It is tournament time for basketball…in the LHSAA Boys Nonselect tournament, the field has narrowed as we approach the championships on Friday and Saturday at McNeese’s Burton Coliseum.
In Class 4A, Carver crushed Huntington, 84-35 to advance to the title game for the second consecutive season. Jaylon Hicks had a game-high 20 points to lead the Rams who will face McMain, the defending state champs in the final. The Mustangs defeated second-seeded Edna Karr, 52-41, paced by Alex Hammond’s 15 points.
Zachary will be making its second-straight appearance in the 5A title game after knocking off Ouachita, 75-60. Jordan DeCuir led the Broncos with 24 points. They will face the surprising Northshore Panthers, who will be making their first bid for a state crown after beating Walker 68-54 in the semis. James Bridges posted a double-double with 25 points and 10 boards for Northshore in the win.
Today’s semifinals will set up the championships for divisions 2A and 3A. Madison Prep advanced to the 3A championship game with a win over Donaldsonville. They will face Wossman on Saturday after the Wildcats got past Bossier. In the 2A semis, Amite takes on Lakeview and Rayville plays Port Allen.
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Moving from Marsh Madness to March Madness…Grambling is just 12-20 this season, but three of those wins have come over Southern, including today’s 60-58 upset of the Jags in the SWAC basketball tournament. Tra’Michael Moton nearly had a triple-double for the Tigers with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Grambling advances to face Texas Southern in the semifinals on Friday.
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LSU moves on to the SEC tournament quarterfinals after topping Missouri 76-68. Tari Eason led the Tigers with 19 points with Darius Days adding 16 more. They will face Arkansas Friday afternoon at 2 pm. McNeese faces UNO in the Southland tournament this evening, with top-seeded Nicholls and number two Southeastern off until tomorrow’s semifinals.
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The second-longest work stoppage in baseball’s history has finally come to an end. Major League Baseball and the Players Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement after the owners locked out the players for 99-days. According to reports, spring training camps will open on Sunday, with teams able to sign free agents and make trades once again. Aside from the financial pieces of the negotiations, there are some on-field changes coming as well, including the adoption of the DH by the National League, a 12-team postseason, and advertising on jerseys and batting helmets.