Pineville boys return to state quarterfinals after 12-year absence
By LaMar Gafford
Photo of Pineville senior DeKe'dric Bowles (30)
PINEVILLE, La. - The last time Pineville made it to the quarterfinals in boys basketball, head coach Chad Sears was serving in the United States Army with a stint in Iraq.
Fast forward 12 years later, as Sears helped guide his alma mater back to the quarterfinals with a 65-61 win against St. Paul’s in the Division I select regionals at Pineville.
“As an alumnus of this school, I thought that we had a team that was state championship good, but we got upset early,” Sears said. “I’m just happy to be back and this was the job that I wanted.
"I have a great coaching staff with me. I’m just proud that these kids got there and the Pineville community has something to celebrate and push for.”
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Maintaining a 62-61 lead with 4.2 seconds left after a 3-pointer by Wolf senior Reece Seicshnaydre, Pineville (21-8) made three of four free throws to eke out the win.
Living up to their name, the Runnin’ Rebels controlled the pace early and jumped out to a 29-26 lead at halftime. That lead ballooned to 44-34 at the end of the third, when Seicshnaydre caught fire to keep the Wolves in the game.
Seicshnaydre scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to bring St. Paul’s (20-9) within a possession of the lead multiple times, but Pineville responded each time as it was led by Evyn Goree’s 19 points.
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“We want to make it tough for you to score, but we want to make it hard for you to guard us, too,” Sears said. “We’ve got some shooters on the floor and (Javonte Thomas) in the middle. You have to honor him and that leaves a lot of open shots.”
For Sears, this win has been four years in the making with most of his team comprised of juniors and seniors.
During the 2019-20 season, Pineville won only twice in 28 games and finished winless in District 2-5A - losing by an average margin of 41.1 points per game.
Goree, a junior, led Pineville in scoring, while seniors Brandon Collins and DeKe’dric Bowles scored 17 and 16 points, respectively.
Pineville senior Brandon Collins (4)
“I kept this group right here since they were freshmen,” Sears said. “They took some beatings, but they never went away. I knew that they were a good crew and they put in the work to get themselves here and it’s all a credit to them.”
Now, the Rebels will shift their focus to St. Thomas More and longtime coach Danny Broussard. That quarterfinal game takes place Friday night at St. Thomas More in Lafayette.
