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by Tom Dodge- Daily World-Feb. 14, 1999 |
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| LEBEAU - After all these years, North Central head coach Butch Fontenot still gets excited about a win. With his arms pumping air after the game, Fontenot’s Hurricanes clinched first place in District 5-lA with a 73-57 win over Mamou Friday night. North Central now travels to Basile 6:30 p.m. Monday and closes out the regular season Friday night at Sacred Heart of Ville Platte. “I was expecting a very close game,” the North. Central head coach said after their 12th-straight victory. “I was looking for a six or seven-point ball game, like when we went over there.” “They were doubling and tripling down on Derrick (Tezeno) inside,” the Hurricane coach said of the Mamou defense. “We just didn’t do a good job of taking a good look at the outside shot.” North Central remained on track for their first-ever undefeated district season as they improved to 12-0, with two regular season, road games left. |
“We would like to go 14-0, because the playoffs are right around the corner,” Fontenot commented. “This would be the first time.” Mamou fell to 9-3 in district, three games behind the Hurricanes. “I thought our depth helped,” Fontenot said after the game. I think they wore down a little bit toward the end.” The Hurricanes jumped out to a 6-2 quick lead but Mamou’s Scott Thomas drilled a three-pointer to rapidly close the gap, 6-5. Dexter Fontenot and Drexier Thomas drained back-to-back treys to give the Green Demons an 11-8 advantage. North Central galloped on an eight-point run to close out the opening quarter ahead 15-11. The two teams battled for control in the second period and the Hurricanes were able to grab the upper hand as the teams headed into intermission. Mamou was able to close the gap to a single point with a 5-2 run to open the quarter. But the Hurricanes mounted an 8-3 rally and a 25-19 margin midway through the period. |
Dale Serie popped a three-pointer for Mamou to pull closer 25-22, just as North Central rolled on an 11-3 romp. Adrian Ford drilled a three- pointer at the buzzer to raise the noise level in the crowded Hurricane gym as North Central took a 38-25 lead into the break. The Hurricanes scored 19, third- quarter points, sparked by the inside game of Jamie Tanner, who finished with eight points. Drexler Thomas, who finished with 13 points for the Green Demons, hit back-to-back treys late in the third quarter to close the Hurricane lead to 53-36. It was the Green Demons that continued to make noise in the final eight minutes with a 9-0 run to open the period. After North Central scored four unanswered points, Serie hit his second trey attempting to keep the game close, 61-48. The Demons later dosed the gap to 65-57, but with only two minutes left in the contest. The Hurricanes scored the final eight points of the game, including a three pointer by senior Robert Thierry at the horn. |
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