Natchitoches Central, St. Thomas Aquinas beat previously unbeaten opponents in high school playoffs.
Seven state basketball champions emerged from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Ladies’ Top 28 Tournament with two teams having their dreams of undefeated seasons dashed in the finals.
Natchitoches Central (Natchitoches) upset Southwood (Shreveport) for the Class 5A title, 59-52, as the Lady Cowboys suffered their first setback in 38 games. Aquinas (Hammond) took the Class 2A crown, 71-58, in handing University (Baton Rouge) its only loss in 39 games.
In other action at Southeastern Louisiana’s University Center in Hammond, Vandebilt Catholic (Houma) beat Jennings for the Class 4A championship, 70-51, Carroll (Monroe) stopped Baker in Class 3A, 70-48, Arcadia upended Oak Grove in Class 1A, 55-47, Fairview (Grant) overwhelmed Zwolle in Class B, 100-71, and Plainview (Glenmora) won the Class C crown with a 58-56 overtime victory against Saline.
Classes 5A-4A: Broome, Plaisance spark victories
Natchitoches Central (34-1) used its quickness to rally past Southwood in Class 5A. Brandy Broome hit a 3-point baseline jumper to begin a 13-1 run over the final 6:13. Darnisha Hamilton contributed a jumper and a layup. Broome finished with 12 points to earn outstanding player honors for the Lady Chiefs, who won their first state title since 1987.
Theresa Plaisance was named the tournament’s most valuable player for guiding Vandebilt Catholic to the Class 4A championship. Plaisance scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked five shots in helping to turn back Jennings. Plaisance made 7 of 10 field-goal attempts and all but one of her 11 free throws.
Classes 3A-2A: Baker runs into double trouble
Twin guards Elexar and Alexar Tugler combined for 51 points, as Carroll (Monroe) stopped Baker in Class 3A.
Elexar Tugler scored 16 of her game-high 29 points in the second half for the Bulldogs, who won their first state title since 1993. Alexar Tugler added 22 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Hammond) delighted a hometown crowd as it forced U-High into 29 turnovers and made 28 of 34 free throws in the Class 2A title game. Rebekah Greer, voted the game’s outstanding player, scored a team-high 28 points for the Falcons (27-3). Christy Shelby added 10. U-High’s Whitney Bibbins scored a game-high 32.
Classes 1A and below: More titles for Arcadia, Fairview
Arcadia has a freshman point guard to thank for its fifth state title in school history. Shlonte Allen scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lady Hornets to the Class 1A crown.
Fairview won its fourth consecutive Class B championship in stopping Zwolle. Taylor Maricle scored 36 points for Fairview (45-3), which won its sixth overall state title in its 22nd state-tournament appearance. The number of appearances is the second most among girls teams in the state.
In winning its first state title, Plainview (28-13) defeated defending Class C champion in Saline (33-7). Sophomore Sammie Grissom gave Plainview the lead for good with a 3-pointer. Saline had a chance to win but Ketara Patterson’s contested shot barely missed at the buzzer.
Boys basketball: Top seed falls
The Top 28 Tournament in Lafayette will begin Tuesday without top-seeded St. Augustine (New Orleans), which lost to crosstown rival Brother Martin in the quarterfinals, 62-58.
Patrick Swilling, the son of the former New Orleans Saints linebacker of the same name, scored a game-high 27 points for Brother Martin.
Brother Martin had lost four times to St. Augustine before finally getting the upperhand before an enthusiastic overflow crowd. Brother Martin (27-10) also clinched its first trip to the state tournament since 2005.
Brother Martin held St. Augustine to six second-quarter points in grabbing a 34-22 halftime lead. But the Purple Knights rallied to tie the score, 49-49, with 3:39 left to play and scored a go-ahead basket shortly after that. Two lead changes and two ties followed before Brother Martin took the lead for good when Jamon Gray scored off a rebound, was fouled and converted the free throw for a 58-56 advantage. Swilling added three points from the foul line in the closing minutes.
Softball: Johnson reaches milestone
Vandebilt Catholic (Houma) coach Margaret Johnson won her 500th career game when the Lady Terriers defeated Teurlings Catholic (Lafayette) in the Berwick Tournament, 6-0.
Saidee LeMaire and Leah Bergeron combined on a three-hitter. LeMaire struck out five in two innings while allowing one hit. Bergeron recorded eight strikeouts and yielded two hits over five innings. Bergeron also went 1-for-3 with two runs batted in. Chelsea Allen added two RBI. Vandebilt Catholic’s 3-1 record in the tournament included a 6-0 victory over North Vermillion (Maurice).
LeMarie and Bergeron combined forces again in throwing a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts. Vandebilt Catholic’s 12-hit attack included 3-for-4 efforts from Ciera Derouche and Mindi Robichaux. Deroche drove in three runs, as well.
