The Tigers (4-0) overcame a rash of foul trouble and missed layups to pull away in the second half, turning a 7-point halftime advantage into a runaway win behind double-figure scoring from four players.

Winston said Westgate had good shots at the basket, and just missed them, especially early. And with three starters having picked up at least two fouls each by early in the second quarter, it was tough to get any continuity.

“It just shows how high the expectations are of ourselves,” said Winston. “We just won by 26, and we feel we lost the game.”

WHS led 15-10 after one quarter but scored only 2 points in the first 31⁄2 minutes of the second quarter. St. Martinville couldn’t take advantage of the scoring drought, however, closing to within 17-15 before suffering through a 3-1⁄2 minute dry spell of its own, during which Westgate extended its lead to double digits with an 8-0 run. Westgate led 27-20 heading into halftime.

A pair of 3-point shots, one from Jonte Hypolite and one from Brandon Malveaux, helped spark a 10-0 run early in the third quarter that pushed the Tigers back ahead 37-22 with 4:25 to go in the period.

That was the start of the runaway.

“Too many turnovers,” said SMSH coach Darrel Mitchell Sr., whose team turned the ball over more than 20 times in the game. “We just got rattled. We had them fouling (11 fouls called against Westgate in the first half). We just didn’t keep our composure.”

The lead got to 21 points midway through the fourth quarter on another trey by Hypolite, who finished with three 3-pointers and a team-high 15 points. Malveaux and D’Nerius Antoine each had 12 points, with Antoine also contributing five steals and eight rebounds and Malveaux picking up five assists. Duvall Jackson had 10 points and four steals for the Tigers.

“This early in the year we’re trying to get a rhythm,” said Winston, who is unexpectedly starting the season with a full squad. Eleven of his starters play football, and the Tigers reached the semifinals three of the previous four years, meaning the basketball team didn’t get its full complement of players until mid-December. This year the football team lost in the first round, so all the two-sport players were with the basketball team early.

“We played good defense,” Winston added. “Our defense was solid.”

The Tigers also were sharp at the line, hitting all nine of their free throws. SMSH went 13-for-20 at the foul line.

“We made it too easy for them,” said Mitchell. “Layups, free throws … and uncontested layups.”

Asa Marshall and Brandon Gardner led St. Martinville (3-5) with 14 points apiece. Dequincy Narcisse added 8.

St. Martinville plays at L.W. Higgins on Friday. Westgate travels to Baytown, Texas, (near Houston) for the Lee College Classic starting Thursday. The Tigers play Baytown’s Robert E. Lee High School at 7 p.m. Thursday, then Houston’s Milby High at 1:30 p.m. Friday in pool play. Bracket play begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and continues through championship games concluding with the gold bracket title game at 8 p.m.