Former STM boys basketball star and now LRCH coach Brad Boyd returned to his alma mater for a non-district showdown with Danny Broussard.
It’s always a packed house in the Cougardome when one of St. Thomas More boys basketball head coach Danny Broussard’s former players comes to town.
On Jan. 16, former Cougar and now Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy head coach Brad Boyd returned as a special guest, looking to spoil STM’s winter court festivities.
“It’s always a good thing when it’s a packed crowd, it’s Cougar Court Night, it’s a big tradition, and anytime you can come play your former team and your former coach, it’s an exciting game,” Boyd said. “We’ve probably coached against each other at least 10 times, and I was able to beat him twice, so I was trying to get that third win over him tonight.”
The non-district matchup pitted former coach and player against each other once again, with both teams itching for a win before district play kicked off. This time around, it was Broussard’s old-school coaching that got the job done as STM defeated the Tigers 51-38.
“I’m excited about the win,” Broussard said. “I don’t like beating any of my former players, but Brad — he’s got 12 wins, so he’s got way more than me, so he’ll be all right. But I love Brad, and he’s a competitor, man.”
A swarming Cougar defense
After holding its most recent opponent to just 10 points for the entire game, STM picked up where it left off against the Tigers. The Cougars limited LRCA to just eight points in the first quarter, giving up very little. In the second quarter, that defense turned into offense as STM closed the half on a 14-4 run.
Guards John Michael Charbonnet, LG Carbo and Kyle Guillot played key roles defensively. Charbonnet led the Cougars with three steals, while Guillot had two blocks. Carbo was never afraid of contact, taking charge after charge to force LRCA turnovers.
“I really don’t give them enough credit on defense because we’ve been holding teams to 30 or 40 points a game,” Broussard said. “I think we’re taking pride in getting stops, and that’s what happened tonight.”
While the defense was relentless, forward Ryan Robertson led the offense. He finished with a game-high 12 points to go along with five rebounds and a block. Robertson helped the Cougars enter the fourth quarter with a comfortable lead, making the chance of a Tigers comeback slim.
“You get down by double digits in the fourth quarter, and you know Danny is going for the four-to-score type stuff,” Boyd said. “So you’ve got to scramble a lot and kind of give up a layup here and there while trying to gamble for some steals.”
LRCA looking for a bounce back
STM controlled much of the game, but the Tigers did their best to play catch-up. LRCA was without one of its key starters in guard Xzavier Baker, who is dealing with an ankle injury, forcing several freshmen into the starting lineup.
“These aren’t normal freshmen — they’re three of the best freshmen in the state, and we’re lucky to have them,” Boyd said. “Chance Paddio, Cayman Washington and Keith Guillory held their own, but they had a couple of freshman mistakes. You can go back and see we missed a couple of box outs and had a bunch of wide-open 3s we just didn’t connect on tonight.”
Leading the Tigers offensively in the loss were Washington and combo guard Evan Ledoux, who each finished with nine points. Boyd will look to flush the alma mater homecoming as LRCA closes out its non-district schedule.
Shannon Belt covers high school sports and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow her high school and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: STM boys basketball snags statement win over LRCH and alum Brad Boyd
Category: General Sports
