By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

After a two year absence, West St. John is heading back to the playoffs.

The Rams defeated District 9-1A rival East Iberville on Friday night, 51-42, and in the process wrapped up at least the third seed in the district.

“That was the goal we set,” said Destani Comminie, who scored 12 points for the Rams. “We wanted to come in and beat them, so we stayed focused, practiced hard, and did what we had to so we could accomplish it.”

Kayla Morris led the Rams (8-7, 4-3) with 17 points. Tranell Mitchell added 10 and Alicia Majors scored six.

Dionickka Calloway scored 18 to lead the Tigers.

West St. John shrugged off a series of first half turnovers to lead 26-16 at halftime.

Calloway scored the first two baskets of the second half to cut the lead to six.

But a quick 6-0 run upped the Ram lead to 32-20, including baskets by Majors and Mitchell.

East Iberville (3-10, 2-4) hung around, hovering between six and nine points down into the fourth quarter. When Calloway scored underneath with six minutes left, made it 40-33.

But the Tigers would never get closer. Baskets by Morris, Comminie, and Mitchell extended the lead to 13 with five minutes left, and the Tigers would never get closer than nine again.

Morris was a major factor in the second half, scoring a number of low post baskets and wreaking havoc on the offensive glass. East Iberville never had an answer for her.

“We wanted to pound it inside,” said West St. John Coach Lester Smith. “We tried to do it in the first, but the success came later on.”