RESERVE — It’s not a long trip from Reserve to Hammond, it just took the East St. John High girls basketball team a while to get there.

No. 12 seed East St. John punched its ticket to Hammond and the 2017 girls basketball state tournament Thursday night with a 42-40 overtime victory over No. 4 Denham Springs .

The Wildcats (25-6) will play No. 1 seed Barbe (32-3) in the Class 5A semifinals at 6:15 p.m. Thusday at the University Center at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond.

It is East St. John’s first trip to the semifinals since 2004. Just a few weeks ago the team earned its first home playoff game since 2006 and beat Live Oak, 55-46.

East St. John was the Class 5A state runner-up in 2001, then lost in the semifinals in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Lady Wildcats head coach Stasha Thomas-James was a player on those  ‘03 and ‘04 teams.

“It is the first time I’ll be on the court at Southeastern since I played there,” Thomas-James said. “I can’t do anything but thank God. To think it’s all these years later.”

This East St. John team earned its trip with a hard-fought defensive battle against a solid Denham Springs team that lost in last year’s state championship game.

The Lady Jackets’ hopes for a return trip to Hammond ended when Jayley Couatre missed on a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer.

East St. John had to overcome a night of turnovers and poor shooting. Indya Tutt led the team with 14 points. Taylor Lipps scored 10.

After a 39-39 tie in regulation, the LadyCats took quick control in overtime.

Lipps made a pair of free throws and Nakendria Wilson added another to give ESJ a 42-39 lead with 3:10 remaining.

Denham Springs couldn’t find the net down the stretch and hit only one more free throw the rest of the game.

Barbe knocked ESJ out of last year’s bi-district round.

“We’re a much, much, much better team than we were last year,” Thomas-James said.