Wildcat Trenton Marshall gets 22 to lead all scorers

By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

NEW ORLEANS — East St. John looked dominant for three full quarters of play last Friday, going into the final period ahead of Bonnabel by 16 points. But the Wildcats got stagnant in the final eight minutes and nearly knocked themselves out of the playoffs until ESJ’s Geohadre Dorsey came through with four crucial points in the waning minutes to open up the lead and the eventual 59-57 victory.

East St. John played a tale of two halves, seldomly turning the ball over in the first, then losing a handful late in the second. The Wildcats went into halftime up by 11 and came out of the break still pretty sharp. Behind game high scorer Trenton Marshall’s 22 points, much of it created by his physical play in the paint, ESJ seemed to have it well in hand. But Bonnabel’s man-to-man defense in the fourth quarer shook up the Wildcats, forcing turnovers and difficulties in getting off high-percentage shots. It wasn’t until Dorsey knocked down a free throw with less than five seconds remaining and the Bruins couldn’t get off a clean shot that the game ended with a 59-57 win for the Wildcats.

Vincent Stewart and Willie Lago rounded out East St. John’s high scorers with 13 and 11 respectively.

The win advances ESJ to face H.L. Bourgeois in the regionals round this week.