Warren Arceneaux

WESTLAKE — Scoring bursts from Jill Fontenot and Anna Claire Trahan propelled Jennings to a 57-51 District 4-3A win over Westlake Tuesday night.

Fontenot scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Bulldogs (16-5, 2-2) took an 18-8 lead, scoring twice on 3-pointers and twice on putbacks after offensive rebounds.

Westlake (9-5, 2-3) trimmed the deficit to six at halftime and pulled within 32-31 midway through the third quarter on a basket by Destiny Peltier.

Trahan responded immediately with a four-point play and closed the quarter by scoring the last nine Jennings points with two 3-pointers and a three-point play, extending the lead to 47-39 at the end of the quarter.

Westlake rallied several times in the fourth quarter, getting as close as four points, but Fontenot made three free throws in the final minute to ice the win for the Bulldogs.

Trahan and Fontenot each finished with 19 points to lead Jennings. Niyah Breaux added 11 points.

“Both of them are warriors, they are not going to give up in a game,” Jennings head coach Eric Guidry said. “Jill can do a little bit of everything. Anna is a playmaker and can really make them from the outside.”

Guidry said the Bulldogs allowed too many fast-break baskets in the third quarter before turning the tables on Westlake in the fourth quarter.

“They were able to get the ball up the court and make some layups,” Guidry said. “I think they only had one basket from outside; they were really getting everything inside,” he said of the Rams’ third-quarter push.

“We got some easy transition buckets, which made things easier. We really started running.”

Keondrea Martin and Peltier scored 15 each to lead Westlake. The duo combined to score 12 points in the third quarter as the Rams gained ground.

The win should keep the Bulldogs in the top four of the state power ratings. Jennings entered the game fourth in the ratings that were released Tuesday morning. A finish in the top four would guarantee a home game in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs should Jennings advance that far.

“We have to keep getting better,” Guidry said. “Hopefully we can get a little lucky and have things go our way.”

Westlake entered the game ranked 16th in the power ratings. The top 16 teams host first-round playoff games.