Split decision

MAMOU – It was a split decision Monday night as the Mamou boys’ and girls’ teams took on Rapides High in a non-district affair.
In the opening contest, the Rapides Lady Mustangs dominated from the jump, galloping out to a 19 point lead after one quarter of play on route to a 55-20 win over the Lady Demons.
The nightcap was quite different, as the Mamou Demons had to come back from a three point deficit after three quarters of play to steal a 45-42 win over the Mustangs.
With the loss, the Lady Demons are now 4-6 on the year and were scheduled to compete in the Basile Tournament on Wednesday. The Demons improved to 5-8 overall and were also scheduled to compete in the Basile Tournament.
Rapides did not waste much time separating themselves from Mamou in the girls’ game. Using a suffocating full court pressing defense, the Lady Mustangs reeled off 10 points before allowing the Lady Demons to score.
It was not until the 5:48 mark that Mamou was able to get on the board when Brianna Thibodaux hit a basket from about 12 feet out. The Lady Demons did get on the board once again with a bucket by JaMyra Arvie, but it was all Rapides in the first quarter as the Lady Mustangs held a 23-4 lead when the period came to a close.
Things were not much better for Mamou in the second quarter. The Lady Demons were held to only two points the entire period, while Rapides rolled out 20 more points to take a 43-6 into the locker room.
With the game out of reach, the third quarter saw a running clock and a number of substitutions from both clubs. Mamou picked up a three-point basket from Thibodaux, a two-point bucket from Dacia Richard and a free throw from Hannah Thomas in the period. However, Rapides held a 51-12 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Lady Demons picked up the pace offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points. Defensively, Mamou controlled the tempo to win the period, but was too far out to win the contest. Thibodaux led all Lady Demons with seven points.
In the boys’ game that followed, Mamou bolted out to a 5-0 lead in the first 1:11 of the opening quarter. Rapides chipped its way back into the contest, tying things up at 7-7 at the 2:40 mark.
The Demons responded with two more buckets to go up by four. After the Mustangs tied the game up once again, Mamou’s Tre’von Gallow and Kyrin Greene knocked down back-to-back three pointers to give the Demons a 17-11 lead as the quarter finished out.
Rapides began the second quarter on a 6-0 run to knot the score up at 17-17. From that point on, it was a back-and-forth affair, with each team matching the other’s intensity.
The Mustangs actually took a 23-21 lead with 1:37 to go in the period. But, the Demons would not allow that to stand, as they bucketed the last four points in the quarter to lead 25-23 heading into the locker room.
That lead evaporated quickly to begin the third quarter, with Rapides collecting the first seven points of the period to go up 30-25 with five minutes to go in the period. Mamou had a chance to get back into the game, going to the free throw line three in consecutive possessions. But, the Demons could only hit on two of six attempts at the charity stripe and trailed 33-27 at the 3:09 mark when Rapides drilled a three-point bucket.
Fortunately, Mamou did not let its woes at the free throw line deter them from hitting shots beyond the arc. The Demons tied the game up at 33-33 when Leandre Harrison scorched the nets with two three-point baskets in a row.
The two teams exchanged baskets over the next 1:18 to make it even once more. The Mustangs took a 38-35 lead heading into the final period, when they were able to knock down a three-pointer of their own with 38 seconds to go in the quarter.
With the game in the balance, the teams matched each other point for point until Rapides held a 41-40 lead with 3:15 left in the contest. Nevertheless, it was defense that eventually pulled the game out for Mamou, as Harrison stepped in front of a pass and took it the distance for the lay-up, putting the Demons ahead 42-41 with 1:29 to go.
Down the stretch, Mamou had to find their free throw game, as they were sent to the line on three separate occasions. The Demons did exactly what they needed to seal the game, sinking three of five free throws to hold on to the win.
Harrison led the way for Mamou with 15 points.