Peabody boys basketball loses another one after winning streak

After having its 55-game winning streak snapped against St. Martinville, Peabody (Alexandria) lost a second time when it fell to Riverside Academy (Reserve), 51-46, in the semifinals of the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic boys basketball tournament in New Orleans.

Third-seeded Riverside Academy's nine-game winning streak came to an end in the championship game when it fell to Kimball of Dallas, 61-58. Riverside Academy junior center Ricardo Gathers scored a game-high 15 points against Kimball. The left-handed Gathers, a 6-foot-7, 240-pounder, was named the tournament's MVP.

Gathers scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds against Peabody, the defending Class 4A state champion. In a 73-52 quarterfinal victory over defending Class 5A state champion Brother Martin, Gathers made 12 of 18 shots while scoring 29 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking two shots.

"To beat the defending 5A and 4A state champions, I can't ask for anything more from my kids," Riverside Academy coach Timmy Byrd said of last year's Class 2A state champions.

DENHAM SPRINGS GIRLS BASKETBALL REMAINS PERFECT
The Denham Springs girls basketball team relied on a late rally to beat Zachary 46-43, and remain undefeated with a 20-0 record.

The fourth-quarter lead changed hands five times with Denham Springs finally going ahead for good when freshman Caletria Curtis rebounded and scored off Jasmine Clark's missed layup to put the Lady Yellow Jackets ahead, 44-43.

Curtis missed the ensuing free throw, but Clark made two of four free throws after a pair of Zachary turnovers to give Denham Springs its final margin of victory. The Yellow Jackets improved to 4-0 in District 5-5A, while Zachary fell to 14-4 and 1-2. Clark finished with a game-high 15 points, while Curtis and Ciera Sibley scored 11 apiece.

"Jasmine was really big for us," Denham Springs coach Shelly Laprarie said. "She hit a couple of 3-pointers when we were having trouble scoring in the first quarter. She kept trying to make plays. They all did. This group plays well together, and they play for each other."

Denham Springs has played its last four games without all-state guard Lekeisha Lee, who is nursing a knee injury. Lee is among several holdovers from last year's team that lost in the Class 5A semifinals to eventual state champion Natchitoches Central. Lee averages a team-high 15 points per game.

In Lee's absence, the Lady Yellow Jackets have looked elsewhere for offense. Sibley, a 5-foot-10 post player, scored 30 points in a victory over St. Joseph's Academy (Baton Rouge).

"I guess everybody dreams about having a perfect season," Laprarie said. "Did I expect to be (20-0) right now? Not really. What we've done is a credit to this team and how they've worked, played together and found ways to win."

FIRST STATEWIDE GIRLS POLL COMES OUT
A pair of 16-0 teams lead their respective classes in the first Louisiana Sports Writers Association girls basketball poll of the year. Bastrop is first in Class 4A, while Avoyelles (Moreauville) is the Class 3A leader. Bastrop drew eight of 11 first-place votes, while Avoyelles garnered 10.

Archbishop Chapelle (Metairie) edged Denham Springs by three points for first place in Class 5A, while Curtis (River Ridge) held a four-point advantage over St. Thomas Aquinas (Hammond) in Class 2A. Arcadia (14-5) grabbed the top spot in Class 1A.

Chapple's (19-1) lone loss came in December, while John Curtis (16-2) is riding a 13-game winning streak.

TRACK AND FIELD: LAFAYETTE DOMINATES AWARDS
Lafayette produced two award winners at the LSU High School Indoor Classic, which represented the first of four prep indoor track and field meets over the next six weeks and will culminate with the state indoor meet on Feb. 19.

Lafayette's Kelci Lyons was named the outstanding instate girls track athlete, while classmate Andreas Duplantis earned the same honor for the boys.

Lyons won the 800-meter race, was the state's top finisher in the 400-meter dash and teamed with Genevieve Roy, Cayla Hebert and Kaylei Esfeller to place third in the 3,200-meter relay. Duplantis won the pole vault at 16 feet, 2 inches.

Loranger's Jeryl Brazil was named the outstanding instate boys track athlete. Brazil won the 55-meter dash in 6.42 seconds. Morgan Leleu of Catholic (New Iberia) won the girls competition at 13 feet to claim outstanding instate girls field athlete recognition.