HAMMOND — Top-seeded South Beauregard overcame not just one but two double-digit deficits to defeat Ville Platte 60-56 and reach the Class 3A state final for the first time since 2009 Wednesday night at the University Center.
The Lady K’s (31-3) trailed by as many as 15 points and played catch-up for the first three-and-half quarters.
“The one thing we know is we are explosive,” said South Beauregard head coach Chris Greene. “Usually when we get explosive, it’s over. We win, and the game’s over. Not tonight.”
South Beauregard got off to a slow start as it seemed as if there was a lid on the basket. The Lady K’s converted on 2 of 16 field goal attempts in the first quarter, allowing the Bulldogs (24-8) to jump to an 18-5 lead.
It looked as though Ville Platte might run away with the game as it extended the lead to 23-8 early in the second quarter.
But South Beauregard quickly erased a that lead with a 19-4 run that tied the score at 27 with 1:32 left in the half.
Despite going into halftime trailing 30-27, Greene said the Lady K’s were proud.
But the comeback came at a price.
“We were tired,” Greene said. “I’ve never seen my kids that tired at halftime. That’s not supposed to happen with the style we play, but we were. We came out in the third quarter flat again.”
The Bulldogs controlled the ensuing 8 minutes and took a 47-36 lead into the final quarter.
That’s when Greene told his team it was now or never.
“I just remember (Greene) looking in our eyes and asking us ‘Do you want it or not?,’” said Lady K’s senior forward Sissy Saucier. “Being a senior, I wanted to go to a championship. I’ve never been, and it was my last chance to go.”
And the Lady K’s proved they wanted it.
In the span of less than 3 minutes, South Beauregard attacked Ville Platte with a barrage of steals and converted shots to go on an 18-2 run that gave the Lady K’s a 54-49 lead.
Ville Platte tied the score at 56 with 47 seconds left on a 3-pointer by Jakiah Thomas, but Ashlynn Derouen sealed it for South Beauregard with four clutch free throws down the stretch.
Derouen finished with a game-high 20 points, followed by Saucier with 11 points and Mallory Beavers with 10 points.
“I just owe it all to my team and my coaches,” Derouen said. “I wanted to take my team this far. I had confidence, but it was all because of the fans and my teammates. They just trusted me to have confidence in myself.”
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