FRANKLIN — The St. Martinville Senior High boys basketball team finished as Class 3A runner-up last year, and the Tigers look like a serious contender again this season.

Six Tigers scored at least seven points in SMSH’s 81-60 win at Franklin Senior High on Monday.

Harvey Broussard led with 19 points, followed by Brian Singleton (13), Tanner Harrison (10), Delian Mallery (10), Brian Wilson (8) and Jayvyn Duncan (7).

SMSH (9-5) raced to a 28-10 lead at the end of the first quarter with Singleton, Broussard and Duncan all knocking down 3-pointers. Singleton had two 3’s in the first quarter.

“I just told them that the first quarter looked like St. Martinville Basketball,” Tigers coach Ihmaru Jones said. “I liked that first quarter. I didn’t like the turnovers in the fourth quarter, but I know the kids are looking at the clock. They’re trying to milk the clock in their head.”

Last year, Jones often used 6-foot-5 all-state performer Datayvious Gabriel (now at Southern University) at point guard. This season, he is utilizing another rangy point guard in the 6-foot-4 Singleton.

“He’s the most conscious person as far as not turning the ball over,” Jones said of Singleton. “That’s why I put it in his hands. We’re working on his dribbling to make sure he can be comfortable.”

Broussard, a 6-foot-4 junior, has also spent time bringing the ball up the court.

“Harvey is getting more smooth,” Jones said. “I had him play point guard in our last game, so we could get his ball-handling up to speed in case Singleton gets in foul trouble.”

The Tigers have won four of their last five, including a come-from-behind 70-67 win over Class 4A power Ellender at the Zachary Tournament last week.

“We were down 12 in the last game, but came back and won by three after trailing the whole game,” Jones said of the Ellender contest. “It was good to see that effort. We’re still not shooting the ball well. I’d like to see that happen. We’re averaging 52% from the free throw line. That’s not good.”

Several Tigers have the capability to score in bunches. Duncan, a 5-foot-9 junior, scored 29 points in a 63-53 win over Terrebonne last month.

“We can score, but we need to make sure we’re in the correct spots,” Jones said. “We shot some 3’s tonight by some people who shouldn’t have been shooting. We were breaking them down where we could’ve shot lay-ups, and we tried to shoot some unnecessary 3’s.”

Harrison was playing his first game Monday night after the senior quarterback was named MVP at the I-10 Bowl held in Westlake last weekend.

Wilson, a 6-foot-4 senior center, scored 15 points in a game last week. 6-foot-3 senior forward Phalijah Alexander. who had a banner football season at tight end, provides a big body in the paint.

Franklin (4-4), which reached the Class 2A semifinals last year, got 21 points each from J’Michael Gray and Kim Michael Provost III. Jay’shawn Johnson added 10.