HAMMOND — Just about a year ago, the Barbe High School girls basketball team had never won a playoff game.
Now, after a 49-45 overtime victory against No. 12 East St. John on Thursday night in the University Center, the top-seeded Bucs are one win from their first Class 5A state championship.
“It’s crazy,” said Barbe head coach Kelly Durio. “I know we’re the No. 1 seed, but it’s all fresh to us.”
Durio emphasized the significance of the win, saying its a step in the right direction toward the goals she wants the program to achieve.
“The steps this program has made in the last couple years are incredible,” she said. “We want to be on the same level as Barbe baseball and Barbe football, not just a one-hit wonder. For these girls to continue from our success last year is definitely something special.”
Barbe had to overcome a slow start to come away with the win.
The Bucs shot 3-for-13 and went 0-for-7 from behind 3-point arc in the first quarter, falling behind 15-7.
“In the first quarter, we couldn’t have shot it any worse, but the kids kept fighting,” Durio said.
Barbe responded with stout defense and good rebounding, limiting East St. John to five points in the second quarter and cutting the Wildcats’ lead to 20-19 before the halftime break.
The Bucs completed the comeback and took their first lead in the first minute third quarter when Brandi Williams hit a 3-pointer, giving Barbe a 22-20 lead.
That was the first of three big second-half 3-pointers by Williams, who finished with 22 points.
“In the first quarter, I didn’t shoot the ball well,” Williams said. “But my teammates kept telling me ‘Don’t stop shooting, don’t stop shooting.’ I just kept that in my head and when we hit the second half. I hit the clutch 3-pointer and settled down.”
The second half turned into a back-and-forth affair that saw seven lead changes with neither team leading by more than four points.
By the end of regulation the teams found themselves tied 43-43.
The Bucs never trailed in overtime, and Koko Daniels put the game away with a pair of clutch free throws that put the Bucs ahead 49-45 with 13 seconds left.
“My teammate Ashlyn Poole pulled me to the side as soon as I got fouled and said ‘Hey, you got this. Don’t lose faith,’” Daniels said. “That just gave me all the composure in the world to knock those two down.”
Daniels finished with 15 rebounds and three steals.
The Bucs will will play in the championship game at 8 p.m. Saturday against the winner of Thursday night’s Natchitoches Central-Destrehan semifinal.
“We’re not done making history, hopefully,” Durio said. “We’d love to go back home to Lake Charles with a state championship.”
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