An early scoring blitz and composure down the stretch carried Hamilton Christian to a 56-47 nondistrict win over Westgate Tuesday night.

Journi Singleton scored 21 points to lead the Warriors (16-3), who scored the first nine points of the game and led 25-6 early in the second quarter. Hamilton used pressure defense to force turnovers and keep the pace at a high tempo.

“We were able to run and get up-and-down the court early in the game,” Hamilton head coach Edwin Colbert said. “Our inside girls (Singleton and Riley Fontenot) were doing a good job finishing early in the game.”

“I am much more comfortable and in rhythm right now,” Francois said. “We have better spacing and playing with a much better flow.”

A redshirt senior, the 23-year old Francois has had a tough road to the streak he is riding. After playing in junior college and spending a challenging season at Southern Illinois, he came to Lake Charles in the summer of 2020 during the COVID pandemic.

He stayed through two hurricanes and injuries, starting in 12 games over the last two seasons and averaged 6.6 points a game. This season started no different as Francois had 47 points through the first 13 games.

“It was a new team and I was trying to get a feel for it and figure things out early on,” he said.

He was also trying to find his voice.

Usually quiet, Francois has become a floor leader, particularly on defense where he has moved to the middle of the zone since head coach John Aiken switched to using four guards.

“He makes our defense so much better,” Aiken said. “He cares and he communicates, gets people in the right spots. He is active and plays with urgency.”

Aiken says Francois has taken more responsibility as a leader in the locker room.

“He always works very hard but sometimes he was on Harwin island, I would tell him,” Aiken said. “He had a tendency to be a lone ranger and I told him we needed him to become a leader. He has embraced that.

“He has matured and taken on more responsibilities. I could not be happier for him. Harwin deserves this with how hard he works. Harwin is setting a good tone for us.”

Francois understands it’s not simply about making shots and playing defense.

“I always lead by example but I’m talking more now,” he said. “I understand my role.”

Francois also knows his game comes down to taking and making shots.

“Coach tells us if we got a good look let it fly,” Francois said. “I like that.”

It’s perfect for a guy who hasn’t met a shot he doesn’t like.