By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – After a season of adjustment and adversity, the St. Charles Lady Comets are off to a strong start in 2013.
SCC will head into its district schedule with a 6-3 record under coach Larry Bettencourt in his second season with the team. Despite a 41-25 loss last Friday to Lutcher, the Comets will have a good bit of momentum at their backs when they tip off with District 11-3A foe St. Katharine Drexel at home Friday, tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m.
The Comets swept a pair of games at the Hoops on the Isle Classic at Grand Isle leading into the Lutcher game, besting host Grand Isle 50-24 and topping Crescent City 34-22 to finish in first place at the tourney.
Corian Hill scored 9 to lead Lutcher (4-5) to Friday’s victory, while Jasmine Wooden added 8.
Julia Cupit led the Comets with 10 points, while Lela Hill scored 7.
Lutcher led 13-2 after the first quarter, riding its defensive pressure to an early lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“We just couldn’t handle their defensive pressure for four quarters,” said Bettencourt. “Otherwise, the girls did okay. The effort was there. Lutcher’s got a pretty solid team.”
Against Crescent City (3-1), Kaitlyn Lowry led the way with 11 points. Hill added 8.
Dajha Virgil led Crescent City with 9.
In the Grand Isle game, Cupit scored 14 to lead SCC. Maddie Murphy scored 12 while Hill and Lowry each scored 10. 
“We faced some pressure at that tournament, and I thought that time we handled it fairly well,” said Bettencourt. “It was a positive performance. We’re young, and going down there and getting two wins was a nice confidence builder.”
The Comets have gotten off to a strong start on the back of their defense. SCC has held six opponents to 24 points or less, including lows of 13 and 7.
“We’re playing really good defense,” said Bettencourt. “The key is that the girls have bought into the system. They believe in themselves.”
The Comets have been able to stifle opponents via a matchup zone.
“It might be confusing some teams offensively,” said Bettencourt. “But really, it comes down to the girls playing very hard.’
“It’s been good, overall team defense. It goes back to the work they put in over the summer.”
Cupit, one of just two seniors on the team, began to break out as a go-to scorer for SCC last season. Bettencourt said that the forward has only improved since then.
“She’s been consistent each night,” he said. “I’ve been really pleased with the senior leadership she’s given us. She’s playing really well.”
St. Katharine Drexel will be a good litmus test for the Comets as they enter a very competitive District 11-3A slate. That district also includes Sacred Heart, John Curtis, McMain, McGehee, Lusher and De La Salle.
“It’s a tough district, for sure,” said Bettencourt. “(Drexel) has been a playoff team over the past few years, traditionally a strong program. We’ll see how we stack up.”