By: RHETT MANUEL
Sports Editor
FERRIDAY – Traveling about two-and-a-half hours to Ferriday on Monday, the No. 9-seeded Sacred Heart Lady Trojans made the trip with one goal in mind – the Division IV select state quarterfinals.
But, a big second quarter by No. 8 Delta Charter provided the difference in the game, with the Storm ousting the Lady Trojans by a 48-39 margin to end their season.
Delta Charter, led by a prolific guard duo, went on an 13-0 run in the second quarter that saw them stretch out their lead to as many as 14 points and ultimately provided the difference in a game that Sacred Heart could never regain the lead in.
Sacred Heart opened the game playing its preferred style. Kali Shiver put up the team’s first five points of the game to even it up at five apiece early on.
But, the biggest difference in the game was Delta Charter’s guard combo of Chyann Lee and Roniya Ellis.
The senior-sophomore combo combined for 42 of the Storm’s 48 points.
Their advantage was simple. Lee was the quickest girl on the floor and Ellis, standing 5-9, combined a post player’s size with a guard’s agility.
Even with those things working against them, the Lady Trojans battled back. They cut the lead with a Bre’ Ardon three-pointer late in the half, and a Taylor Darbonne shot at the buzzer was ruled no basket as officials said she released it too late.
That shot would’ve cut the lead to single digits heading into the break. Instead, Delta Charter held a 25-14 lead.
Still, Sacred Heart found its stride in the third quarter and outscored the Storm by a 14-7 margin to cut the deficit to four heading into the fourth period – 32-28.
Sacred Heart hit six-of-eight free throws in the third quarter, and three-pointers by Rose Ardoin and Shiver helped the Lady Trojans make big strides towards a win.
But after a relatively quiet three quarters, Ellis found her stride in the fourth quarter.
She sank a pair of threes to take the lead back to 10 points for the Storm. That gap would stretch to 12 points after a Lee layup.
But, Sacred Heart cut the lead to four points with 3:30 remaining in the game. They did it as they have all year, using balanced scoring before Delta ultimately pulled away at the charity stripe behind its dynamic duo.
Shiver and Ardoin finished in double-digits for Sacred Heart with 13 and 11 points respectively.
June 19, 2026
