The Jena Lady Giants basketball team experienced two tough losses last week; however, both games were against playoff caliber teams and should help prepare them for the playoffs that will begin in two weeks.
Last week would be one of the tougher weeks on the schedule for the Lady Giants taking on Glenmora last Tuesday, February 3 and Buckeye Friday, February 6.
The Tuesday game would have the Lady Giants on the road as they traveled to Glenmora. The Lady Giants would once again be without leading scorer senior Triniti Williams who was working through an injury from the previous week.
The Lady Giants would fight hard but come up short as Glenmora would go on to win 54-41.
In the game for the Lady Giants, Ahja Dorsey had 13 points, Jacquelyn Brooks had 7 points, Ameera Jones had 7 points and Lily Lacroix had 6 points.
Last Friday night, the Buckeye Lady Panthers would come to town in what would be a playoff- type atmosphere game. For the second year in a row the two teams would come into this game undefeated in district play. Last year, Buckeye would win at home over the Lady Giants to win their second district championship in three years.
There would be a lot of hype around this game as these are two of the best teams in the area on the girls’ side. Buckeye would come into the game with an 18-6 record and on a 12game winning streak. The Lady Panthers were also ranked #5 in Division II Select. Lady Giants would come into the game with an 18-7 record and ranked #6 in Division III Non-Select.
Fans would show up at the gate as soon as school let out. It would be a capacity crowd as both teams’ fans would fill Guy Campbell Memorial Gymnasium and it was the loudest the gym has been in many weeks.
The game would certainly live up to the hype as Buckeye would take a 10-5 lead into the 2nd quarter before the Lady Giants would go on a 10-1 run to start the 2nd quarter and take a 1511 lead on a Lily Lacroix three-point shot. The Lady Giants would take a 19-18 lead into halftime.
In the 3rd quarter, it would be Buckeye who would make a run as they would start the quarter on a 13-2 run to take a 31-21 lead. The Lady Giants would slowly dig out of the hole as Buckeye would take a 34-29 lead into the 4th quarter.
The Lady Giants would go on an 11-4 run to start the quarter and would take a 40-38 lead. From that point though, Buckeye would finish the game on a 12-2 run to win the game 50-42 and the District 2-3A Championship.
In the game for the Lady Giants, Triniti Williams had 9 points, Lily Lacroix had 8 points, Jacquelin Brooks had 7 points, Ameera Jones had 7 points, Halle Phillips had 6 points, and Sydney Williams had 5 points.
The Lady Giants are now 18-8 on the season and 4-1 in district play. They are ranked #6 in Division III Non-Select.
The next home game for the Lady Giants will be Friday, February 13, as the Marksville Lady Tigers come to town for the final regular season game.
Tip off will be at 6:00 p.m.
This week’s Lady Giants sports page is sponsored by Black Bayou Metals.
