It was a play that even Kenan Tauriac had to wonder what happened.

Late in the third quarter of NISH’s Class 5A opening round 53-34 win over No. 25 seed Alexandria, Tauriac had position inside the lane and was hoping to catch an alley-oop pass and slam the ball home as the exclamation point on the Jackets’ win.

Only it didn’t quite work out as planned.

“I was really trying to dunk it,” said Tauriac with a smile after the game. “But it was a little too high for me to catch but I was able to get just enough on it.”

Just enough turned out to be a touch of the hand that altered the path of the basketball straight up and into the basket as the crowd ooh’ed and ahh’ed and wondered exactly what just happened on a night where the Jackets fought of a sluggish first half and poured it on in the second half for the win and advances into the second round against District 3-5A rival Comeaux Tuesday.

“That’s the main thing, survive and advance,” said NISH coach Todd Russ. “This time of year it’s survive and advance.”

Tauriac had a big part of that as the NISH senior scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in the third quarter the No. 8 seed Jackets broke open a close game and eased into the second round for the third time in the last five years.

“It was really a team effort and I knew that I had to step up because I didn’t have a good effort in the first half,” said Tauriac. “I didn’t think I was going to have as big a night as I did.”

Tauriac had one point in the first quarter and three more in the second quarter for NISH, which came out uncharacteristcally slow on offense in the first half and only managed eight points in the first quarter and 12 in the second against the Warriors.

But thanks to NISH’s trademark “Russ Tough” defense, Alexandria was held to three points in the first quarter and 15 in the first half as the Jackets led by five at the break.

“Defensively we were sound,” said Russ. “I thought our effort was good. I think it was a lot of nerves in the beginning. None of those guys played in a playoff game and I thought that was a big part of it.

“Then in the second half we got the jitters out, moved the ball real well and played unselfish. Tauriac and Mandeville were the seniors and leaders they are supposed to be and made the shots they needed to make.”

Until NISH’s offense got going however, it was an struggle in the first half as neither team played particularly well in the offensive side. Alexandria struggled because they had trouble solving NISH’s defense, New Iberia struggled because no one could hit a shot.

“We were tight in the beginning,” said Tauriac. “It was s first round game and we have a young team and we had to get the jitters out. But we did in the end.”

With a five point lead at half, Russ told his team at the break to calm down and remember that you were in the moment and it was the moment you’d been working for.

“I think more of less we just settled in,” said Russ. “We saw what they were doing and we took what they gave us. We had a lot of the same things in the second half that we did in the first half, we just didn’t shoot them confidently in th first half.”

Russ also praised Tauriac’s effort as well.

“He’s been there before,” said Russ. “He’s been four years wating on this moment and it was his time tos step up. He was active on offense, active on the defensive end. He got us two or three more shots. His energy and effort became the difference in the game.”

Alex Mandeville finished with 14 points and Stiles Jolivette added seven for the Jackets in the win.

A.J. Davis led Alexandria with nine points.

Now the Jackets look towards Tuesday’s Regional Round and a rematch with Comeaux.

“The good thing is that it’s an opponent we know, a very good opponent,” said Russ. “We’re going to prepare the best way we can and be ready to take care of business.”