Lady Pirates top Evans to advance to semifinals
Published 10:34 pm Thursday, February 24, 2022
- Evans junior Riley Haus (22) attempts to dribble past Hicks sophomore Maci Charrier (32) during the first half of the Lady Pirates Class C quarterfinal win over the Lady Eagles, 69-44. (Photo of courtesy of Kathy Green)
By Daniel Green | BWS Sports
SIMPSON – After an intense opening half, the top-ranked HIcks Lady Pirates took it up a notch.
Going to a Diamond-1 press, the Lady Pirates went on a 26-6 run in the third quarter to break open a close game as they knocked off the ninth-seeded Evans Lady Eagles in the Class C quarterfinals on Thursday night at Simpson High School, 69-44.
Hicks, which improved to 32-5 overall, advanced to its fifth straight Ladies Top 28, where it will face parish and district rival Hornbeck sometime early next week.
“Both teams were super intense in the first half,” veteran Hicks head coach Mike Charrier said. “But we went into the locker room and made some defensive adjustments. We came out in our diamond press and caused a lot of turnovers, which led to easy baskets.”
Hicks had taken a 15-6 lead at the end of the first period of play, but behind the play of both Jade Bonner and Riley Haus, the Lady Eagles battled back, closing the deficit to 21-20 before a late three-pointer by Avery Coffman gave the Lady Pirates a 24-20 advantage at the break.
The second half, especially the opening moments of the third quarter, proved to be the difference for the Lady Pirates. After struggling to really get into its offense in the first half, Hicks’ defense sparked the change in momentum.
After a Coffman three and a Hicks timeout, the Lady Pirates, behind Lauren Quinn, Shyanne Phillips, Maci Charrier and Reese Stephens, forced several turnovers, leading to many easy buckets in transition. By the end of the third period, what had been a 4-point game at the break, was a 24-point lead by the Lady Pirates, 50-26.
Evans continued to battled, trimming the deficit to 19 with a 5-0 run to open the fourth, but the Lady Pirates managed to regroup and pulled away, claiming a 25-point victory and a place in the state tournament next week at the University Center on the campus of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.
“The gym was full and it was a great atmosphere for a playoff game,” MIke Charrier said. “But we have a few things we need to work on. But our girls are committed and they will do what they can to meet our goals. Perfection is always a moving target and we haven’t hit it quite yet.”
Coffman and Quinn each had 20 points to pace the Lady Pirates, while Stephens and Phillips finished with 11 points apiece. Maci Charrier added six points.
Haus paced the Lady Eagles with 11 points, while Bonner chipped in with nine points.
Photo by KATHY GREEN
Evans junior Riley Haus (22) attempts to dribble past Hicks sophomore Maci Charrier (32) during the first half of the Lady Pirates Class C quarterfinal win over the Lady Eagles, 69-44.
