DELCAMBRE — Two teams hoping to keep pace with a streaking Catholic High girls’ basketball team met Tuesday as Franklin traveled to District 7-2A rival Delcambre with each school needing the win to stay within striking distance of the Lady Panthers.

A Delcambre win would keep DHS unbeaten in district and even with CHS while Franklin needed the win in order to stay within a game of Catholic High.

The teams battled back and forth for three quarters but late in the fourth quarter Delcambre pulled away to beat Franklin 67-58.

Chloe Hernandez had 13 points while Tayah Lewis and Ali Rae Falgout each had 11 points for Delcambre. The Lady Panthers improved to 10-8 overall and 5-0 in district with two games left in the first round, Friday on the road at Academy of the Sacred Heart-Grand Coteau and Tuesday at home against Catholic High to close out the first round.

“We’re just taking it one game at a time and that’s all we can do,” DHS coach Lisa Richard said. “If you don’t and you slip up on any team, you lose control of everything.

“We have to take care of Academy of the Sacred Heart next.”

It’s been a strange three-way dance between Catholic High, Delcambre and Franklin over the past couple of seasons as they have become the dominant teams in the district.

Last season the three went down to the final game of the season before CHS came away with its first district title.

This year, it appears the three will again battle through the district schedule while trying to get that one advantage needed to take home the title.

“I think that’s the way the first round is shaping up between the three of us,” Richard said. “And for us, the final three games of the season include games against Franklin and Catholic High.

“No one can afford to slip up because of what it all means. Last year, we lost the first game in district play and it ended up costing us. It just goes to show that you can’t take anyone lightly.”

Tuesday night, the two district rivals stayed within a couple of points of each other as Franklin led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter before Delcambre scored 22 second quarter points, including three 3-pointers from Chloe LeBlanc, to lead 32-22 at the break.

Franklin came out of halftime and outscored Delcambre 19-15 in the third quarter to pull within 47-41 headed into the final period.

But in the final period, Delcambre used a strong effort inside with Hernandez hitting four of five free throws in the quarter. The Lady Panthers hit six of nine free throws as a team to stay unbeaten in district and tied with CHS for first place as the first round comes to an end next week.

“We haven’t been playing well right now,” Richard said. “We’re missing shots, we’re missing layups, we’re missing free throws and you do that on any given night, someone is going to beat you.

“Franklin has a size advantage over us and we have to shoot well and do the little things well to get the win. The only thing I knew about the game was at halftime we had missed nine free throws and I told them that we had to keep our hands up on defense and we have to block out and get rebounds.”

That’s exactly what Delcambre did in the second half and that was the big difference in the game, according to Richard.

“That game could have gone in a different direction and the next time we play, it might be different if we don’t hit shots or free throws or layups,” she said.

With the loss, Franklin fell to 8-11 overall and 3-2 in district, two games back of the leaders heading into today’s non-district game against Morgan City and Friday’s district home game against Ascension Episcopal.

Sta-Trail Butler had a game-high 20 points for Franklin and Makhia Fernandez added 13 points.

Franklin 70, Delcambre 27

Ja’Michael Gray had 21 points, Braydon Ward added 12 and Zavius Webber finished with 14 as Franklin stayed unbeaten in District 7-2A with a big boys’ basketball win over Delcambre Tuesday.

The Hornets (10-8, 3-0) rolled out to a 15-8 first quarter lead in beating the Panthers (8-9, 1-2).

Kaleb Comeaux had 7 points and Thomas Jones added 6 points for DHS.

Franklin plays host to Ascension Episcopal Friday in a district contest while Delcambre has a district bye and travels to Northside Christian.