Vandy’s McGuire out for season

Fri. February 10, 2012 at 11:54 p.m. | By Chris Singleton/Staff Writer

Vandebilt Catholic's Elijah McGuire (15) will miss the playoffs with an injury. (Photo by File)

For as happy as the Vandebilt Catholic boys basketball team was after clinching its second-straight District 8-4A championship with an 85-75 victory over Ellender in its regular-season finale on Thursday night, sadness hit the team Friday when it was learned starting point guard Elijah McGuire, a junior, will be lost for the playoffs with a broken bone in his right foot.

McGuire suffered the injury late in the third quarter of Thursday night's physical win over the Patriots.

He scored 14 points in the game before the injury and received medical treatment on the sideline, did not return and left the gym on crutches after the game.

He was averaging 17 points a game this season for the playoff-bound Terriers, sharing the back court with fellow dynamic guard Lionheart Leslie, who assumed the point guard role in McGuire's absence Thursday night and finished with a game-high 29 points.

"The doctor said it was an extremely rare injury," Vandebilt boys basketball coach Henry Washington said. "We had Elijah at the point to make sure everybody was in the right spot and that everybody got their touches, and Lionheart got good touches. The team is more down about the fact that he is hurt rather than the fact he's not going to be able to play."

The Terriers (22-6 overall) were without McGuire early in the season as he recovered from injuries suffered during football season.

McGuire is also a star player for the Terriers football team. After spending time as a running back and quarterback, he missed most of the football season with a thumb injury and broken toe. He missed the first two weeks of the basketball season while recovering from those injuries.

Washington said the new injury is not related.

"We just have to go back to Week 1 of the season when we didn't have him. We were still pretty good," Washington said. "Obviously we are better with him, but other players are going to step up, and our defense is going to be different. We are going to play a lot more zone. I hate it for him and the players because he finally got back to the old Elijah. When Elijah came back, we felt like we could beat anybody."

Washington also said Leslie, also a junior, is also banged up. He has been playing through an injured hand and is in a sling.

"His happened a couple of weeks ago, but he has been playing through it." Washington said. "It looks like he will be playing."

Vandebilt is rated No. 10 in this week's Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 4A poll as well as in the latest Class 4A unofficial power rankings released by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.

Vandebilt is currently on a 12-game winning streak with its last loss coming against Central Catholic of Morgan City during a tournament game at the Sunkist Shootout on Dec. 30, 2011.

The Terriers now await the release of the Class 4A playoff brackets, which come out next week.

Staff Writer Kelly McElroy contributed to this report.