Locked in a tie game with defending Gold Bracket champion Amite, Mandeville turned up the defense, and it worked to perfection.

The Skippers ended the game on a 16-4 run, earning a 66-54 victory in the Girls’ Gold Bracket Championship of the 13th annual Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic at the Alario Center on Jan. 6.

“Coach said that we just need to go out and take this,” said Gold Bracket MVP Alanna Benoit. “This win meant a lot, especially since we lost to them earlier in the season. We all wanted it really bad, and we showed it. We worked hard to get here, so it feels good.”

Alanna Benoit posted a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds, five assists), while Hannah Benoit added 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“I’m just so proud,” Hannah Benoit said. “We’ve been putting in a lot of work lately, and I’m just glad that we executed and did what we needed to do to win. We knew we had to push in the fourth quarter and did what we needed to win it.”

Senior Saleigh Berry added 14 points and five rebounds, while junior Giulia Balbo had 13 points, including three first-half 3s. Berry and Hannah Benoit earned All-Tournament honors.

The Skippers (17-5) got revenge against the Warriors, who defeated Mandeville, 71-63, on Dec. 5. The Skippers have won 11 of their last 13 games, but the latest victory was a battle.

Amite tied the game at 50 with 5:30 left on a layup from Curtissiyah Jenkins, and then the Skippers slowly pulled away as the Benoit sisters took over.

Hannah Benoit, who recorded her 1,000th point during the semifinals, scored four straight to push the lead to 59-52 with three minutes left. Alanna Benoit followed with a 3-point play to push the lead to eight points, and Balbo’s basket with just under two minutes left created an insurmountable 10-point advantage.

“We made stops, and we were getting to the lane. And we finished at the basket in the fourth quarter. We got some stops and some rebounds, and we were finally able to get some separation,” Mandeville coach Melissa Weinmunson said.

“Every time that you can play a good team and beat a good team, it means a lot. The girls know every game is important, so this was a big win. We want to get a good seed heading into the playoffs, so every win is important.”

The Skippers were up 19-13 after one quarter, but missed layups plagued both teams. The second quarter was an offensive struggle, and Amite took the lead on a pair of free throws by Briana Tillman with less than a minute left in the half. Hannah Benoit answered with a 3-pointer to give the Skippers a 32-31 halftime lead.

Mandeville looked poised to create some separation in the third quarter, but the Warriors battled back each time, and Miracle Irving’s 3-point tied the game at 46 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Skippers knocked off Zachary (64-48), Oakdale (54-47) and Easton (54-24) to advance to the finals.

Contact Joseph Halm at jhalm@sttammanyfarmer.net.