MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / January 18, 1999

RESERVE – Clement Carter had 18 points, including four clutch free throws down the stretch, as East St. John held off a Hahnville rally for a 60-58victory Tuesday night in the Wildcat gym.

Louis Gardner added 13 points for East St. John which improved to 2-1 inDistrict 6-5A play and 5-10 overall. Roydell Williams contributed 11points.

Harold Comminie led the Hahnville comeback, scoring 16 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Dwan Landry and Anthony Kenner each added 12points for the Tigers.

East St. John took a 56-45 lead with 1:20 left in the game as the Wildcatsmoved the ball around the perimeter before Gardner found Williams open underneath for a layup. Comminie answered with a jump shot from the freethrow line and after a turnover by the Wildcats, Landry scored on a put back to cut the deficit to seven with 39 seconds left.

Two fouls put the Wildcats into the bonus but Floyd Smith missed the front end of a one-and-one with Kenner pulling down the rebound.

Comminie then brought the Tigers to within 56-52 with 27.2 seconds left.Carter was fouled on the ensuing possession and made both free throws to extend the lead back to six. Comminie made the first of two free throwswith Landry grabbing the second one and was fouled, making both shots to make it 58-55 with 17.5 seconds left.Carl Raymond grabbed a steal near midcourt after the free throws but was called for traveling. Carter then came through again, making both of hisfree throws to make it 60-55. The Tigers broke through the Wildcatspress, getting the ball to Comminie who buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3.4 seconds left.After a timeout by Hahnville, the Wildcats tried to inbound the ball from under the basket but had it stolen by Corey Woods. Woods put up a shot buthad it bounce off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

East St. John led 29-23 at halftime before Hahnville closed to within 33-29 on a layup by Woods. The Wildcats then closed out the third quarter on a12-3 run to take a 13-point lead. Williams found Gardner and Carter insideon consecutive possessions, with Carter finishing the second with a one- handed dunk. Williams then grabbed a steal with Gardner scoring on afollow up. A jump shot by Carter and put backs by Gardner and LawrenceJohnson made it 45-32 heading into the fourth quarter.

East St. John took its biggest lead at 47-32 as Sam Martin scored from theright side to open the final quarter. Hahnville answered with a 10-2 run topull to within seven on a 3-pointer from the left arc by Comminie and a free throw by Woods. Williams answered with a jumper and Smith foundGardner open deep to make it 53-43 with 2:30 remaining.

Hahnville took its last lead of the game at 8-7 on a free throw by Comminie. East St. John came back with a jump shot by Lawrence Taylorand a drive by Smith.

Williams followed with two drives and Darwin Pittman knocked down a jumper to make it 17-14 heading into the second quarter.

Hahnville tied the game at 19 as Kenner grabbed a steal and took it in.

After Williams and Woods traded baskets, Carter dunked a put back to put the Wildcats ahead to stay.

Carter then sandwiched two layups around a put back by Kenner to make it 27-23. Smith drove the lane to make it 29-23 at the half.East St. John coach James Smith said the Wildcats accomplished the goalof getting ahead, controlling the tempo of the game, but did not manage the lead well.

“We got impatient,” Smith said. “We forgot we were leading the game. Butthe free throw line was good to us. We did a great job at the free throwline.”

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