By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — Last season, Cara Ursin led Destrehan to the Class 5A state championship as a freshman. Destrehan came up short in that one, but she and her teammates appear to be on a mission to rectify that this season — and archrival East St. John is the latest team that can bear witness to that.

Ursin scored 19 of her game-high 28 points in the first half Monday night as DHS rolled to a 94-53 district victory, extending her team’s record to 9-1 this season.

Destrehan has just one loss so far, a 1-point defeat at the hands of Cabrini. Each of its nine wins have come by double figures.

DHS took control early, outscoring East St. John 25-4 in the opening quarter. Ursin got her team rolling with a corner 3-pointer, then a steal and a layup to make it 8-3. Jasmine Morris chipped in with a drive and a layup and then Ursin found Morris for another bucket to make it 12-3, prompting an ESJ time out.

After the time out, ESJ’s Selena James drew a foul and made one of two free throws, but it didn’t stem the DHS tide. Krysten Kenner made another basket off of an Ursin assist, then Ursin and Lamitra Wells hit back-to-back 3’s.

ESJ (8-5) didn’t score another basket until there was 5:43 left in the first half, Cache Burrell’s bucket in the lane ending a 22-0 DHS run. Ursin hit four 3-pointers in the first half and made a handful of steals leading directly to baskets.

DHS led 56-17 at halftime.

Kennisha Brooks led East St. John with 12 points. Da’Rae Taylor added seven.

It’s the second win over a hot team in less than a week for Destrehan, which toppled a 13-2 Ponchatoula squad 73-57 last week behind 39 Ursin points.