlier the vibe was very different in Boutte, where Hahnville trailed by five with just over a minute left.
Out of a timeout, the Tiger players understood they needed to force turnovers – and it had to happen now. But that so happens to be one of Hahnville’s specialties, and after a Mitchell steal, Hahnville quickly heated up at that end of the court.
Mitchell found Paige Friloux, who scored a tough inside basket and drew a foul. Her 3-point play made it 44-42 with 33 seconds left.
A pass downcourt for Bourgeois led to another Braves turnover with 20 seconds remaining.
Hahnville (20-9) talked it over during another timeout and the Tigers had their play. Bourgeois caught the ball on the wing and confidently fired to take the lead – she hit, and Hahnville did, 45-44.
It wasn’t over just yet as the Braves (19-10) had seconds to go to try and score. Hahnville disrupted Bourgeois long enough to deny a shot and seal the victory.
Like Bourgeois’ shot, the defensive effort to turn things around is something that will be remembered around Hahnville for a long time.
“Once we hit the shot, we knew it wasn’t over,” said Brown. “Our defensive is very good – we understood we had to get back and get that last stop.
“All week at practice, we focused on bringing high energy and playing help defense. We started a little slow tonight, but we stayed together and we finished strong.”
For Bellaire, who sees defensive intensity as the tone-setter of this Hahnville team, it was a sight to behold.
He credited assistant coaches Shelby Fontenot and Tara Williams for “being the backbone of this program – they’re always there for me and for us” – before speaking about the mental toughness of his players.
“One thing I love about this group is when things get tough, they get tougher and they grow together,” said Bellaire. “They turned up the defensive intensity and they never stopped believing in each other.”
