Milesnick Makes the Difference!

America is a great country:  If you keep showing up and doing your best, you can be the hero.  And that's just what happened to Jesse Milesnick today.  Jesse has come to practice and done everything that has been asked of him.  He is always in the right place at the right time.  And today it paid off.

In addition to making key defensive stops and pulling down rebounds, Jesse scored two key buckets in the third quarter.  His four points provided the margin of victory as first place LSU beat a well-coached Texas team by three points in overtime, 36-33.

It was a tense game.  It was a physical game.  Texas was whistled for 31 fouls.  Four Texas players were disqualified with five fouls each.  

LSU fell behind early and were looking up from a six point deficit at the half.  They pulled to within two points at the end of the third, and pulled even at the end of regulation.  Then the Texas players started dropping like flies.  They couldn't keep up with the LSU speed, and as a result the fouled.  As the Texas players exited the game, LSU established a 7-4 overtime advantage, five of which came on free throws.

All nine LSU players who played contributed to the win.  Will Howes scored a dozen and Walter Rivas scored ten to lead LSU in scoring.

Defense the Key to LSU Title Hopes

With very few exceptions, LSU have played tough defense this year.  All of LSU's eight wins are the result of team defense.  All ten players pitch in and do their parts.  All ten players know their roles.  They dive for loose balls.  They get rebounds.  They force turnovers.  Their full-court press is intimidating.  That will have to continue for LSU to finish the season strong, and win the division championship.  

LSU is in the driver's seat:  If we win our final three games, then no one can catch us.  To do that, we need to continue to defend, defend, defend.  LSU will get a chance to display the defense that put us in first place this Saturday against rival Texas.

Showdown with Second Place Longhorns Saturday

LSU is in control of its own destiny with three games remaining in the regular season.  They hold a one and one half game lead over rival Texas, who has won five and lost three.  Texas has lost two of their last three games, and is struggling to score points.

LSU is looking to rebound from a loss last Saturday.

A win this Saturday would guarantee LSU at least a share of the division title.  

"The Bandit" Eclipses the Century Mark

Walter "the Bandit" Rivas earned his nickname for his uncanny ability to steal the ball from the opposition and start a fast break.  This year, Walter has added scoring to his repertoire.  Walter's basket on Saturday raised his season point total to 101 in 9 games, making his the second LSU player to pass the 100 point mark.  Congratulations to Walter!

Race Tightens as LSU and Texas fall

Standings in the 5th and 6th grade boys in-town division tightened Saturday as the division's top two teams lost nail-biters. LSU fell to Marquette by 4 points. Texas lost to Notre Dame by 1 point. As a result, LSU maintains a 1 1/2 game lead over Texas with three teams - Notre Dame, Villanova and Marquette right on their heels.

LSU's loss brought to an end a brilliant seven-game winning streak. LSU were stymied by the ref's whistle. LSU was called for a record 22 fouls to Marquette's 11. Three LSU players (Walter Rivas, Will Howes and Noah Kleitsch) were disqualified with five fouls each, marking the first time this season that any LSU player has fouled out of a game.

LSU was still nearly able to overcome the fouls. Two of LSU's fabulous fifth graders combined for 11 points. Noah Kleitsch dropped in seven points in a breakthrough performance. Nick Liccardi added four in addition to taking on a big part of the responsibility on defense. Will Howes dropped in 21 points after an early injury took him out of the game.

LSU returns to action on Saturday in Chester against second place Texas.

Tigers Emerge from Break Atop the Division

The Presidents Week break is almost over, and the final four games of the regular season are upon us.  Going into the final stretch, LSU sits in first place with a 7-1 record with a 1 1/2 game lead over Texas.  The outlook is good going into the homestretch.  Why?

LSU boasts a balanced scoring attack.  While most teams in the division tend to rely on one scorer, LSU can get big time scoring from three players.  Will "the Thrill" Howes, Walter "il Bandito" Rivas and Ryan "Shaq" Lane all have multiple double-digit scoring efforts under their belts.

Will passed the century mark in points for the second time in two seasons in the Chester League, scoring 114 points in 8 games.  He has scored in double figures 7 times with a high game of 20.

Walter is on the brink of the century mark, scoring 99 points in 8 games.  He has scored in double figures 7 times with a high game of 14.

Ryan has scored 47 points in 7 games.  He has scored in double figures twice with a high game of 18.  At his current pace, he stands a good chance of becoming the third LSU player to top the century mark.  Ryan leads a platoon of seven fabulous fifth graders, all of whom are learning how to score the basketball.

LSU boasts a dynamic defense.  All ten players contribute by stopping their opponent, diving for loose balls and competing for rebounds.  The combination of a balanced scoring attack and a dynamic defense make LSU tough to beat.

Lane Leads LSU to Lopsided Win

Ryan Lane dominated under the boards and scored a season high 18 points to lead first-place LSU to a 43-27 victory over a vastly improved Louisville squad.  Ryan seemed to hit from everywhere on the court, dropping in a 15 foot jump shot, netting second chance points from offensive rebounds and going coast-to-coast on a fast break.  This was Ryan's second double-digit scoring effort.

Will Howes orchestrated the offense, adding ten points of his own to the effort.  Walter Rivas added seven.  Fabulous Fifth Graders Noah Kleitsch (4) and Nick Liccardi (2) added key buckets of their own.

Once again, the notorious Bermuda Triangle defense stopped the opposition cold.  The team held Louisville to two points in the third quarter, building a seemingly insurmountable 11 point lead.  LSU stretched the lead to twenty points in the fourth before yielding two late buckets.

The win marks LSU's seventh consecutive victory going into the Presidents Weekend Break.