By ROBERT L. LEE

THIBODAUX – One team meeting and two games later, the Hahnville Tigers traveled to Thibodaux and proved they wanted the win, now. After a hard-fought four quarters, the Tigers took the 67-55 win Friday night, giving them their third district win in six games and moving their overall record to 15-10.

“The last two games the guys have really been playing with a ton of intensity and this was a big win,” said Hahnville coach Brian Lumar.

He said the team had a discussion about where they wanted the season to go and it translated into back-to-back wins. Lumar said he told his team they can’t go through the season using the excuse about losing their seniors. He said they can’t worry about that, but they have to worry about winning now.

“I am definitely proud of the way they responded in practice and both on and off the court,” Lumar continued. “Everybody’s been coming to play, even the guys on the bench are more into the game, which makes us much harder to defend, than if the other team was just defending two or three guys.”

The first few minutes saw Thibodaux jump up with a 10-0 drive, but the Tigers snapped back to properly execute their offensive and defensive plans throughout the rest of the game. Lumar admitted his Tigers started slow against the Thibodaux Tigers, but said the players showed their maturity by not packing their bags, but staying in the game.

“We didn’t back down at all,” said Lumar. “Our defense got after them and forced the tough shots.” He said Thibodaux tried to make their runs, but the Tigers consistently battled back. The Tigers’ battle was evident on the scoreboard, as they came back to match Thibodaux with 17 points in the first quarter and outscore them 19-5 to open a 14-point lead at the half.

“During halftime I told them it’s a new ball game and to come back out and stay focused,” Lumar explained. “I told them they can’t get complacent with their lead.”

After the third quarter, however, the Tigers’ lead was cut in half when Thibodaux scored 19 points compared to Hahnville’s 11. With a renewed sense of urgency, the Tigers

raised their intensity level and put up 20 points to put a grip on their lead.

“When they made their run, we withstood and counteracted. Everybody played a major part and surprisingly, we maintained good chemistry among everybody,” said Lumar. “Toward the end of the fourth quarter, their strategy was to foul us, but we knocked down a lot of free throws.”