J. EDMUND BARNES

PHOTO 1: Kinya Lennix, formerly of East St. John High School, looks for someone to pass the ball to during Thurday night’s Girl’s All-Star basketball game. (Staff photo by J. Edmund Barnes) BATON ROUGE – The East All-Stars girl’s and boy’s basketball teams swept the West teams Thursday night in Baton Rouge. The East girls All-Stars won by a score of 92-75, while the East boy’s All-Stars team won 117-108. East St. John Coach Troy Giordano led his team to victory, and got to play with one of his star athletes, Kinya Lennix, one last time. “She thought she had seen the last of me,” Giordano laughed. Lennix had plenty to smile about. She went 5-13 and made five of six free throws. Also representing the River Parishes was Joevone Markey of Destre-han High School. Markey went 0-1 and sank two free throws. The girls game was dominated by the speed groups the East and West side fielded. The East team was able to jump out to an early lead in both halves, only to se that lead whittled away by the West’s speed team. The second half saw the West’s best run, when at 12:41 to go they tied the game at 56 on the strength of a free throw by Krystal Taylor of Teurlings Catholic High School. PHOTO 2: Jessica Barber, of Franklinton High School, was the Most Valuble Player of the Girls All-Star Basketball game held at LSU on Thursday night. Barber lead the East team in scoring and was 8 for 8 in free throws. (Staff photo by J. Edmund Barnes) But that was as close as the West team got. Nine seconds later Lennix made a layup that put East ahead 58-56, and they never looked back. East took the game by a decisive 92-75, having only trailed once during the first half. “The River Parishes were represented well,” said Giordano. “All of them got to end their high school career on a win.” The Boy’s All Star basketball game was a much closer game. The lead see-sawed between the East and West teams throughout much of the first half, with the East managing to take the lead as Steve Hodges of McCall High School made a pair of free throws with 12:01 left to go in the half, bring the score to 21-20. West kept it close, never trailing by more than eight points. The East managed to break the game open in the second half. On the strength of Jason Scott of Ferriday High School and Wayne Powell of Peabody High School, the East built up a commanding lead. With 11:10 left to go, East lead the West by 20 points – the score was 87-67. The West tried to claw its way back into the game, rallying to bring the game within 12 points with 3:47 left to play, but the East had too much of a commanding of a lead by then. With seven seconds left Antonia Hudson of Gram-bling High School missed a three pointer, and that was that. The final score was 117-108, with the East winning by nine. Matt Magee of Reserve Christian School went 0 for 1 and blocked one shot.