The Destrehan Lady Wildcats, who haven’t lost a basketball game in nearly two months, extended their win streak to 16 games after beating a tough Thibodaux squad and cruising to an easy victory over Central Lafourche.
Thibodaux came into the Destrehan game with a 14-3 record, with two of their losses coming to the Lady Wildcats.
However, the Lady Tigers played well in the first half and held a 31-26 lead over Destrehan heading into halftime.
“We didn’t play well in the first half. The girls were really struggling to pick up the tempo of the game,” Destrehan head coach Angi Butler said. “We were running sluggish and I knew that in order to win, this was going to have to change.”
Butler changed her team’s defensive strategy and told her players at halftime that the team that wanted it the most would pull out the victory.
“We came out of the locker room with a new game plan and a new attitude,” Butler said. “Our defense was more effective and our shots became more consistent.”
The end result was a 61-51 victory for the Lady Wildcats.Cara Ursin led Destrehan in scoring, finishing with 20 points. Jordan Dabney and Alexis Jackson both added 11 points.
After pulling out a tough victory over Thibodaux, the Lady Wildcats had a much easier time picking up a win against Central Lafourche. Led by 12 points from Dabney, 11 points from Ursin and 10 points by Jackson, Destrehan destroyed Central Lafourche, 61-3.
“We played decent ball,” Butler said of her team’s performance against Central Lafourche. “This was a game where my bench received a great deal of playing time, giving them the opportunity to work on some of the skills we have been emphasizing in practice.”
After 16-straight wins, Destrehan now has a 19-1 record on the season that includes a perfect 6-0 mark in district play. Butler credits her team’s success to great teamwork, working hard on defense and doing whatever it takes to be consistent on offense.
“This team has grown to value one another and they have learned to utilize their individual talents to be successful as a team,” Butler said. “We take the mistakes we’ve made in previous games and strive to improve and get better every game. We have been very fortunate to achieve our 19-1 record and are finally seeing the results of all our hard work paying off.”
During the win streak, Butler said her squad has focused on their defensive play and making quick transitions down the court. They will need to excel on defense if they hope to make a deep run in the playoffs.
“We know that in order to be successful in the playoffs, our defense has to be almost flawless and our transitions have to be smooth. We have really strived to cause turnovers that result in offensive points,” Butler said. “The chemistry on the court is amazing, and the girls really have grown to understand the extreme measures it takes in order to be one of the top teams in the state.”
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