The Louisiana state high school soccer finals continue today at Strawberry Stadium in Hammond. Top-seeded Vandebilt Catholic takes on number two U-High at 7:30 this evening for the Division III Boys’ championship. The teams played to a 3-3 tie back on Dec. 3. U-High knocked off Vandebilt in 2020 for a second straight title, and the Terriers are seeking their first title since 2018.

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In the Girls Division III finals, number two Loyola Prep out of Shreveport faces Hannan at 3:30. Loyola Prep finished as runner-up last season.

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The LHSAA has also announced the first-round pairings for the 2022 girls basketball playoffs. Earning the top seed in Class 5A is Baton Rouge area power Walker High. Warren Easton claims the top seed in 4A, with Brusly as the top seed in Class 3A. Amite is the team to beat in 2A, while Northwood-Lena leads the pack in Class 1A.

Among the select schools, four of the five top seeds are looking to repeat as champions, including John Curtis in Division I, Division II St. Louis, Lafayette Christian in Division III, and Ouachita Christian in Division IV. Family Christian takes the top seed in Division V.

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The New Orleans Pelicans earned a season split of their series with the Toronto Raptors with a 120-90 rout last night at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans led this one wire-to-wire and had six players reach double figures. CJ McCollum led the team in scoring with 23 points, and Brandon Ingram had a near triple-double in just 29 minutes with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. The Pels had a season-high 36 assists on 45 baskets. With all of the weapons at their disposal, Ingram says sharing the basketball is easy to do.

Cut 21 (11) “…score the basketball.”

The Pelicans will host the Memphis Grizzlies tonight. New Orleans has won its last eight in a row against the Grizzlies at home.

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Former Grambling stars James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams will be hosting the first-ever HBCU Legacy Bowl this Saturday at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium, featuring the nation’s best HBCU football players. The game, which will be broadcast on the NFL Network is a partnership between the NFL, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Tulane, and the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Kickoff is at 3 pm.

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The Pelicans got off to a hot start last night and never looked back in a 120 to 90 win over the Toronto Raptors. Its New Orleans largest margin of victory this season. CJ McCollum was nine of 13 from the field and scored 23 points. Jonas Valancinuas had 18 points and 9 rebounds.

LSU sophomore Tari Eason has been named Louisiana Sports Writers Association men’s basketball player of the week. Not sure how he was not named SEC Player of the week as the six-foot-eight guard averaged 24 points and nine rebounds in two victories last week. The Tigers host Georgia tomorrow.

Southern leads the SWAC western division after beating Texas Southern 70-58 last night. Grambling suffered a tough loss to Prairie View A-and-M 71-70.

The LSU Lady Tigers moved up three spots in the lastest A-P top 25 poll to number eleven.

The Ragin Cajuns men’s basketball team is struggling. They’ve lost three in a row and eight of their last ten and there’s talk among the fan base about head coach Bob Marlin’s job security. Marlin says he’s not paying attention to that noise…
cut 19 (25) “…getting it done”
U-L Lafayette is at ULM on Thursday.

Nicholls has won five in a row and the Colonels host McNeese on Thursday. Nicholls Coach Austin Claunch wants the fans to stuff Stopher Gymnasium with home games against the Cowboys and Houston Baptist this week…
cut 18 (10) “…we brought
Claunch credits the fans for their win over Corpus Christi on Saturday.

LSU football had its fingerprints all over yesterday’s Super Bowl. Odell Beckham Jr. scored the opening touchdown for the Rams before an apparent left ACL injury ended his night, and Andrew Whitworth, the oldest lineman to ever start in the Super Bowl, claimed his first championship in what may have been his final game. Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase had their moments for Louisiana’s temporarily adopted team, the Bengals. Burrow threw for 263 yards and a TD, with Chase catching five balls for 89 yards.

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Official figures aren’t yet in, but Super Bowl 56 may be the most-watched of all time. An estimated 117 million people tuned in to the game. If that number holds, it would top the previous record of just over 114 million viewers, set in 2015, when the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks. Last season’s Super Bowl, between Tampa Bay and Kansas City, had an estimated 91.6 million viewers.

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Even the halftime show, headlined by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent, saw a major jump in viewership with 29 million households watching. That’s an increase of 19 percent over last year. Overall, the number of viewers that only tuned in to the halftime show rose by 60 percent.

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The New Orleans Pelicans have lost two in a row since acquiring guard CJ McCollum from Portland just before the trade deadline. The Pels will try to stop that skid tonight at home against the Toronto Raptors. McCollum has averaged 25.5 points, nine rebounds and five assists in his two appearances, but the Pelicans have surrendered 113 points per game over those losses. New Orleans is 5-28 this season when allowing more than 105 points. Devonte’ Graham says the Pels will figure it out and get back on track.

Cut 21 (12) “…be alright.”

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The LSU women’s basketball team has climbed to number 11 in the latest AP poll, the team’s highest ranking since 2007-08. LSU’s 21 wins are already the most since the 2013-14 season. The Tigers went 3-0 last week, including victories over Ole Miss, Georgia, and Texas A&M. LSU has won four in a row, and swept the season series with the Aggies on Sunday, winning 74-58. Khayla Pointer and Alexis Morris scored 25 points each.

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The Los Angeles Rams claimed their second Super Bowl championship, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. Cooper Kupp was named MVP after catching eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:25 remaining. LSU products Odell Beckham Jr and Andrew Whitworth earn their first Super Bowl rings, with Beckham scoring the game’s opening TD before exiting with a knee injury.

Many fans across the state had adopted the Bengals during their run to the big game. Joe Burrow finished the game with 263 yards and one TD, and Ja’Marr Chase added 89 receiving yards.

Cincinnati came up short, but after going from only winning six games over the previous two seasons to within three points of a title, Burrow says there’s a lot of joy to be taken from what his team accomplished.

Cut 18 (08) “…something to celebrate.”

The Rams improve to 2-3 all time in the Super Bowl, while the Bengals fall to 0-3.

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The LSU men’s basketball team is in a three-way tie for fifth place in the SEC after beating Mississippi State 69-65 on Saturday. Coach Will Wade says his team was facing a must win situation heading into the game against the Bulldogs, especially after losing their last home game to the Ole Miss Rebels…

Cut 19 (19) “…good energy.”

The Tigers host last place Georgia on Wednesday.

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Tulane pulled out an overtime win over Temple to claim sole possession of fourth place in the AAC standings. UNO beat Incarnate Word by 27 to remain in first place in the Southland, while Nicholls extended its win streak to five in a row, and both Southeastern and McNeese grabbed weekend victories. Southern fell into a tie for first place in the SWAC after losing to Prairie View.

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And the LSU women went on the road to knock off Texas A&M 74-58. The Tigers improve to 21-4 on the year.

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Much to the dismay of Saints fans, the Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl champs after scoring a late touchdown to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named the game’s MVP after catching two touchdown passes, beating former Saints cornerback Eli Apple for the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Former LSU Tiger Odell Beckham caught the game’s first TD pass to give the Rams an early lead but left in the first half with a knee injury. Former LSU and West Monroe standout Andrew Whitworth is finally a Super Bowl champ at the age of 40.

But Most LSU fans were rooting for Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Burrow was sacked seven times, but Burrow didn’t point any fingers at his o-line…
cut 17 (12) “….myself included”
Burrow says he’ll use this loss to fuel his career.

After losing three in a row, the LSU men’s basketball team is now on a two-game winning streak after dribbling past Mississippi State 69-65 on Saturday night. A healthy Xavier Pinson has helped turn around the Tigers’ fortunes. He scored 12 points, had four assists and three steals in the win over the Bulldogs…
cut 20 (14) “…top tier”
LSU will host Georgia on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs have just one SEC win on the year.

The Ragin Cajuns are mired in a three-game losing streak after losing to U-T Arlington on Saturday. U-L Lafayette will visit ULM on Thursday. The Warhawks had their three-game winning streak snapped as they lost to Texas State.

The hottest team in the state is Nicholls. The Colonels won their fifth straight on Saturday as they topped Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi 83-80 in OT. The Colonels host McNeese on Thursday. The Cowboys beat Northwestern State 80-75 on Saturday.

The LSU men’s basketball team looks to get back to the .500 mark today when they host Mississippi State for a 7 Pm tip-off at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The Tigers are 5-and-6 in the SEC after beating Texas A-and-M on Tuesday. The Bulldogs are 5-and-5 and Iverson Molinar is State’s top scorer at 18-points a game. M-S-U also features a couple of good rebounders in six-foot-eleven Tolu Smith and six-foot-nine Garrison Brooks.

ULM looks for its fourth straight win when they host Texas State at 2 PM. The Bobcats are also hot as they’ve won four in a row and seven of their last nine.

The Ragin Cajuns take on U-T Arlington. U-L Lafayette looks for its first win in the Cajundome since January 22nd.

In Southland action, McNeese is at Northwestern State, Nicholls hosts Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi, Southeastern Louisiana takes on Houston Baptist in Hammond.

Grambling has a tough game at Texas Southern.

Tomorrow is Super Bowl 56. Leading the Cincinnati Bengals is former LSU quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, and national champion Joe Burrow. In just his second season the sophomore signal-caller has revitalized a franchise that hadn’t won a playoff game in more than 30 years. The Bengals playing for a championship is not something many expected before the season, but Burrow isn’t shocked at all.
Cut 16 (12) “…positions to be successful.”
On the other side, former West Monroe Rebel and LSU star Andrew Whitworth will be the first 40-year-old to start at left tackle in Super Bowl history. Whitworth will face the team that drafted him in 2006…
cut 27 (17) “…my life”
Kick-off tomorrow is at 5:30.

Former LSU and current Rams lineman Andrew Whitworth has been named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year. Whitworth’s acceptance speech has drawn rave reviews for his humility and his call to action for the NFL and its players to keep doing more in their communities to make them better. Rick Guillot, president of the BigWhit 77 Foundation, says that’s the Andrew he’s always known…

Cut 10 (12) “…so proud of him.”

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The man in the middle of the famed Dome Patrol has finally had his name called for entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Linebacker Sam Mills will join six others as part of the 2022 class, and becomes the fourth player in Saints history to earn induction into the hall. He joins Wille Roaf, Morten Andersen, and fellow Dome Patroller Rickey Jackson. Jackson made the announcement Thursday night at the NFL Awards ceremony in Los Angeles.

After starting his career in the USFL, Mills joined the Saints in 1986, earning four Pro Bowl selections. He still ranks second on the team’s all-time tackles list with 894.

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CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram each scored 15 points for the New Orleans Pelicans, but it wasn’t enough as the Pels lost to the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat, 112-97; ending their four-game winning streak. The Pelicans were outscored 56-42 in the second half. They host the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday in the third game of a six-game homestand.

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Pelicans executive vice-president of basketball operations, David Griffin, still has no real updates on the progress of Zion Williamson, who has missed the entire season recovering from offseason foot surgery. Griffin hopes to have imaging done on Williamson’s foot in the next week or two to provide a better answer, but no timetable has been set.

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A busy Saturday for college basketball across the state. The LSU men host Mississippi State, and Tulane has a big American conference matchup against Temple. Both Grambling and Southern are on the road. In the Southland Conference, McNeese visits Northwestern State, while Nicholls, Southeastern, and UNO are all at home.  Finally, UL-M and the UL both host Sun Belt Conference matchups.

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LSU baseball begins three days of Fall scrimmages Friday at The Box starting at 6:30 PM. The Tigers will be back at it at 1:30 pm on Saturday and again at 11:30 am Sunday. Sunday is also fan appreciation day featuring an autograph session with the team.

The 14^th-ranked LSU Tigers held off number 17 Georgia for a 73-67 win last night at the P-MAC. Alexis Morris scored a game-high 26 points to lead LSU, with Khayla Pointer adding 21 and Jailin Cherry posting 18 more. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but the Tigers outscored the Bulldogs by 17 at the free-throw line. LSU is now 20-4 on the season and sits third in the SEC standings, just a game behind Tennessee.

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There’s going to be a lot of LSU flavor at Super Bowl 56 this weekend. One of the players who should have a big impact is former Tigers receiver Odell Beckham Jr. He broke on the scene with the New York Giants before being traded to and released by the Browns. Since joining the Rams, he’s been back to his explosive self, scoring five touchdowns in 10 games including the postseason. A younger Beckham might have gloated about his return to the top, but not today’s OBJ.

Cut 18 (14) “…for this team.”

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The NFL Honors ceremony was held last night and a few LSU Tigers took home some hardware. Ja’Marr Chase was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, with teammate Joe Burrow earning Comeback Player of the Year. And the biggest honor of the night, the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award went to former Tiger and current Rams lineman Andrew Whitworth. Among his many efforts, he and his wife Melissa run the BigWhit 77 Foundation. Whitworth issued a challenge to the league to do more, particularly with and for children.

Cut 21 (17) “…they ever have.”

At 40 years old, the 2x All-Pro will be the oldest starting offensive lineman in Super Bowl history.

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CJ McCollum debuted with the Pelicans last night. He scored 15 points as did Brandon Ingram, but New Orleans lost to the Heat 112-97, ending their four-game win streak. Miami outscored the Pels 56-42 in the second half.

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A former member of the famed Dome Patrol will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio as Sam Mills “The Field Mouse” has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mills will be the fourth former Saints to be inducted into the Hall. He played for the Saints for nine seasons and was named to the All-Pro team three times.

Also last night, former West Monroe and LSU star Andrew Whitworth was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year for his excellence on and off the field. The 40-year-old offensive tackle is the first player from the Rams to win the award.

Bengals Q-B Joe Burrow received the Comeback Player of the Year Award and Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. Earlier this week Chase reflected on his first season in the NFL…
cut 17 (17) “…try to do”

The Miami Heat cooled off the Pelicans last night as New Orleans’s four-game winning streak came to a halt with a 112 to 97 defeat. Newly acquired C-J McCollum made his debut with the Pels, but the usually reliable scorer was 6-of-21 from the field with 15 points. Also Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin still doesn’t know when Zion Williamson will play this season.

In college hoops…ULM topped U-T Arlington 74-71 for its third straight win as Andre Jones had 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

The Ragin Cajuns lost in overtime as they fell to Texas State 82-73, Louisiana Tech dribbled past Charlotte 82-77 as Kenneth Lofton Junior had 18 points.

Nicholls edged Incarnate Word 69-68 as the Colonels won their fourth straight, Southeastern Louisiana outscored McNeese 91-86. Gus Okafor had 24 points. Houston Baptist knocked off Northwestern State 76-69.

The 14th ranked Lady Tigers won their 20th game last night as they held off 17th ranked Georgia 73-67. Alexis Morris with 26 points.

Guards CJ McCollum and Tony Snell will make their debuts for the Pelicans against the Heat tonight. Forward Larry Nance Jr. is undergoing knee surgery and will be out 4-6 weeks. All three should help as the Pels make a push for their first playoff berth in four years. The Pels have won 4 in a row and Coach Willie Green says the team isn’t where they want to be, but he’s proud of their progress over the last 40 games.

Cut 17 (18) “…program that’s sustainable.”

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Attorneys for Saints running back Alvin Kamara have begun their own investigation into the Las Vegas brawl that led to the Pro Bowler’s arrest last Sunday. Lawyer Drew Findling says the allegations made against Kamara don’t not match up with the player’s conduct throughout his career. Kamara was charged with suspicion of battery resulting in substantial bodily harm. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison with a fine of $10,000.

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There’s a big women’s basketball showdown at the P-MAC tonight as the 14^th-ranked LSU Tigers host number 17 Georgia. After dropping a pair of conference games, the Tigers have bounced back with wins against Kentucky and Ole Miss. LSU won the first matchup between the two, 68-62, back on December 30. Khayla Pointer led the Tigers that night with 21 points and played all 40 minutes, and Faustine Aifuwa scored 17 with nine rebounds.

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Former SEC Player of the Year Sylvia Fowles will be honored during the game. During her career she, along with Seimone Augustus, led the Tigers to two Final Fours. She averaged 15.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks over her career.

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The shakeup on the Saints coaching staff continues as Dennis Allen relieved strength and conditioning coach Dan Dalrymple and offensive line coach Brendan Nugent of their duties Wednesday, along with offensive analyst Jim Chaney. Dalrymple had been with the Saints since 2006. Former Saints offensive coordinator Doug Marron is expected to replace Nugent. And Allen interviewed Lions assistant Aubrey Pleasant for the defensive coordinator position. Pleasant met with the Vikings earlier this week.