Box Score
EUNICE, La. - Before the start of the campaign, LSU Eunice head coach Amanda Clemons lauded her Bengals for their conditioning and ability to push the pace. On Tuesday, LSUE showed it can also grind out a victory.
The Bengals used a half-court heavy approach in the second half and Arianna Dargin's 20 points to a 74-65 win over the Wildcats.
The win improves LSU Eunice to 4-2 on the season, while Pearl River drops to 3-1.
Rylie James (Basile HS) sparked an early onslaught for the purple and gold. The sophomore's triple was followed by a
JaNaijia Marks (DeRidder HS) putback and
Sissy Saucier (South Beauregard HS) basket off a steal to give LSUE a quick 7-0 lead just one minute into the contest. The Wildcats clawed back into range, taking a 12-11 lead thanks to a Rehema Franklin steal and basket.
Dargin (Iowa HS) answered right back with a baseline jumper to give the Bengals the lead back with 2:20 left in the 1
st quarter.
The Bengals never trailed after that.
That Dargin basket ignited a quick 12-0 LSUE run.
Tachiana Ledet (Northside HS) pushed the Bengals to their largest lead of the first half, 23-12, with a driving lay-up in the final minute of the first quarter. Nine of LSUE's 15 points in the second quarter came from downtown with
Gabrielle Harrington (Erath HS), Sissy Saucier and Dargin all hitting three pointers. The Bengals went into the locker rooms clinging to a 38-32 advantage.
The pace slowed down in the third quarter with LSUE working a methodical half-court offense, only scoring 13 points but keeping a six-point edge into the final quarter.
Harrington led the Bengals in the fourth quarter with 8 of her season-high 14 points coming in the fourth. LSUE never let the lead slip below seven points.
Dargin led the way on the glass with a career best 10 rebounds. It was her first double-double as a Bengal.
LSU Eunice continues a season long six game homestand on Tuesday. LSU Eunice welcomes another fellow Region 23 opponent, Mississippi Gulf Coast, to town. Tip-off from the HPRE Center is scheduled for 6:00PM. Fans can find the latest Bengals information on social media via Twitter (@LSUEBengalsWBB), Facebook (@LSUEuniceBasketball) and Instagram (@LSUEBengals).
