Memorial is set to retire LeBlanc’s No. 12 jersey

[KFDM COOP]

Memorial is set to retire LeBlanc’s No. 12 jersey

The Port Arthur News

Port Arthur Memorial graduate ReShonta LeBlanc will have her No. 12 jersey retired at the school’s spring athletic banquet at 6 tonight in the high school cafeteria.

LeBlanc graduated from Memorial in 2004.

After a stellar high school basketball career with the Lady Titans, where she averaged 14.5 points, six boards, 4.6 steals and 2.3 steals per game her senior year, LeBlanc moved onto play at Louisiana State University from 2004 through this last season.

LeBlanc, as a senior, played nearly 30 minutes per game for LSU this past season. She averaged 6.3 points per game and led her team with 78 steals, aiding the Lady Tigers to a Final Four berth.

Tennessee, the eventual National Champions, ended LSU's season, however.

With their Final Four run and 31-6 overall record, the Lady Tigers also finished the season ranked No. 4 in the country.

"She made my job easy," said Lady Titans head coach Joe Fonteneaux, who coached LeBlanc during her final season at Memorial. "She was able to handle the offense. She played great defense. She could score and defend and made her teammates better.

“She could take games over when she needed too. She was basically a coach on the floor and that really made my job a lot easier."

LeBlanc, a first cousin of football star Jamaal Charles, is the first athlete in school history to have a jersey retired. While Charles has yet to have a formal ceremony to honor the retirement of his jersey, it is understood that the No. 4 football jersey is off limits.

After tonight, No. 12 will officially be off limits to any future Lady Titans' basketball players.

"It is such a wonderful thing. I'm so happy and excited," LeBlanc said. "It's a wonderful honor that they would do this for me. I appreciate Coach Fonteneaux' hard work to get this done for me.

“Just for being a girl in Port Arthur and to be recognized like this, it's definitely an honor that I will always appreciate."

LeBlanc said the Minnesota Lynx, a franchise of the WNBA, invited her to a tryout before the start of the WNBA season. LeBlanc, who just graduated from LSU on Friday, declined so she could finish out the semester.

LeBlanc added she will be going overseas to play ball and hopes to get another invitation to tryout with any WNBA team by next season. Below is a list of accolades LeBlanc accumulated while at Thomas Jefferson, where she spent her first two seasons, and at Memorial.

• 2000-2001 (Thomas Jefferson) Freshman newcomer-of-the-year 20-4A First team All-District 20-4A

[jr1979]

CONGRATS. SHE IS VERY DESERVING OF THIS GREAT ACCOLLADE.

[Mr. Buddy Garrity]

im cheesing  ;D