The New Orleans Pelicans return from the All-Star break on a winning note, after beating the Phoenix Suns, 117-102 on Friday night. CJ McCollum led all scorers with 32 points and is averaging 29 points per game since being traded to the Pels. Brandon Ingram added 28, and Jonas Valanciuanas picked up another double-double with 18 points and 17 rebounds. New Orleans pulled back to within a game of the tenth seed in the Western Conference with the win. The Pelicans wrap up their quick, two-game road trip in Los Angeles on Sunday night against the Lakers.
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LSU got seven strong innings out of Blake Money and Dylan Crews homered, tripled, and drove in four runs, as the Tigers beat Towson 6-0 Friday night at The Box. Money allowed only two hits while striking out seven on his way to his second victory of the season. Crews smacked a two-run home run to left field in the bottom of the first to drive in Trey Morgan, giving LSU an early 2-0 lead. He closed out the scoring with a triple to right in the third that brought in two more. The 4-1 Tigers host Southern at 1:30 pm this afternoon, followed by a Sunday doubleheader.
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John Curtis won its sixth consecutive state championship with a 67-47 victory over McKinley in the Division I state girls title game. Eighth-grader Chikae Desdunes scored 23 points to pace the Patriots, and sophomore Heaven Jordan earned Most Outstanding Player honors, and her third state championship, with 15 points, seven steals, six assists, and five rebounds.
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The U-L Ragin Cajuns baseball squad fell to sixth-ranked Stanford, 5-1 in its first game at the Karbach Round Rock Classic in Texas. In a tough, three-game set, the Cajuns will take on Indiana today before facing number two Arkansas on Sunday.
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On the Softball diamond, U-L bounced back from a tough loss to Alabama to grab a pair of wins Friday night on day one of Youngsville’s Mardi Gras Mambo. The 15th-ranked Ragin Cajuns topped Eastern Illinois 3-2 in the opener before shutting out St. Thomas 10-0 in game two. Freshman Sam Landry struck out 11 on the way to completing the first no-hitter of her career.
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In other baseball scores from around the state, Louisiana Tech beat Tulane 6-1 in the first game of their three-game series.
And in softball, number 24 LSU grabbed a pair of wins, topping Stephen F. Austin 10-4, and beating Drake 12-4 in five innings.