CCHS Lady Eagles knock off Merryville, advance to first-ever finals

Staff Report
LAKE CHARLES — No. 2 Central Catholic knocked off previously undefeated and No. 3 seed Merryville High School in Class 1A semifinal action 68-51 to advance to their first-ever Class 1A state championship game Saturday.
The Lady Eagles led 21-10 after the first quarter and 34-18 at halftime in today’s game.
While the Lady Eagles led Merryville 49-31 to begin the fourth quarter, Merryville made a run in the final period and whittled the deficit to 10 at 58-48 with less than two minutes remaining.
However, the Lady Eagles sealed the game at the free throw line where guards Meo Knight and Randi Brown combined to go 10-for-10 in the final 1:39 for the victory.
Brown led the Lady Eagles with a double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds as well as two blocks, two steals and one assist.
Knight had 20 points as well as nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal.
Garrett had 12 points, four rebounds and two steals.
For Merryville, Peyton Cournoyer had 18 points, two assists, four rebounds and two steals, while her sister, eighth-grader Andrea Cournoyer, had 16 points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal.
On Saturday, the Lady Eagles will face No. 1 seed North Central, who defeated No. 5 seed Arcadia 61-58 in the game preceding the Central Catholic-Merryville matchup. The 1A state championship game is set for a 2 p.m. tip at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.