By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports
LAKE CHARLES – Calvary Baptist has been here before, again, and again, and again, and ….
Five state championship games in the last six seasons. No wins. Nada.
The Cavaliers can’t change the past, but they can make amends Saturday at noon when they get a championship rematch with Metairie Park Country Day in the Select Division III finals at Burton Coliseum in the LHSAA’s Marsh Madness.
A young Country Day team shocked top-seeded Calvary 59-56 last March.
“All season we’ve worked to get to this point, since last year when we played here. To get back here is a blessing, a testament to these guys’ hard work,” said Cavs coach Vic Morris.
Meeting the Cajuns again makes the scouting report, and the pregame speech, a bit easier.
“They’re a good team. They play hard, they play together,” said Morris. “We’ve been looking forward to it. That’s the matchup we want.”
Third-seeded Country Day scored – on a loose ball deflected up into the basket — with three seconds left to edge No. 2 Dunham 51-49 in Thursday’s first semifinal.
Calvary, No. 1 seeded again this year, completed setting the rematch with a dominant second half, turning a tie game into a 66-38 rout of fourth-seeded De La Salle in the ensuing matchup.
The Cavs blasted away from 33-all with a game-ending 35-5 assault, beginning with 16 unanswered points from the 1:49 mark of the third quarter into the early stages of the final period.
It evaporated a sluggish battle with eight ties and eight lead changes.
“We made some good adjustments at halftime, and in the third quarter we locked in defensively like we normally do, got some easy baskets and got these guys going,” said Morris.
All but one of De La Salle’s 13 turnovers came after halftime, most in the final 10 minutes. The New Orleanians (21-7) missed all nine of their 3-point tries after going 4-for-12 in the first two quarters.
“We had to regroup with each other, get our minds right, and get back in the game,” explained Cavs’ junior guard Jaiden Hall, who scored 13.
Calvary junior point guard Tyrone Jamison led the way with 21 points, right on his average, and 12 rebounds, double his average. Eight of his points came in the decisive 16-point burst.
“In the first half we came out kind of slow, not playing our game. We came out in the second half and did just that,” said Jamison, last year’s Class AA Most Outstanding Player on the All-State team.
Morris good-naturedly questioned his rebound total. Jamison said it was compensating for a subpar shooting start.
“Doing whatever it takes to win. First half, started out slow so I was just rebounding the ball, making plays for other guys. In the second half, it opened up for me.”
Craig Davis contributed a double-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and Robert Wright added 10 points to the Cavs’ onslaught. Calvary crushed De La Salle on the boards, 50-22 – including 25-8 after halftime.
The Cavaliers won their 18th straight and are 32-4 heading into Saturday. Country Day is 23-5.
Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com