Sean Carlisle
Guru
Country Day, the little white school "Billy" from the cheesy movie White Men Can't Jump came from, advanced in the state tournament by defeating Southern University's lab school. Article follows: (sorry so long)
Country Day stuns, ousts Southern Lab
Saturday, March 03, 2007
By Bill Bumgarner Staff writer
Judging from the horde of fans encircling the Country Day players and the deafening roar resounding through Southern Lab's gym, one might have thought the Cajuns had just upset the state's most successful basketball team.
They had done just that.
Led by the fourth-period scoring of senior point guard Matt Stone, who had six points, and junior forward Eddie Ludwig, who made five free throws, the Cajuns eliminated 15-time state champion Southern Lab 40-34 on Friday night in the Class 1A quarterfinals.
The Cajuns (28-11) will meet Grambling, a 63-61 winner over Logansport, next week in the state Top 28 Tournament semifinals in Lafayette.
The Kittens (19-8) tied the score at the end of the third quarter on a driving layup by Jyrell Thymes.
The Cajuns, who had led since the second quarter, opened the final period with three consecutive baskets by Jordan McGuire, Jon Andersen and Stone for a 30-24 lead with 5:22 remaining. The Kittens cut the deficit to 30-28 before Stone swiped the ball, maintained his balance and drove for a layup and a 32-28 lead with 2:35 remaining.
With Southern Lab forced to foul, Stone responded with two foul shots with 1:48 remaining for a 34-30 lead. Ludwig then took over, making five shots from the line down the stretch as the Cajuns advanced to the tournament for the second time in three years, thanks to a 16-10 scoring advantage in the final quarter.
"I saw he had lost the ball, and I tried to get to it as fast as I could," Stone said. "My job tonight was to share the ball."
The teams combined for two baskets in a lethargic first quarter as Southern Lab led 2-0 with 2:34 remaining. The Cajuns committed eight turnovers and missed their first six shots; the Kittens committed seven turnovers.
Country Day led 16-11 at halftime and had a 22-15 advantage in the third quarter, but the Kittens rallied behind a three-point play by Frank Alexander.
Ludwig, who picked up his fourth foul with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter, returned with 4:52 remaining and Country Day ahead 30-24.
"We killed them on the boards," Coach Mike McGuire said. "We knew that three players scored 90 percent of their points, and I thought we did a good job of shutting them down.
"As for Stone, well, he takes over a game when it is tight."
The low-scoring matchup resulted in two double-figure scorers. Alexander, who fouled out in the fourth period, scored 11, but the Kittens' leading scorer, Donald Williams, was limited to six. Anderson had 12, including six in the third period.
Asked if his team thought this upset was possible beforehand, Stone said: "You got to believe."
. . . . . . .
Bill Bumgarner can be reached at bbumgarner@timespicayune.com or (504) 883-7057 or (504) 717-7703.
- Bonnabel easily runs by Airline
Country Day stuns, ousts Southern Lab
Saturday, March 03, 2007
By Bill Bumgarner Staff writer
Judging from the horde of fans encircling the Country Day players and the deafening roar resounding through Southern Lab's gym, one might have thought the Cajuns had just upset the state's most successful basketball team.
They had done just that.
Led by the fourth-period scoring of senior point guard Matt Stone, who had six points, and junior forward Eddie Ludwig, who made five free throws, the Cajuns eliminated 15-time state champion Southern Lab 40-34 on Friday night in the Class 1A quarterfinals.
The Cajuns (28-11) will meet Grambling, a 63-61 winner over Logansport, next week in the state Top 28 Tournament semifinals in Lafayette.
The Kittens (19-8) tied the score at the end of the third quarter on a driving layup by Jyrell Thymes.
The Cajuns, who had led since the second quarter, opened the final period with three consecutive baskets by Jordan McGuire, Jon Andersen and Stone for a 30-24 lead with 5:22 remaining. The Kittens cut the deficit to 30-28 before Stone swiped the ball, maintained his balance and drove for a layup and a 32-28 lead with 2:35 remaining.
With Southern Lab forced to foul, Stone responded with two foul shots with 1:48 remaining for a 34-30 lead. Ludwig then took over, making five shots from the line down the stretch as the Cajuns advanced to the tournament for the second time in three years, thanks to a 16-10 scoring advantage in the final quarter.
"I saw he had lost the ball, and I tried to get to it as fast as I could," Stone said. "My job tonight was to share the ball."
The teams combined for two baskets in a lethargic first quarter as Southern Lab led 2-0 with 2:34 remaining. The Cajuns committed eight turnovers and missed their first six shots; the Kittens committed seven turnovers.
Country Day led 16-11 at halftime and had a 22-15 advantage in the third quarter, but the Kittens rallied behind a three-point play by Frank Alexander.
Ludwig, who picked up his fourth foul with 4:27 remaining in the third quarter, returned with 4:52 remaining and Country Day ahead 30-24.
"We killed them on the boards," Coach Mike McGuire said. "We knew that three players scored 90 percent of their points, and I thought we did a good job of shutting them down.
"As for Stone, well, he takes over a game when it is tight."
The low-scoring matchup resulted in two double-figure scorers. Alexander, who fouled out in the fourth period, scored 11, but the Kittens' leading scorer, Donald Williams, was limited to six. Anderson had 12, including six in the third period.
Asked if his team thought this upset was possible beforehand, Stone said: "You got to believe."
. . . . . . .
Bill Bumgarner can be reached at bbumgarner@timespicayune.com or (504) 883-7057 or (504) 717-7703.
- Bonnabel easily runs by Airline
