Washington-Marion clinched a share of the District 4-4A boys basketball title with an 84-57 home win over LaGrange Tuesday night.

The Charging Indians (12-9, 5-1) can clinch the title outright with a home win over North Vermilion tonight or a road win Friday at Rayne.

The game was played in an empty gym as a result of penalties levied against the schools by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association after their first meeting on Jan. 29 at LaGrange was cut short after a fight in the stands spilled onto the court.

LaGrange (12-15, 2-5) owned one lead, 2-0, after Jordan Lewis opened the scoring. The Gators hung tough for most of the first quarter, tying the score at 7-7 and 9-9, but W-M closed the quarter with a 15-2 run to take control for good. Tyree Brown started and closed the run with fast-break baskets and scored nine points in the run. Brown and Elijah Netty combined to score 18 points in the quarter.

Brown and Kishaun Stevens finished with 19 points each. Netty continued a recent run of strong play with 15 points.

The Charging Indians have won their last five games on the court. Head coach Robert Palmer said the team is peaking at the right time.

“Besides Tyree, nobody on this team played much last year,” he said. “The kids have worked hard and it feels good to win the district championship. We started off slow (W-M won one of its first six games) with so many kids coming back from football, but it is coming together now.”

Netty is a becoming a factor on both ends of the floor, Palmer said.

“He is rebounding and can guard anyone one through five; it doesn’t matter,” Palmer said. “He’s just playing hard now.”

Palmer said the Charging Indians have learned to play the right way.

“We are playing together now, playing unselfishly,” he said. “They are buying into the team concept, being accountable. We’re going to be good as long as we take care of the intangibles — defend and rebound. I’ll put my team’s effort up against anybody.”

Lewis led LaGrange with 19 points. Knyles Randall added 14.