After losing twice against Westgate, St. Thomas More boys basketball found an answer vs. the Tigers.
Westgate boys basketball has had St. Thomas More’s number this season, acting as kryptonite for the Cougars in two wins.
That quickly changed Feb. 3 in the teams’ final meeting of the regular season, this time in the comfort of Cougardome. STM junior forward Ryan Robertson wasn’t leaving the gym without a win, willing his team to a 58-43 victory to avoid a regular-season sweep against Westgate.
“You can call this game the Ryan Robertson Game, because that was one heck of a performance by him,” STM coach Danny Broussard said. “He’s really coming into his own and shooting the ball well. Man, I’m so proud of this team. We’re doing a lot of good right now.”
Ryan Robertson comes alive
From tipoff, Robertson provided a jolt of energy for the Cougars on both sides of the ball. Listed at 6-foot-5, 187 pounds, Robertson commanded the paint, knocking down his first handful of shots. By the second quarter, he was outscoring the Tigers by himself, pouring in 20 points compared to Westgate’s 15.
Driving the big man were the two losses against Westgate, both of which came in tournament play. This time around, Class 4A District 4 implications were on the line.
“I think I did pretty good. I just wanted to get them back after they beat us at home and at Teurlings,” Robertson said. “We knew they like to press a lot, and I thought we did a good job against the press by limiting turnovers. We came out and executed, so I’m glad we won tonight.”
Robertson finished with a double-double, scoring a team-high 29 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Defensively, he also led the Cougars with three blocks.
When it wasn’t Robertson, junior guard LG Carbo picked up the slack. He finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for 12 points.
“LG has been really good for us, and what I love most is what he does on defense,” Broussard said. “He takes charges, he’s leading our team in charges, and he keeps getting in there and disrupting other teams’ offenses.”
Too deep a hole for Westgate
The third matchup against STM was night and day for Westgate. In the first two meetings, the games came down to the wire with defense dictating everything, but this time the Tigers’ offense struggled to keep pace with the Cougars.
“This time, we didn’t do enough,” Westgate coach Oliver Winston said. “We didn’t do a good job in the first half, especially with our level of energy, and we got ourselves in a massive hole. They’ve got too many good ball handlers, and No. 5 really did a number on us.”
By halftime, the Tigers trailed by 19 points, putting a comeback well out of reach. Sophomore guard Shadon Lee led Westgate in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to stop Robertson as the Tigers also battled foul trouble.
“We better bounce back. Our district is tough,” Winston said. “We start district play with four of the top 10 teams, so you have to regroup, refocus and get ready for the next battle.”
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 X, formerly known as Twitter: @ShannonBelt3. Got questions regarding HS/UL athletics? Send them to Shannon Belt at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Ryan Robertson fuels St. Thomas More basketball past Westgate
Category: General Sports
