MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / December 22, 1999

RESERVE – Crystal Rome hit three 3-pointers to lead Riverside back from a 10-point third quarter deficit as the Lady Rebels defeated St. CharlesCatholic, 38-35, in the first round of the Riverside Tournament Monday night.

Riverside (4-5) played Vandebilt Catholic in the winners bracket Tuesday night. St. Charles Catholic (4-13) played Thibodaux. Vandebilt defeatedThibodaux, 60-32, in the first game of the tournament Monday.

St. Charles Catholic grabbed a 30-20 lead with less than two minutes leftin the third quarter on a jumper from the right corner by Amy Bourgeois.

But Rome answered with a free throw and a 3-pointer from the left side to make it 30-24 at the end of the third quarter.

Liz Dufresne opened the third quarter with a jumper from the free throw line. But the Lady Comets would go scoreless over the next seven minutesas Riverside scored 12 straight points. Rome opened the run with 3-pointers from the left side on consecutive possessions, bringing the Lady Rebels to within 32-30 with 6:33 left. After a St. Charles Catholictimeout, Jennifer Guidry grabbed a steal and was fouled, hitting both foul shots to tie the game at the 5:49 mark.

On Riverside’s next possession, Guidry hit the first of two free throws to give the Lady Rebels their first lead of the second half. A pass fromHeather Montz to Wendy Reames inside made it 36-32 with 2:20 left.

Dufresne cut the deficit to 36-35 with 36 seconds left on a 3-pointer from the right wing. Guidry and Candace Perret both missed two freethrows on Riverside’s next possession and the Lady Comets gained possession with 17 seconds left. The Lady Comets worked the ball toMelissa Billings who was fouled driving the lane. Billings’ first foul shotrimmed out and her second was off the back of the rim. Nicole Scontrino’sput back was also off the rim with Guidry grabbing the rebound.

Guidry was fouled with 2.25 seconds left and hit both foul shots to makeit 38-35. St. Charles Catholic had one final shot but Dufresne’s shot frommidcourt fell short as the buzzer sounded.

“Anytime you can get a big play, no matter what the sport, it lifts the team up,” Riverside coach Matt White said of Rome’s 3-pointers. “It was abig win for us. Anytime you can beat St. Charles in anything, it’s a big win.This was the first time all year we’ve been able to come back and win. Wewere able to take the lead back and close the door on them.”Riverside took a 6-0 lead midway through the first quarter on a layup by Guidry off a steal by Rome. Marci Martin got the Lady Comets their firstpoints on a put back on the next possession and Scontrino followed with a steal and layup to make it 6-4.

Riverside answered with a jumper by Rome and a steal and layup by Guidry before St. Charles Catholic ended the quarter on a 9-0 run. Scontrino hadtwo jumpers and Amanda Helm added a layup and two free throws to make it 13-10 at the end of the first quarter.

St. Charles Catholic kept it up at the beginning of the second quarter,scoring the first seven points of the quarter. Two jumpers by Dufresne anda free throw by Billings made it 20-10 before Rome got the Lady Rebels back on the board with a 3-pointer from the left side with 37 seconds left in the half.

Riverside pulled to within 20-15 on its opening possession of the second half on a Guidry jumper from the right side. But St. Charles Catholic builtits biggest lead at 28-17 on a 3-pointer from the left corner by Dufresne, a jumper from the right wing by Bourgeois and a free throw by Helm with 2:26 left in the third. Guidry cut the deficit back to eight by hitting three-of-four free throws on the Lady Rebels’ next possession.

“We haven’t found out how to put four quarters together,” St. CharlesCatholic coach Jeff Montz said. “We haven’t found out how to hold onto alead. We have to solve that before we can have success.”

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