By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

HAMMOND  —  East St. John Ladycats coach Jackson Manuel believes for the first time in his tenure at ESJ, the frontcourt is where the strength of his team lies.

Forward Kannisha Brooks showed she’s one of the reasons why Wednesday night, having herself a little pre-Thanksgiving feast in the paint. Brooks scored 21 points and added 14 rebounds as the Wildcats bested Hammond, 58-45, at the annual Hammond tournament.

“She was a monster tonight,” Manuel said. “She was big on the glass, we got her the ball in the post and she delivered. She did a nice job running the floor. She started coming on for us late last season and this is the type of game she’s capable of.”

Brooks, a L’OBSERVATEUR selection on the 2013-14 All-St. John Parish team, averaged nine points and nine rebounds last season. Manuel said her versatility makes her more valuable than the numbers show.

“You wouldn’t believe it, but she’s the point person on our press,” Manuel said. “She’s very quick and agile for a girl her size. She can put pressure on the ball. Sometimes she’ll jump in and steal the inbounds pass. When she starts getting her hands on the ball, our press really starts to click.”

Taylor Lipps added 12 points for East St. John. Selena James scored nine.

Li’Neshon Legard scored 14 to lead Hammond.

Earlier in the Hammond tournament, ESJ defeated McKinley, 42-29.

Desraiel Schnyder scored nine, Lipps eight and Meah Monroe seven for East St. John.

As has been a trend so far this season, ESJ got off to a strong start, outscoring McKinley 16-5 to begin the game in the first quarter.

“Getting off to a good start is a big point of emphasis for us,” Manuel said. “It boils down to what we do defensively. When we’re running and pressing at a high level, we’re tough for anyone to beat, no matter who we’re playing.”

The Wildcats’ lone loss at the Hammond tournament came at the hands of Covington, which scored a 52-44 win in overtime.

Brooks led ESJ with 12 points.

“We’ve still got a ways to go in a lot of areas,” Manuel said. “We’re a team with three freshmen starters, and when that’s the case, you’re going to be on a roller coaster. But these girls give 100 percent and play hard. And what I really like about this group is they look much better in game six than in games one and two. A lot of early mistakes have been eliminated.”