MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / February 5, 2000

RESERVE – Forget “Judging Amy” or “NYPD Blue”, the East St. John gym isgetting to be the best place for drama on Tuesdays between 9 and 10 p.m.A week after the Wildcats upset Hahnville in double overtime by hitting shots in the final seconds in both regulation and the first extra period, Wayne Mendoza hit two free throws with three seconds left Tuesday, giving East St.

John a 60-59 victory over Destrehan.

The win improved East St. John to 15-9 overall and kept the Wildcats in theplayoff hunt with a 5-3 record in District 7-5A. East St. John is a game backof Thibodaux for third place in the district. Destrehan fell to 7-17 overallincluding 1-7 in district play.

“We had lost a tough game to Thibodaux (Friday night) and we needed a bounce-back game,” East St. John coach James Smith said. “I think it was agreat team effort. Everybody stepped up and leaned on each other.”East St. John trailed, 59-54, going into the final two minutes before Mendozacut the deficit to three by banking in a jumper from the right side. Apossession later, Louis Gardner grabbed a rebound and passed to Lawrence Taylor. Taylor knocked down a jumper from the right baseline, bringing theWildcats to within 59-58 with 1:08 remaining.

Mark Stewart was fouled on Destrehan’s ensuing possession but missed the front end of a one-and-one with Gardner grabbing the rebound. After callingtimeout, the Wildcats worked the clock down before taking a shot with seven seconds left. Mendoza grabbed the rebound in the lane and was fouled. AfterDestrehan called timeout to ice him, Mendoza stepped to the line and hit both shots, making it 6-59.

After Richard Jones inbounded the ball to David Schexnaydre at midcourt, the Wildcats called timeout. Scott Simon then inbounded the pass to DamianRichard on the right baseline. Richard went up high to grab the pass and putup a shot that went long at the buzzer.

“It was a tough one,” Destrehan coach Mike McNamara said. “We’ve lost ourlast three games in the last seconds of the game. We just couldn’t put themaway.”Taylor led a balanced attack by East St. John with 12 points. Gardner added11 while Sam Martin had 10. Mendoza finished with eight points, GraylinMitchell with seven and Darwin Pittman and Micheal Brown with six apiece.

Destrehan was led by Simon with 20 points. Richard contributed 12 pointswhile Jeremy Parquet added 10.

Destrehan took a 45-41 into the fourth quarter before Pittman opened the quarter with a jumper from the top of the key. Destrehan came back withjumpers by Richard and Stewart to go ahead by seven. East St. John rallied,pulling to within 53-52 with 4:15 left on a 3-pointer by Taylor and jumpers by Martin and Gardner.

Parquet scored on consecutive possessions to build the lead back to five.

After a jumper by Brown, Scott hit one from the left baseline to make it 59- 54 with 2:40 remaining.

Destrehan led 27-25 at halftime but went on a 9-2 run over the first 3:03 of the second half to take a nine-point lead. Scott hit a 3-pointer from the rightcorner and Richard scored twice to make it 36-27 with 4:57 left in the third quarter.

East St. John got the lead down to six on a jumper from the right side byBrown. But Schexnaydre came right back with a drive down the lane, thentook a steal by Richard in. Jones then grabbed a steal, passed toSchexnaydre, got the ball back and drove in to increase the lead to 43-31.

Pittman knocked down a jumper from the top of the key, grabbed a steal and passed to Martin driving in to cut the deficit to six. Brown then hit two freethrows to make it 45-41 heading into the final quarter.

East St. John jumped out to a 9-2 lead to open the game. Destrehan cameback to pull to within 11-8 on Simon’s 3-pointer from the left wing. But EastSt. John answered as Taylor converted a three-point play to make it 16-10.Schexnaydre hit two free throws to tie the game at 16 with 6:18 left in the half. A drive by Richard gave Destrehan its first lead on its next possession.Mitchell hit a 3-pointer and a jumper from the left side to regain the lead for East St. John. Destrehan came back with two free throws by Travis Wilrightto take a 27-25 lead into the lockerroom.

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