BY GEORGE MAHL

RESERVE – The West St. John High School Rams rebounded from a loss Friday in the Riverside Holiday Tournament to soundly defeat St. James Saturday, 84-53. With the victory, the Rams claimed third place in the tournament.

“Overall, it was a complete team effort out there. I’m disappointed we didn’t make it to the championship, but I’m thankful we made it this far,” said WSJ head coach Antoine Edwards.

Early on it looked as if the Rams were going to blow St. James out of the building. Rams starter Brad Boudoin’s kiss off the glass made the score 19-6 West St John with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Rams’ fast-paced style gave them points early and often in the first quarter.

At one point, the Rams scored eight points in one minute. The Rams got balanced scoring from guard Josh Lumar and forward Quinn Johnson. Each had eight points in the opening period.

Johnson’s jumper with 13 seconds left in the first quarter gave WSJ a 27-12 lead.

The closest the Wildcats got in the second quarter was 14 points. After Desi Steib sank two free throws, Rams junior Thomas Augusta finished a three-point play, thus giving the Class 2A school a 37-21 lead with about three minutes left until halftime. A 37-21 lead quickly became a 44-23 halftime lead for the Rams.

A 14-4 run to start the third period broke the game open. After Boudoin’s two free throws, Wildcats starter Nick Narcisse hit a jumper to make the score 54-27.

Edwards played most of his second- and third-string players in the third and fourth quarters. To their credit, the Wildcats played better defensively in the second half, allowing only 33 points. However, the Rams defense played just as well, especially in the last quarter. A three-point bucket by Jerrell Price was the only scoring the Rams allowed in the period.

“I don’t think we played well physically tonight,” said SJ coach James Smith.

It won’t get any easier for the Wildcats as they will play East St. John High School in the River Parish Shootout Saturday at Reserve Christian School. Leading scorers for the Rams included Lumar, who finished with 16 points, Boudoin, who contributed 15 points, and Johnson, who added nine. For SJHS, Dacien Braxton had nine points in defeat.