By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — West St. John kicked off District 8-1A play last week as the Lady Rams captured two lopsided victories over East Iberville and Ascension Christian respectively. 

On Friday night, WSJ toppled Ascension Christian 74-30, led by Maya Trench’s 25-point night.

JuJuan Nicholas scored 21 and Jaquanna Hunter added 15 for the Lady Rams, who improved to 15-5 this season. It was West St. John’s third straight win.

The Rams outscored the Lions 29-6 in the first quarter and never relented, riding that momentum to a 47-14 halftime lead and to its eventual final victory margin.

“We can’t complain too much about a 29-point first quarter,” said West St. John coach Lester Smith. “We’re capable of doing that when things are clicking. We need to come out with that kind of intensity.”

On Tuesday, West St. John broke open a 3-point lead after the first quarter with a 23-6 surge in the second, all but putting East Iberville (0-14) away.

Trench scored 20 to lead all scorers. Nicholas scored 18 and Lakendra Lewis 17. 

“We started a little slow, a little rusty, and it took awhile for us to pick it up,” said Smith. 

Trench and Nicholas have been consistent forces all season long. Trench averages a St. John Parish-high 21 points per game, while Nicholas is second with 19 points per game. 

Lewis’ 17, meanwhile, was a career-high for the freshman guard.

“She played well off the bench for us,” said Smith. “(More performances like that) would be a plus, definitely. She can score. If one of our guards gets into foul trouble, it would be a big lift for us to have another scorer to count on.”

Smith said that something of a slow start on Tuesday contributed to the level of focus early on in the Ascension Christian (5-9) win.

“We talked about converting our chances. Little mental mistakes, missed layups and free throws, and eliminating those,” said Smith. “We did a better job Friday night.”