MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / December 13, 2000

DESTREHAN – With the middle clogged up in the second half against H.L.Bourgeois Monday night, Destrehan went to its outside game.

And Mark Stewart delivered, scoring a career-high 29 points to lead the Wildcats to a 64-46 victory over the Braves in non-district play.

Destrehan improved to 6-5 while H.L. Bourgeois dropped to 6-5.”With those two big guys in the middle, we knew we had to find other ways to get our offense,” Destrehan head coach Joe Schick said. “Stewart steppedup and played a great game. It was his best game of the year.”Stewart scored 22 of his points in the final second half, including the Wildcats’ first 12 points of the third quarter. He hit six 3-pointers in thefinal 13 minutes of the game.

“In the first half, the shots weren’t falling,” Stewart said. “Coach gave us agood pep talk at halftime and got us ready for the second half. I startedconcentrating more on my shot.”Travis Wilright contributed 10 points for Destrehan while Chris Moore tossed in another eight points.

Raymond Celestine led Bourgeois with 15 points. Charles Phillips added 14points and Broderick Collins 12.

“I thought Travis did a great job on number one (Collins),” Schick said. “Hereally played him even.”Bourgeois rallied from a 30-26 halftime deficit to take a 31-30 lead on a jumper by Telly Meads with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter. That’s whenStewart heated up, hitting 3-pointers from the left wing on three of the next four possessions to give the Wildcats a 39-33 lead with 3:15 left.

Stewart buried another 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 42-33 with 1:10 remaining. Moore scored off a rebound by Lonnie Vasquez to make it a13-point game but Celestine was fouled on a shot from midcourt as the buzzer sounded. Celestine made all three free throws to cut the deficit to46-36 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Braves pulled to within eight on their first possession of the final quarter as Collins drove in for a layup. The Wildcats then went on a 7-0 runas Stewart buried a jumper and a 3-pointer and bounced a pass inside to Wilright, extending the lead to 53-38 with five minutes to play. Richard Joneswould take a steal in after another 3-pointer by Stewart to make it 58-41 with 3:30 remaining.

Bourgeois then mounted a furious rally, going on a 15-2 run over the next three minutes. Celestine started the run with a 3-pointer from the right wingwith 3:23 left. Three-pointers by Meads and Gilbert Nelson and a drive byCelestine brought the Braves to within 60-56 with 23 seconds left.

But after a Bourgeois timeout, Stewart avoided getting fouled in the backcourt and passed to Wilright. Wilright then tossed to Moore who foundScott Simon underneath to make it a four-point game. Jones took anothersteal in for the final score.

Destrehan took a 13-7 lead in the first quarter on a jumper from the free throw line by Wilright. Vasquez converted a three-point play off a drive alongthe left baseline, then took another pass in for a dunk to help the Wildcats take an 18-13 lead into the second quarter.

Wilright hit another jumper and Jasmine Eugene scooped in a shot to make it a nine-point advantage early in the second quarter. A drive from the rightside by Jones made it 26-17 with 3:35 remaining in the half.

Bourgeois pulled to within 28-24 with 1:30 left on a drive by Phillips and a 3- pointer by Meads. Stewart drove down the lane to scoop in a shot butCelestine answered with a put back to make it 30-26 at the half.

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