Bella Doucet: Quick Reactor for VC

Vermilion Catholic junior Bella Doucet is intelligent (27 on her ACT and maintains a 4.0 grade point average), has a beautiful first name (named after her great, great grandmother), but she has something that can never be taught. It has to come natural.
Doucet, who is from Kaplan and a product of Maltrait Memorial, has what VC head coach Kim Guidry said is quick reaction.
“Bella reacts well,” said Guidry about her new forward. “She is at the right place at the right time. That is something you can not teach. That is instinct you already have.”
Doucet’s reaction to the basketball created a handful of turnovers against Hanson, which led to easy layups for her teammates. She had a couple of blocked shots and a few rebounds to go, along with her steals, and 13 points in the 38-21 win over Hanson.
Doucet was more excited to know she played well on defense than learning how many points she scored on offense against Hanson.
“I did well on defense,” said Doucet. “VC focuses a lot on defense in practice, and that is the key to our momentum. If I am having a bad game on offense, I know I can work hard on defense and make something happen.”
VC’s defense against Hanson in the first half did what the VC coaches preached in practice.
Because of Hanson’s turnovers, VC led 15-1 at the end of the first quarter.
At halftime is was 23-6.
The only downside to VC’s first half performance was its poor shooting.
VC, despite its big lead, shot 26 percent (9-out-of-34) in the first half.
The Lady Eagles’ shooting did not improve in the third period. The Lady Eagles also shot 26 percent (5-out-of-19) in the third period. Because of poor shooting, Hanson was able to crawl back into the game, and was down 32-16 at the end of the third period.
“If you can still shoot that poorly and win, I will take it,” said Guidry. “We always say, you can play defense every night even though you are not doing well shooting.”
Guidry told her team at halftime, keeping Hanson to only six points, then they did a heck of a job on defense
Other scorers for VC on Friday were Jay Demouchet (10), Leah Camel (6), Meredith Stutes (7) and Olivia Chiasson (2).
VC played Lafayette Christian Academy on Saturday after deadline.

VC boys fall

The Vermilion Catholic Eagles were down by nine at half time, battled back and took a 30-27 lead late in the third period, but then lost it in the fourth period en route to a 56-49 District 7A loss.
J.T. Lege nailed a three-pointer for VC at the 5:57 mark in the third period to close within three points of Hanson. VC center William Noegel had two big blocked shots on the other end.
Noegel then made a shot that put VC up 28-27 with four minutes to play in the third period.
Travion Lane stole the ball at half court and dribbled it the distance for a lay up that gave VC its biggest lead of the game, 30-27.
But then Hanson caught fire and began nailing three-pointers to end.
Lege and Nick Fletcher gave VC new life by canning back-to-back 3-pointers and VC was only down 41-40 at the six minute mark.
Hanson stormed back and nailed a few more 3-pointers and with 55 seconds left in the game, Hanson led 55-45.
Travion Lane led VC with 18 points. Leger had 10, Noegel added 8. Fletcher chipped in 9, while Isaiah Pillette scored four for VC.
Before the Hanson loss, the Eagles had won three straight games.