By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

RESERVE — East St. John earned its third straight victory Monday as the Ladycats defeated rival Hahnville, 44-36.

Kennisha Brooks scored 14 points to lead ESJ (17-7, 10-3). Da’Rae Taylor added 13.

Yasah Gale led HHS with 18. Janet Marshall scored 12.

ESJ scored 21 points in the final period to finish the Tigers, who kept pace with the Wildcats after taking an early lead into the second quarter.

“We were really sluggish,” East St. John coach Jackson Manuel said. “We missed a ton of real easy shots. Our defense kept the game where it was. That carried us all night.”

ESJ led 12-11 at half.

Brooks and Taylor led the offensive charge for the Wildcats, while Manuel credited Meah Monroe, Kariontae Victor and Brianna Thompson for a strong defensive effort.

Victor, Manuel said, has continued to be a big lift off the bench.

“She gave us a real spark,” he said.

ESJ won a pair of games last week to bounce back from consecutive district losses, besting H.L. Bourgeois 63-23 and Central Lafourche 57-14.

Against H.L. Bourgeois,  Brooks scored 18 and Taylor Lipps scored 10 to lead the Wildcats.

In the Central Lafourche win, Brooks scored 18, Taylor 12 and Thompson 10 points.

The Wildcats were slated to face Thibodaux Friday, after press time, in a game that would determine runner-up status in District 7-5A behind Destrehan, which has clinched the district title outright for the second straight season.