By Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / February 9, 1998

RESERVE – East St. John avenged an earlier loss to Hahnville Friday nightwith a 75-55 victory in the Wildcats gym.

Robert Joseph and Jamal Henry led the way with 13 points apiece. ClementCarter tossed in 10 points, while Darvein Pittman added seven points.

Mark Temple was the game’s leading scorer with 16 points. Dernell Murraypopped in 14 points, while Ben Kuo added eight points.

East St. John improved to 8-16 overall and 2-8 in District 6-5A with thevictory. Hahnville, which had defeated the Wildcats, 60-58, at home inJanuary, fell to 4-15 overall and 1-9 in district play.

Both teams were sluggish out of the gate with Hahnville taking a 6-4 lead late in the quarter on a drive by Murray. East St. John battled back with ajump shot by Carter and a free throw by Joseph to take a 7-6 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The action picked up as the second quarter opened. Joseph followed a putback by Henry with a steal, bouncing the ball to Henry underneath to give the Wildcats a 13-6 lead. Hahnville battled back, trimming the deficit to16-12 on a put back by Temple.

The Wildcats answered with a 7-2 run, taking a 23-14 lead on layups by Henry and Greg Gathers. The Tigers again rallied, pulling to within 25-21on a jumper and layup. Brandon Pettis answered by taking a pass fromRoydell Williams on the left baseline and dropping in a jumper to give the Wildcats a 27-21 lead at the break.

The Wildcats continued to open up their lead as the second half opened.

Pettis opened up the scoring by popping in a jumper from the left side.

Floyd Smith followed with a steal, taking it in to give the Wildcats a 10- point lead.

The run continued as Henry scored on a put back. Carter then grabbed asteal, passed to Henry, who gave the ball back to Carter for a layup and forcing Hahnville to call timeout with 5:42 left in the third quarter. Afterthe Tigers got their first points of the half on a three-point play, the Wildcats answered with layups by Henry and Joseph to take a 42-25.

Hahnville closed to within 14 on a three-point play by Temple, but the Wildcats again answered as Carter scored on a tip-in and Williams twice drove in for layups. A layup by Murray cut the deficit to 52-36 at the endof three quarters.

East St. John built a 20-point lead on a drive by Sam Martin. Kuo broughtthe Tigers to within 63-47 with a 3-pointer from the right side with 3:24 remaining. The Wildcats then went on a 10-2 run, taking their biggest leadof the game on a pass from Lawrence Taylor to Elliot Bolden with 1:30 left.

Both the Wildcats and Tigers are home Friday night. East St. John hostsDestrehan while Hahnville hosts Central Lafourche.

Photo: EAST ST. JOHN’S GREG GATHERS goes up between Hahnville’s Josh Fiffle and Mark Temple in the Wildcats’ 75-55 victory Friday night.

Photo by Michael Kiral.

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