By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

After she missed the first game of her prep career on Friday night, doubts lingered about how effective East St. John point guard Mechel’le Thomas would be in Tuesday’s pivotal district home game against Dutchtown.

Thomas washed away those doubts in the most emphatic way possible. But it simply wasn’t enough.

The senior scored 26 of her game-high 37 points in the second half of her final regular season home game at the school, but Dutchtown rallied from behind in the fourth quarter to nail down a 74-69 win in a District 6-5A game.

“We just don’t know how to win,” said East St. John coach Troy Giordano. “We don’t defend well enough to win. We don’t rebound well enough. We’re just young, and we don’t know how to win these games yet.”

Ka’Neshia Cobbins and Rhondalon Popularus each had big nights to lead Dutchtown (20-10, 5-4). Cobbins led the Griffins with 29, while Popularus chimed in with 21.

The teams entered the game in a tie for third place in District 6-5A. The win all but assures Dutchtown of a playoff berth with one game left to go – the Griffins are ranked 18th in power points within Class 5A. 

East St. John (23-13, 4-5) was ranked 29th at press time, before the team’s game on Friday night with Destrehan, which was tied for first place with East Ascension at 8-1 in the district. The top 32 teams qualify, meaning a win may have been necessary for ESJ to clinch a playoff berth.

Giordano didn’t know prior to the game how Thomas’ ankle would allow her to perform. But as he’s grown accustomed to, his point guard exceeded expectations.

“She played as hard as she could play. She wanted a win badly,” he said. “But nobody else stepped up with her.”

East St. John led by as many as nine in the second half.

Thomas scored 13 fourth quarter points. But in the final stages of the game, Dutchtown coach Annette Lowery had a simple message for her team: anyone but her.

“We know how dangerous she is. She’s a three-time All-Stater, and will probably be for a fourth time. We tried to make her give (the ball) up, and in the last two minutes, I think we were able to.”

After the Wildcats forced Dutchtown into a five seconds violation on an inbounds pass, Thomas made a foul shot to put East St. John up 67-66 with two minutes left.

Dutchtown retook the lead 17 seconds later on a Popularus pull-up jumper. An errant Wildcat pass was picked off on the ensuing possession by the Griffins’ Jodi Hill, and she got the ball to Cobbins, who drew a foul and made one of two free throws to put Dutchtown ahead 69-67.

The Griffins answered a Thomas miss with a bucket by Maureen Evans on a put back to move the lead to four. ESJ’s Halle Lennix missed a 3-pointer and Dutchtown had the ball with 41 seconds left. The Wildcats had to foul, and the ensuing events framed one of the greatest issues facing the team this season – Griffin shooters twice missed the second of two foul shots, and twice the Ladycats couldn’t gather the rebound.

“We couldn’t box out…another reason we just can’t get over the hump,” said Giordano.

ESJ would never get closer than four again.

Phallon Schnyder scored 12 for the Wildcats. Lennix added nine.

The Wildcats (23-12, 4-4) led 34-33 at halftime, and 50-46 after three quarters.

Dutchtown drew even for the first time in the second half on a Popularus 3-pointer from the corner with 4:44 left in the game. She gave Dutchtown its first lead of the half on a foul shot 11 seconds later.

ESJ 52, ST. AMANT 23 – Lennix scored 14 and Ciara Augillard scored 12 to lead East St. John to victory at St. Amant in a District 6-5A game.

The teams were even after a quarter at 13, but a 20-2 second quarter margin turned the tide in the Wildcats’ favor for good.

The Wildcats hit seven 3-pointers in the game. Lennix led the team with four.