Long grind: Bulldogs roll over SJHS, ACH to open district play
PLAQUEMINE – White Castle put 12 players in the box score, jumped out to a 15-0 lead and never looked back on the way to a 90-40 District 9-1A victory on Friday night at SJHS' gym, while playing their starters just a quarter and a half.
The Bulldogs (9-8, 2-0) also defeated Ascension Christian 73-26 on Tuesday in Gonzales. White Castle hosts West St. John Friday before traveling to East Iberville on Tuesday after hosting Ascension Catholic Tuesday.
"We just wanted to make sure we got the win and move on to the next one," White Castle coach Troy Green said. "It is a long grind but the main thing is to take it one game at a time and not look too far ahead."
DeAndre Bellock had a game-high 34 points including six 3-pointers. It marked the third game in a row Bellock has eclipsed the 30-point barrier.
"DeAndre is doing what you expect and hope for a senior to do," Green said. "He is being a leader for this ball club, so I am pleased with that."
Jacori Washington added 10 points, Samson Westley nine, Andre Prevost eight, Shawn Williams six, Marcellis Coleman and Harold Zachary each five, Moses Young and Omari Haggans each four, Tyrie Lang three and Swayne Edwards and Byron Pierre each two.
"We don't have any seniors and changing over in the middle of the season probably didn't help either but the kids played hard.," St. John coach Oliver "Crickett" Crockett said. "White Castle is probably the best team we have seen this year."
Brennan Miller led the Eagles (2-15, 0-2) with 15 points, all on 3-pointers. Benjamin Poirrier added eight, Hayden Hemenway and Gavin Primeaux each six, Tyler St. Germain four and Bailey Whittington one.
St. John also fell to Ascension Catholic 69-47 on Tuesday to open league play. The Eagles travel to East Iberville Friday before hosting Ascension Christian Tuesday after traveling to West St. John Tuesday.
Bellock converted off the tip before nailing a 3-pointer from the left corner and converting off Edwards' steal during the opening run. Williams' putback capped the spurt that included Young's inside basket.
Hemenway's putback put St. John on the board with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter before Miller drained a three-ball. Edwards and Bellock each converted off steals, the later a slam dunk, before another trey from Miller made it 19-8.
But Bellock went on a rampage to close the quarter connecting on three 3-pointers from both wings to push the lead to 28-10 going into the second quarter.
White Castle increased the lead to 42-19 at the half following Zachary's 3-pointer from the right wing after consecutive putbacks from Poirrier. Coleman's dish to Pierre and 3-point play opened the frame.
Bellock's transition basket made it 61-24 halfway through the third quarter when the Bulldogs substituted five as they did to start the second quarter. Lang's trey from the right wing opened the half before putbacks by Bellock and Williams.
Bellock added two more 3-pointers and a pull up baseline jumper while St. John countered with Primeaux's jumper and another trey from Miller.
Washington's inside basket made it 69-31 going into the fourth quarter following Westley and Coleman's putbacks. Hemenway's drive cut it to 77-35 but Prevost scored eight of the final 10 points, all on putbacks, to reflect the final tally.
White Castle led 15-12 going into the second quarter before exploding to a 47-14 halftime lead against Ascension Christian and taking a 61-17 lead into the fourth.
Bellock had a game-high 31 points including three 3-pointers. Young added eight, Zachary, Westley and Jatyre Carter each six, Edwards and Lang each four, Haggans three and Washington one.
Thomas Kuhn led Ascension Christian (6-12, 0-2) with eight points. Kelly Carter added six and Dustin Blanchard and Christian Pilgrim each four.
Ascension Catholic jumped out to an early 18-2 lead going into the second quarter before taking a 31-14 halftime lead over St. John and extending it to 48-28 heading into the fourth quarter.
Miller and Primeaux each had nine points to lead St. John. Princeton Young and St. Germain each added eight, Hemenway seven and Whittington four. Miller had three 3-pointers and Young two.
Gilbert Allen led the Bulldogs (7-13, 1-0) with a game-high 18 points including three 3-pointers. Delmond Landry added 13, Caleb Winchester 11, Patrick Butler seven and Cleveland Fefie and Seville Jacks each six.
