Louisiana crowns 7 boys basketball champions

St. Augustine (New Orleans) roared to the Class 5A state boys basketball title to win the largest of the seven classifications decided last week in the Top 28 Tournament at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Cajundome.

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Junior guard Javan Felix, the game's Most Valuable Player, scored a game-high 23 points to lead the top-seeded Purple Knights (31-6) to a 67-43 victory over second-seeded Scotlandville (Baton Rouge). D.J. Hamilton added 11 and Deion Taylor finished with 10.

In other action, Bossier (Bossier City) won the Class 4A title, Carroll (Monroe) claimed the Class 3A crown, Riverside (Reserve) repeated as the Class 2A champion, White Castle took the Class 1A title, Pleasant Hill (Pleasant Hill) finished first in Class B and Zwolle earned the Class C championship.

St. Augustine scored the game's first six points to signal the start of the rout and then enjoyed a 21-3 second-quarter advantage in scoring the last 16 points of the first half. The Purple Knights shot 60 percent for the game (18 of 30) while holding Scotlandville to 17.2 percent (5 of 29). It was St. Augustine's first state championship since 1999.

Scotlandville (Baton Rouge) lost to St. Augustine during the regular season, 72-56, and finished as the state runner-up for the second consecutive year.

After 50 years of playing the boys semifinal and final games at one site, the format will change next season when all the boys and girls championships will be played in Bossier City over one weekend.

BOSSIER, CARROLL, RIVERSIDE PREVAIL
Sixth-seeded Bossier (33-2) upended defending Class 4A champion Peabody (Alexandria), 58-49, to win its first state title since 1960.

Joseph James, a 5-foot-7 guard, earned MVP honors with a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. James made all seven of his free throws, including four in the fourth quarter when Bossier held off Peabody with a 14-8 run to end the game. James had averaged only 1.5 rebounds per game before the state championship contest.

Bossier had finished second two years in a row, including last season when it suffered a three-point loss to Peabody in the title game.

As for third-seeded Carroll (27-7), it rallied from a 12-point, third-quarter deficit to defeat fifth-seeded Abbeville for the Class 3A crown, 59-49. Abbeville suffered 23 turnovers, which in turn helped Carroll to shoot 71 percent (22 of 31) for the game.

Carroll's Xavier Lee earned MVP honors with a game-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Abbeville's J.J. Davenport scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Even more impressive was Riverside Academy (33-6) 6-8 forward Ricardo Gathers, who led his team past Evangel Christian Academy (Shreveport) for the Class 2A title, 82-61. Gathers said Riverside Academy, which has 10 juniors, including all five starters, will be aiming for "a national title" next season.

Despite playing only 22 minutes because of foul trouble, Gathers' MVP performance featured 18 points, 10 rebounds and three steals.

LSU SIGNEE LIFTS WHITE CASTLE AGAIN
After having helped White Castle (27-6) win the Class 1A football title in the fall, LSU football signee Ronald Martin did the same in basketball in scoring a game-high 25 points in Whilte Castle's 66-65 championship-game victory over Southern Lab (Baton Rouge). White Castle missed six free throws in the final two minutes but still hung on, as Martin won the MVP award.

Zwolle won its 13th state championship with a 60-51 victory over Rapides (Lecompte) for the Class B title. Marvin Frazier had 17 points and eight rebounds in winning MVP recognition. Zwolle had beaten Rapides twice during the regular season. Zwolle's championship total is second in the state only to Southern Lab's 15.

Second-seeded Pleasant Hill (27-11) walked away with a 79-61 victory over ninth-seeded Family Christian (Baton Rouge), 79-61, for the Class C title. Nine Pleasant Hill players scored at least four points, including reserve Jacorius Turner, who won MVP honors with a team-high 16 points. Ladarius Holmes finished with 13 points and Ryheem Maxie added 10.

BORG MAKES PRESENCE FELT
Although Family Christian lost the Class C state championship game, reserve sophomore forward Thomas Borg brought a smile to most everyone when he completed the game's scoring with an open 3-pointer that topped his average of 1.3 points per game.

Borg weighed only one-half pound when born prematurely 16 years ago and was given little chance to live. Borg still doesn't have total use of the left side of his body.

"It really puts high school athletics in its proper perspective," Family Christian coach James Holmes said. "He's a special kid and an inspirational leader for our team."

"People said he couldn't make it, but he's out here in the championship game knocking down a 3-point shot, and I love him for it," said center Joseph Larson, Borg's cousin who scored 17 points. "It kind of overwhelmed me a little bit. At least for me, that was pretty special."

ST. JAMES' JEFFERY WINS AWARD
Brandy Jeffery of St. James was named the Gatorade Louisiana Girls Basketball Player of the Year. The announcement came on the heels of St. James' 61-49 victory over Avoyelles (Moreauville) for the Class 3A state championship.

A Nebraska signee, the 5-8 Jeffery sported averages of 23.4 points. 10.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 4.3 steals per game. She had 16 points and 18 rebounds against Avoyelles.

Jeffery also maintains a 3.4 grade point average, writes for the school newspaper and volunteers as a youth basketball instructor.