While Destrehan started hot in Friday night’s rivalry game with Hahnville, the Tigers finished with a second half knockout punch in a 73-66 District 7-5A victory at R.K. Smith Middle School.
Hahnville center Kaden Pierre scored a team-high 16 points, while Claudell Harris and Briceson Harrell each scored 13. For Destrehan, J.R. Blood and Jayce Ellis each scored 17. Zalvin Michael added 10.
The win kept the Tigers in a tie for second place in District 7-5A behind Thibodaux, which is unbeaten in 7-5A play thus far.
Destrehan stands at 15-9 on the season, but has dropped to 1-6 in District 7-5A.
Hahnville outscored Destrehan 18-8 in the third quarter to take a 58-47 lead into the fourth quarter. It seemed early on, however, that Destrehan was the more ready team, taking an early eight point lead after tip-off. Hahnville (16-10, 5-2) rolled back behind its transition game to take a 12-11 lead, something HHS coach Yussef Jasmine says starts on the defensive end.
“You get consecutive stops and you give yourself chances to score the ball, because we have guys who can do a lot of different, positive things at the offensive end,” Jasmine said. “We knew that was a big key because we wanted to get into transition and speed Destrehan up. They favor a slower pace, like to play zone and use their length to rebound, so we knew we had to speed them up.
“They probably started with a little more energy, little more poise. Our kids shook off the jitters at the beginning and got us back into it.”
The win was Hahnville’s fourth in a row after a 1-2 start to district play.
Pierre, who was a big presence in the interior and on the boards throughout the game, said the Tigers focused on slowing down Blood and Ellis, winning the rebounding battle and limiting turnovers.
“Coach does a great job scouting and creating that blueprint,” Pierre said. “We made some mistakes in those losses to Thibodaux and Terrebonne, but we’re on a roll right now.”
Destrehan returns to action Friday night at East St. John.
Hahnville, meanwhile, readies for a non-district game tonight at perennial state contender Country Day. Then, Tuesday, the Tigers get set for a key district showdown at 7-5A leader Thibodaux (24-2, 7-0) Tuesday.
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