By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

EDGARD – A third-quarter push put West St. John in position to finish its season with a win, but district foe East Iberville overcame to conclude its regular season with a 66-59 win at West St. John.

The Tigers finished District 8-1A play as the runner-up to champion Christian Life. East Iberville draws the No. 9 seed in the Class 1A playoffs that begin this week. It will host district foe Ascension Catholic in the bi-district round.

The Rams (9-17, 5-7) finished district play in a fourth-place tie with Ascension Catholic team.

Sheldon Ballom led East Iberville with 20 points. Richard Johnson scored 16.

Corey Warmington led West St. John with 16 points. Dray Joseph added 12.

East Iberville (19-10) led 16-14 after the first quarter and extended its lead to 34-27 at halftime.

The Rams pushed back, though, and took a one-point lead in the third quarter thanks to some clutch 3-point shooting and a defense that held the Tigers to nine points in the period.

“We were determined to finish the year on a good note,” said West St. John coach Antoine Edwards.

But East Iberville reestablished its lead and held a three-point advantage entering the fourth quarter, which became a back and forth, high-scoring affair: the teams combined for 44 points.

“It was a see-saw type of thing,” said Edwards. “We did a good job scoring it, but we didn’t play solid enough on defense.”

There were few easy wins in District 8-1A, not when three teams finished among the top 10 playoff seeds in its classification.

As the season concludes, Edwards said he was disappointed the Rams did not build on their district championship season of a year ago, but he would not call the current season a failure.

“We didn’t achieve the goals we set for ourselves. We thought we were in position to win each of our last two games, but we let it slip away. But it was such an up and down season. There were times our kids could have packed it in, and they didn’t.

“Now we’ll get back, start working out, and get it going for next year.”

WEST ST. JOHN 45, ASCENSION CATHOLIC 39 — A late WSJ comeback fell short as Ascension Catholic closed out a 45-39 win last Tuesday that kept the Bulldogs on pace to earn its eventual playoff spot.

Jesse Pizzalato scored 15 to pace the Bulldogs (11-17, 5-7).

Joseph scored 15 to lead West St. John. Teammates Denzel Pierre and Daylon Feist each scored eight for the Rams.