East Buchanan rallies late to stun Bishop LeBlond in district opener
It’s that special time of year in high school basketball, as Class 1-3 teams have begun district play, including the Class 3 District 15 Tournament, hosted at Lathrop High School.
The opening-round matchup featured No. 4 seed Bishop LeBlond against No. 5 seed East Buchanan. In a low-scoring battle, East Buchanan staged a late comeback to secure a 44-40 victory and advance to the next round.
The first quarter was a feeling-out process, with both teams battling early nerves. Midway through the period, LeBlond held a slim 5-3 lead. Offense remained scarce as turnovers and missed shots disrupted both teams, preventing them from finding a rhythm.
East Buchanan capitalized on LeBlond’s offensive struggles, using a putback near the rim and free throws to take a 7-6 lead into the second quarter.
LeBlond found its footing in the second period, starting with Brensley Fox finishing an and-one putback after grabbing a shot that sailed over the rim. The aggressive play continued as Claire Heater elevated over her defender for a layup.
The Golden Eagles opened the quarter with three straight baskets, extending their lead to 13-7 before East Buchanan’s Piper Jacobs responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to trim the deficit to 16-13.
Both teams slowed down from deep, trading baskets before heading into halftime with LeBlond holding a 20-18 edge.
The third quarter mirrored the second for LeBlond, as they knocked down their first two shots before East Buchanan got on the board with a free throw. However, turnovers plagued the Bulldogs, making it difficult to keep pace.
Momentum swung further in LeBlond’s favor when Kendal Cathcart buried a mid-range jumper, followed by Heater draining a 3-pointer to give the Golden Eagles their first double-digit lead at 33-23.
LeBlond entered the fourth quarter with an advantage, but East Buchanan wasn’t finished. A quick 3-pointer trimmed the deficit as the Golden Eagles hit a scoring drought.
That drought lingered longer than LeBlond would have liked, and it proved costly as the Bulldogs gained confidence from the field. With two minutes remaining, Ainsley Stallard spun past her defender for a layup, tying the game at 37.
The dagger came from the hands of Jacobs, who drained a corner 3-pointer to put East Buchanan ahead 40-37. From there, the Bulldogs never looked back, closing out the game to punch their ticket to the next round.
East Buchanan will now face top-seeded and rival Mid-Buchanan on Thursday.
