Fight to the finish

EUNICE - It was a fight to the finish as the St. Edmund Lady Jays earned a 53-40 win over the Pine Prairie Lady Panthers.
The battle began with a 12-12 tie as two teams fought to grab control of the game.
Maggie Larriviere and Gabby Fontenot pushed in the first two Lady Jay buckets and Fontenot later drained a trey to lift St. Edmund to a 7-4 lead.
Three points from Lacy Foreman helped Pine Prairie tie the game, but a three-point play by Lady Jay Sydney Thibodeaux combined with a jumper from Fontenot pushed St. Ed’s ahead, 12-7 with 2:34 left in the period.
Taylor Deville drove the lane and later drilled a trey as Pine Prairie forced a 12-12 tie as the game moved to the second frame.
The Lady Panthers opened the second period with a 7-2 run, sparked by a three-pointer from Brianna Bradley as Pine Prairie grabbed a 19-14 advantage.
Larriviere hit a jumper to close the gap to 23-19 before a free throw by Sarah Vidrine gave the Lady Panthers a 24-19 halftime lead.
The two teams continued to claw for the upperhand in the third period.
Larriviere scored inside while Thibodeaux and Elissa David hit free throws to help the Lady Jays pull closer, but Pine Prairie’s Bradley drilled a trey to keep the Lady Panthers ahead, 3-24.
After a Brandy Manuel jumper gave the Lady Panthers a five-point advantage, buckets from Victoria McGee, David and Allison Lafleur closed the gap to 33-31 at the end of the quarter.
The fight continued early in the fourth period, begun when a free throw by Thibodeaux and drive from Fontenot closed the Lady Panther lead to a single point.
Tori Bordelon scored on a put-back bucket for Pine Priaire, but the Lady Jays responded with a 6-0 run to grab a 40-37 lead.
Buckets from Lafleur and Camille Leger along with free throws by David and Thibodeaux helped the Lady Jays in their late run.
Sarah Vidrine scored on an inbounds play for the Lady Panthers, but a pair of free throws by Thibodeaux and a inside bucket by Miller helped St. Edmund grab a 44-39 advantage with 1:29 left.
The Lady Jays hit seven free throws in the closing minute and Gabby Fontenot scored off a steal by Thibodeaux to seal the 53-40 win.
Thibodeaux finished with 13 points for the Lady Jays (4-10) including 11 free throws.
Fontenot also scored 13 points for St. Edmund.
Foreman and Bordelon each scored nine points for the Lady Panthers (5-8).
St. Edmund travels to Kinder on Tuesday before opening District 5-1A play at False River Academy on Friday.
Pine Prairie entertains Mamou on Tuesday before heginning District 5-3A action at home Friday against Ville Platte.