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Sacred Heart’s Moira Parks (24) plays some tough defense against a Ouachita Christian player in their Division III opening round playoff game on Thursday night. (Gazette photo by Raymond Partsch III)

Sacred Heart girls pick up first playoff victory since 2002

By: RAYMOND
PARTSCH III
Managing Editor

VILLE PLATTE –The Sacred Heart girls basketball team is no longer a Lady Trojan in waiting.
Led by a suffocating press defense, No. 13 Sacred Heart easily defeated visiting No. 20 Ouachita Christian 66-22 in the opening round of the LHSAA Division III playoffs Thursday night. The victory was the program’s first playoff win since 2002, first home playoff win since 2000 and the first under longtime head coach Stephanie Fontenot.
“It is really great that we got the win but even better that we got it for our coach,” said senior guard Erin Fontenot, who was playing in only her third game back since missing the majority of season due to a pair of high ankle sprains. “It is a great feeling.”
Added fellow senior Catherine Poche, “We are just proud to be that team that ended the playoff drought. The last time they won they got one of those painted boards hanging on the wall. Maybe we will get one now.”
Sacred Heart (14-12) started off the game a little shaky as the Lady Trojans went 2-of-10 from the field to start the game, including missing their first six attempts. Sacred Heart in fact didn’t get on the scoreboard until Erin Fontenot drained a pair of free throws at the 5:05 mark. The Lady Trojans’ first field goal came on a jump shot from the top of the key by Catherine Poche less than a minute later but that bucket seemed to allow the Lady Trojans to relax as Sacred Heart ended the quarter up 9-0.
“We really feed off one another,” Erin Fontenot said. “When one of us gets going we all do.”
The Lady Trojans may have struggled putting the ball in the basket early on but their defense was dominant from start to finish. Sacred Heart had 10 steals in the first quarter and shut out Ouachita Christian (5-20) in the opening quarter. In fact the only points the visiting Lady Eagles scored in the first 13 minutes of the game were six free throws by Alayna Johnson.
Ouachita Christian didn’t make a field goal until a layup by Emma Treadwell with 2:45 to go in the first half.
“After we studied the film we saw that if we could press then we would have success,” Fontenot said. “We have liked to press this season but sometimes we get too aggressive and we get into foul trouble. We were aggressive and disciplined tonight.”
“We practiced with our press a lot this week,” senior Sydney Shiver added.
Sacred Heart built up a 32-12 lead at the half and then put the game away as the Lady Trojans outscored the Lady Eagles 17-2 in the third period. Early in the fourth, Sacred Heart emptied its bench to allow younger player to enjoy the 44-point playoff victory.
“We started the season 5-0 and then we had two of our players go down with knee injuries and then Erin suffered two high ankle sprains,” said Stephanie Fontenot, whose team has held teams to under 25 points four times. “So we had some adversity this season for sure but this team has a lot of heart.”
With ending its long-standing playoff drought, Sacred Heart will now turn its attention to a Monday night matchup at No. 4 Episcopal, a team that held Sacred Heart district foe Notre Dame to a mere 23 points earlier this season. The Lady Pios meanwhile defeated the Lady Trojans by 22 and 26 points in their two meetings.
“The key will be having confidence,” Stephanie Fontenot said. “If we have confidence then we will have a chance to get the win.”
That may not be an issue for the Lady Trojans.
As the seniors stood outside the locker room where a sign showcased the this team’s mantra “PTL: Praise the Lord and BSA: Bring Some Attitude,” the Lady Trojans were confident that Monday’s playoff game won’t be of the blow out variety.
“We are going to always play hard,” Poche said. “They may think they are going to blow us out but we are going to make sure they remember Sacred Heart.”
“They are not going to blow us out,” Shiver added. “We can promise that.”

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