By Daniel Green |  BWS Sports

LEESVILLE — Coming into this season, the Leesville Lady Cats had won just five games over the past two years.

On Tuesday night, they doubled that win total and did it against one of their biggest rivals.

“These girls never seemed to get discouraged,” said Leesville head coach Brandon Jordan after his Lady Cats defeated the DeRidder Lady Dragons, 70-34. “These girls just won’t stop playing hard until the final buzzer sounds.”

With the victory, the Lady Cats improved to 10-11 overall, 3-1 in district play, the lone blemish being a 1-point loss at the buzzer to Peabody.

The Lady Cats wasted little time in establishing their dominance on the court despite being dwarfed by the size and length of the Lady Dragons. Leesville jumped out to a 16-9 lead at the end of the first period and put together a massive 21-5 surge in the second to move out to a commanding 37-14 advantage at the break.

“From the moment I met the girls, I challenged them to play to their potential,” Jordan said. “I could see it, but they had to see it. It isn’t anything I’ve done and I’m not taking any credit for their success.”

Leesville continued to pile it on in the second half behind Amaya Thomas, Shyann McCummings and Jade Leday. The Lady Cats’ mixture of veteran and newcomer play, in addition to intensity on the defensive side of the ball, allowed Leesville to continue to build onto its lead, which was 50-23 going into the final frame of regulation.

The Lady Cats closed on a 20-9 run, with the final three points coming on a triple by freshman Azaria Sekai to seal the big win.

Thomas was sensational in recording a triple-double. She netted 22 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and recorded 11 steals, while McCummings, a freshman, had a double-double with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Leday chipped in with 12 points.

Alexa Harris was the only Lady Dragon in double figures with 15 points.