MICHAEL KIRAL / L’Observateur / March 20, 1999

A pair of Hahnville Lady Tigers headline L’Observateur’s 1998-99 All- River Parishes Girls’ Basketball team.

Hahnville coach Earl Oestriecher is the Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Tigers to their first playoff appearance this decade, finishing the season with a 24-11 record after going 10-19 a year ago. HelpingOestriecher complete that turnaround was senior Keanna Bethencourt, the Player of the Year.

Keanna Bethencourt Hahnville Senior Guard Most Valuable Player

The Lady Tigers enjoyed a resurgence during the 1998-99 season and one major reason was the play and leadership of Bethencourt.

Bethencourt’s ball-handling skills were among the best in the area.

Against East St. John’s relentless press early in the season, she scored 18points as the Lady Tigers nearly pulled off the upset of the two-time defending district champions on the road. In the playoffs, she scored a 24points to lead her team to a 54-53 victory over Glen Oaks. She would add13 points in the Lady Tigers’ loss to Dominican in the regionals.

Bethencourt led the Lady Tigers with a 15.9 points per game average,shooting 58 percent from the field. But her most impressive statisticmight be her 8.1 assists per game average. The all-District 6-5A selectioncould also get it done on defense, averaging 4.9 steals a contest.

Earl Oestriecher Hahnville Coach of the Year

Hahnville boasted of one of the top girls’ basketball programs in the state in the late 1980s, advancing to the Sweet 16 from 1986-88. But theprogram went into a decline in the 1990s, failing to make the postseason this decade.

Then Oestriecher came aboard this season and quickly went about turning the program, which had gone 10-19 a year ago, around. The Lady Tigersadvanced to the finals of the Destrehan tournament early in the season where they fell to Destrehan. Hahnville came back to defeat the Lady Catsin the second game of district play. Ten days later, the Lady Tigers battledeventual district champion East St. John to the wire on the road beforefalling in overtime.

Hahnville finished the season with a second place finish in District 6-5A with a 11-3 record. The Lady Tigers opened the playoffs with a 54-53victory over Glen Oaks. In the regionals, Hahnville threw a scare intoperennial state contender Dominican, leading after the first quarter and trailing by only two at the break before falling, 71-46. Hahnvillecompleted the year at 24-11 record overall.

Landrell Armant St. JamesSenior Forward

Armont was a second-team all-District 10-3A selection for the Lady Cats this season. The senior forward led St. James with 11 rebounds per gameto go with a 14 points per game average.

Krista Danos St. Charles CatholicSenior Guard

St. Charles Catholic coach Jeff Montz called Danos “the best littlerebounder in the nation.” Her numbers – 4.5 points per game, threerebounds, fours assists and three steals a game – don’t tell the whole story of her importance to the team while she filled in at guard for Liz Dufresne. The honorable mention all-District selection was also theteam’s best defensive player.

Liz Dufresne St. Charles CatholicJunior Guard

Dufresne was the Lady Comets’ leading scorer, averaging 15 points per contest, despite missing part of the season with a back injury. The all-District 9-2A selection helped lead St. Charles Catholic to its firstplayoff appearance since 1996, averaging four assists and three steals a contest.

Tynell Fleming Lutcher Senior Forward

Fleming pulled down 4.1 rebounds a game to go with a 15.8 points percontest average. The all-District 10-3A selection also had 2.7 assists and1.8 steals per game.

Shameka Jackson Lutcher Senior Forward

Jackson teamed with Fleming to give the Lady Bulldogs a formidable one- two scoring punch. The all-District 10-3A selection averaged a team-high17.1 points and 3.2 assists a game. Jackson also pulled down 3.7 reboundsand grabbed 2.3 steals a contest.

Kinya Lennix East St. JohnSophomore Forward

“Probably the most athletic player I have ever coached.”Those were the word of East St. John coach Troy Giordano. Quite acompliment from a coach who has had Tamika Williams and Keeshawn Carter, both of whom are now playing at the Division I level in college, on his teams.

A dangerous outside shooter, Lennix was at her best as a penetrator.

Lennix stepped up game after game, leading the Lady Cats with 19.3 pointsper contest. Lennix also grabbed 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals and had 2.6assists a game in being named first team all-District 6-5A.

Ginnia Lewis East St. JohnJunior Guard

Giordano called Lewis “the heart and soul of the team, especially on the defensive end of the court.”The lightning quick two-guard picked the opponent’s pocket an average of 5.4 times per game in being named to the all-District 6-5A team. Lewiscould also break the opposition’s press, averaging 1.9 assists per game togo along with her 12.2 points per game average.

Joevone Markey Destrehan Sophomore Center

Markey was the Lady Cats’ dominant force in the paint, grabbing 15 boards and blocking four shots per contest. Markey could also toss them in,averaging 12 points a contest in being named to the all-District 6-5A first team.

Michelle Millet Riverside Senior Forward

Millet capped a stellar career with the Lady Rebels by helping lead them to a second-place finish in District 9-2A. The all-District 6-5A selectionaveraged 17 points and seven rebounds a game overall. She shined indistrict, scoring 20 points a contest, including 23 points in the Lady Rebels’ playoff clincher at St. Charles Catholic.

Diamondique Pollard Destrehan Junior Guard

Pollard stepped up in the absence of Kammi Darensbourg to become the Lady Cats’ leading scorer. The first-team all-District 6-5A selectionaveraged 13 points per contest, including a 30-point effort against South Lafourche. She was also the team’s best defensive player and led the squadin steals.

Kavonna Reese East St. JohnJunior Center

The best statement about Reese came from Oestriecher who commented after his team’s second game against the Lady Cats that “every time we went inside, No. 55 kept sending them back outside.”That was true for many a team this season as the all-District 6-5A selection averaged 3.2 blocks per game. Reese was also one of the toprebounders around, grabbing an average of 12.5 boards a game. Reese could get it done offensively as well, tossing down 12.4 points acontest and developed a dangerous outside shot late in the season.

Reese also had 1.8 assists and 2.3 steals a game. Toyelle Rickson Hahnville Freshman Forward

Rickson had quite a freshman season, averaging 13.8 points a game inhelping the Lady Tigers make the state playoffs.

The all-District 6-5A selection shot 51 percent from the field and grabbed 11.1 rebounds a game. She could also find the open player,averaging 3.1 assists a contest.

Crystal Rome Riverside Eighth Grade Guard

Rome will be a force to reckon with for the Lady Rebels in the years to come. In her first high school season, she stepped up in place of theinjured Jennifer Guidry at the guard position and helped lead the Lady Rebels to the state playoffs.

The all-District 9-2A selection averaged 12 points and three steals a game to go along with an average of three assists.

Crystal Stipe West St. JohnSenior Guard

Stipe is another senior who wrapped up a stellar career during the 1998- 99 season. The first-team all-District 9-2A selection led the team inscoring for the second straight season with a 12.5 points per gameaverage.

Stipe, who has started since the eighth grade, averaged 14.8 points indistrict action.

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