This weekend, various teams from the Top 25 Louisiana Girls High School Basketball State Rankings are competing at the Lafayette Christian Tournament.
In standout performances, No. 1 Wossman overcame Lafayette High, No. 6 Zachary triumphed over Ponchatoula, No. 11 Vandebilt Catholic emerged victorious against No. 9 Woodlawn-BR, and No. 10 Lafayette Christian narrowly defeated No. 25 J.S. Clark.
Woodlawn (11-4) had an opportunity to seize the lead when the score was 37-36, but they couldn’t convert, allowing 6-foot-0 junior guard Journee Johnson to nail a 3-pointer. Maddie Dufrene contributed two successful free throws, and Neal Grace-Berry poured in a lay-up, extending Vandebilt Catholic’s lead to 44-36.
Tyanna Stewart, who scored 16 points, capitalized on a steal, leading the Terriers to a 45-38 victory. Johnson added 10 points for Vandebilt Catholic (7-4), which is set to face LCA (9-5) in the semifinals today (Friday) at 5:30 P.M.
In another match, the Knights narrowly defeated J.S. Clark 43-41. LCA started strong with a 20-6 lead in the first half, but the Bulldogs quickly clawed their way back into the game, closing the gap to 20-18. Point guard Taelyn Taylor showcased her playmaking skills with an assist to Kaliyah Samuels, which helped grab a 35-26 lead, although Taylor Barnaba of J.S. Clark (13-5) responded with a 3-pointer.
The Knights maintained a 39-33 advantage with six minutes to go. A critical moment came when Barnaba made a shot that looked like it would tie the game at 43-43, but an offensive foul negated the bucket.
Samuels led LCA with 16 points, with Shanna Simien contributing 10 points after completing a crucial 3-point play that set the tone for a 13-5 lead early on. Payton Dean and Logan Boutte pitched in with a combined total of 13 points. On the other side, Barnaba scored 19 points for the Bulldogs.
This evening, Zachary and Wossman will compete in the other semifinal match at 7 P.M. The Broncos secured a convincing victory over Ponchatoula, winning 60-41, with Ava Raymond leading the charge with 24 points. Tiarra McPipe, Kennedi Whitfield, and KP Blake each added eight points to the mix.
Defensively, McPipe excelled at keeping Green Wave standout guard Alyssa Hillard in check, as Hillard managed to score 15 points, with 12 coming in the first half before adding three free throws in the second half. Zachary is noted for their impressive physicality, with guards Raymond and McPipe standing between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-9. Further height is provided by Cimya Rideaux and Madison Alcerro.
In the boys’ bracket of the tournament, St. Thomas More dominated, winning four games to capture the title. In a nail-biting final, the 8-1 Cougars managed to edge out Calvary Baptist, 33-31. Senior Elijah Guidry, who shone with 19 points in the semifinals and was tasked with guarding Sulphur’s Ian Malone and Calvary Baptist’s Tyrone Jamison in the final two games, was named Mr. Basketball.
Calvary Baptist (12-2) made an impressive run to the finals by defeating Lafayette Christian, Vandebilt Catholic, and Isidore Newman. The Cavaliers (No. 1 seed), along with Newman and Catholic New Iberia, who finished fifth in the Sunkist, all hold positions in the top eight of the Division III select power ratings.
Catholic New Iberia (6-4), which faced Calvary Baptist in a previous state tournament matchup, has turned things around since welcoming back its football players, winning six out of seven games. Notably, the Panthers defeated Vandebilt Catholic by ten points and lost a close one by three to Newman.
Joab Trosclair (6-10) and Jacob Minvielle (6-8) command the paint for CHS, complemented by a strong backcourt featuring Jaiden Mitchell and Tristan Lewis. Sophomore Karon Eugene, a first-team all-state defensive back in football, engaged in a physical match against Vandebilt’s Jordan Matthews throughout the entire game.
Though the Terriers (9-4) and Newman (8-3), who lost to Sulphur in the third-place match, have recently slipped out of the top 25, their potential to return to the rankings looks promising. Vandebilt shows great speed with its talented group of guards.
R.J. Livingston made significant contributions in Newman’s victory over Catholic New Iberia, which may break into the rankings pending wins over Cecilia tonight and undefeated Liberty Magnet (9-0) at home this Tuesday. Newman’s 6-foot-5 forward Payton Foster was unable to participate in the tournament due to an injury.
Ian Malone, a senior from Sulphur who made it onto the All-Tournament Team, was frequently discussed among coaches during the Sunkist event. The 6-foot-0 senior has been on fire recently, totaling 64 points across just two games. Sulphur (14-3) notched victories against Ascension Episcopal, reigning Division III nonselect champion Marksville, and Newman during the tournament.
Westgate (6-5), which comprises a roster with 10 freshmen, features one of the top newcomers in the state, Cayden Lancelin, who scored 24 points to go along with nine rebounds and eight steals in an opening-round win against Lafayette Renaissance. The Tigers are currently hosting their WAMP Classic, with potential for a rematch against Lafayette Renaissance in the championship game—coached by former Westgate associate head coach, Brad Boyd.
Church Point, under the guidance of first-year head coach Josh Moreau, made a significant impact by convincingly defeating Class 5A Brother Martin (50-40) and Barbe (53-33), while narrowly falling to Newman (63-56) and Teurlings Catholic (33-31). The Bears currently hold a record of 10-6. Teurlings, boasting a 9-4 record and winning eight of their last nine games, features two impressive juniors, 6-foot-8 forwards De’Von Warren and Jordan Senegal.
Mal Mundy organized a four-game New Year’s Classic on January 1 at Central-BR, where GEO Next triumphed over McMain (54-35), L.B. Landry bested Plaquemine (63-54), Madison Prep dominated David Thibodaux (56-23), and Central edged out Southside (61-56). Both Landry’s Daryl Adams and Central’s Jace Conrad received commendations from Mundy for their performances.
Looking ahead, Mundy and The Tour Basketball will head to Lake Charles College Prep on January 4 for a series of exciting matchups: Sam Houston will face Independence, Jennings takes on Franklin Parish, St. Louis Catholic plays the defending Division IV nonselect champion Franklin High, Washington-Marion competes with Northwest, and LCCP goes against Beau Chene.
This weekend, Wossman and Carroll will take on Baton Rouge powerhouses Zachary and Liberty Magnet in a pair of doubleheaders. Currently, Zachary (13-0) and Liberty rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the boys’ top 25 listings, while Wossman (12-2) sits at No. 11. Although Carroll (9-7) has slipped from the rankings, they remain a formidable team with notable victories over Peabody, Captain Shreve, and Alexandria.
In another highlight, No. 5-ranked Peabody (15-1) will host No. 7 Alexandria (15-2) tonight at 7 P.M.
