St Augustine clamps down on St. Thomas More in second half to win Louisiana boys basketball Division I state title

No. 4 Purple Knights held third-seeded Cougars scoreless in third quarter of 45-35 win in LHSAA Division I select championship

John Luke Bourque (in white) made the winning basket in the semifinals for St. Thomas More. / SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

St. Thomas More and St. Augustine have each won seven Louisiana high school boys basketball state championships. Either the third-seeded Cougars or No. 4 Purple Knights will earn an eighth crown when the Division I select powers meet for the state title at noon Saturday at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

Pregame

St. Thomas More (28-4) won its previous two playoff games with buzzer-beating shots. Junior Xarian Babineaux hit the game-winner in the quarterfinals against No. 11 Huntington. Senior John Luke Bourque, who sank a baseline jumper to push the Cougars to a 46-44 win over No. 7 John Curtis Christian in the semifinals Thursday, shot a perfect 5 for 5 from the field en route to scoring 15 points.

The Cougars, whose overall record including games against out-of-state competition is 32-5, have topped the 30-win threshold 18 times during coach Danny Broussard's tenure, according to Eric Narcisse of The Acadiana Advocate. STM last won a title in 2022 and finished as runner-up to Liberty last season.

STM starts an all-senior lineup of Elijah Guidry, Grayson Roy, Bo Couvillon, Trenton Potier and Bourque. Roy (6-foot-4) leads the team in scoring with an average of 10 points per game. Bourque and Guidry are excellent defenders for a team that has held opponents to 39.5 points per game.

St. Augustine (29-4) is making its first appearance in the final since 2021, when the Purple Knights downed Scotlandville. St. Augustine outscored top-seeded Liberty 19-9 in the fourth quarter of a 43-41 semifinal win Wednesday.

Six players scored 5-to-12 points for St. Augustine, which shot 70% from the field (17 of 24). Senior center Brayden Boyd (6-for-6), who finished with 12 points and eight rebounds, and sophomore guard Aaron Miles (4 for 4 FG, nine points) didn't miss a shot. Miles leads the team in scoring (13 points per game). Senior Jakobe Shepeard averages 12 points and six rebounds.

The Purple Knights have nine seniors, including guards Kolbin Jefferson and Tye Williams, who combine to score an average of 10 points per game. Each posted five points in the semifinals with Jefferson dishing out five assists.

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First quarter

-Jarvardes Brazile and Khalil Jones are St. Augustine starters not mentioned in the pregame section. We're scoreless at the six-minute mark of the opening quarter.

-Grayson Roy scores the opening bucket. He's a physical force who is hard to guard down low. Cougars 2, St. Aug 0 4:41, 1st. Roy hits another one, and Brazile scores to get the Purple Knights on the board. Cougars 4, St. Aug 2 3:55, 1st.

-St. Aug 6, Cougars 4 :238, 1st. Brazile gets another basket.

-Foul on STM's John Luke Bourque, the hero of the semifinal win over John Curtis. Purple Knights and Cougars trade turnovers. St. Aug 6, Cougars 4 2:05, 1st.

-Xarian Babineaux, the hero of the Cougars' quarterfinal win over Huntington, gets two points off the bench. St. Aug 6, Cougars 6 1:28, 1st.

-Purple Knights have six points from Brazile. St. Aug 8, Cougars 6 30.3 seconds left in the quarter.

-Elijah Guidry slices through the trees of the St. Aug frontcourt for a lay-up. We're tied at 8 at the end of the first quarter.

Second quarter

-Bo Couvillon misses a 3 for STM. Elijah Guidry picks up a foul. Steal by Grayson Roy. STM turns it over. Still 8-8 6:33 left in the 2nd quarter.

-Second foul on St. Aug's Khalil Jones.

-Grayson Roy gets to the free-throw line with his trademark spin move. Misses a free throw. St Aug brings in three substitutions. Roy misses both free throws. Still 8-8 4:00, 2nd.

-Technical foul on St. Augustine. Bourque from STM got caught up in the Purple Knights' huddle after a timeout was called. 8-8 3:50, 2nd Quarter. Couvillon came over to the St. Aug bench to help up Bourque, who was on the floor. There was some jostling. Matthew Cook makes both free throws. Cougars 10, St. Aug 8 3:48, 2nd Quarter.

-Bourque makes the added possession following the technical count, knocking down a field goal. Cook adds a 3 for STM, which is on a 7-0 run. Cougars 15, St. Aug 8 timeout.

-Great hustle by STM's Trenton Potier. Almost came up with a steal. He's been the leading scorer five times this season for the Cougars, who lead 15-8 1:07, 2nd.

-Trenton Potier with an athletic reverse lay-up for STM. Cougars 17, St. Aug 9 20 seconds left in the half. Purple Knights get a free throw.

-Cougars 17, St. Aug 9 halftime

-St. Aug shooting 25% (0 of 6 from 3-point land). Cougars shooting 50%.

Third Quarter

-Great start to the second half for the Purple Knights. Jakobe Shepeard, one of several St. Aug players with nice length, converts a 3-point play. Cougars 17, St. Aug 12 7:04, 3rd.

-5-0 rum to start the third quarter. Tye Williams with two points for St. Aug. Cougars 17, St. Aug 14 Timeout 6:43, 3rd.

-Aaron Miles adds two free throws. 7-0 run for the Purple Knights. Cougars 17, St. Aug 16 5:23, 3rd.

-John Luke Bourque is down. He was called for a technical foul. Aaron Miles shooting two free throws. Bourque goes to the sideline. He's banged up (back). Miles ties it and gives the Purple Knights the lead. St. Aug 18, Cougars 17 4:59, 3rd.

-Each team takes a charge. Grayson Roy has a basket wiped out by an offensive foul. St. Aug 18, Cougars 17 4:26, 3rd.

-It's getting more and more physical. St. Aug 18, Cougars 17 3:23, 3rd.

-St. Aug 18, Cougars 17 2:48, 3rd.

-St. Aug 18, Cougars 17 less than minute to go in the 3rd.

-St. Thomas More scoreless in the third quarter. St. Aug shooting two free throws with 14 seconds left. Aaron Miles makes the first (11-0 run). Miles makes both. St. Aug 20, Cougars 17 End 3.

Fourth quarter

-Eliijah Guidry gets STM's first points of the second half. St. Aug 20, Cougars 19 7:18 left.

-Javardes Brazile slam dunk makes it St. Aug 22, Cougars 19 6:43 remaining. Bo Couvillon got twisted up near midcourt trying to get a loose ball.

-Trenton Potier drives to the rim again for a lay-up. St. Aug 22, Cougars 21 6:18, 4tn.

-Kolbin Jefferson gets fouled by Grayson Roy. Gets a bucket and a free throw. Misses the free throw, but the Purple Knights snatch the rebound. St. Aug 24, Cougars 21 5:48, 4th.

-Jakobe Shepeard slam dunk for the Purple Knights. Boyd tries a jam after a turnover, but it bounces off the back of the rim. St. Aug 26, Cougars 21 5:13, 4th.

-Xarian Babineaux makes two free throws. St. Aug 26, Cougars 23 4:44, 4th. Braydon Boyd makes this slam dunk. St. Aug 28, Cougars 23 4:11, 4th.

-Braydon Boyd with two more points. St. Aug 30, Cougars 23 3:54, 4th.

-Cougars add a free throw. STM called for its fifth foul. St. Aug 30, Cougars 24 3:05, 4th.

-STM and St. Aug trade turnovers. Cougars have the ball, trailing 30-24 with 2:43 remaining.

-Bourque misses a free throw. Makes one. St. Aug 30, Cougars 25 2:41, 4th.

-Trenton Potier will shoot two free throws for STM. St. Aug 30, Cougars 25 2:17, 4th. The senior makes both. St. Aug 30, Cougars 27 2:07, 4th.

-The Purple Knights have missed five free throws after making eight of their first nine. They get one. Grayson Roy lays it in for STM. Timeout. St. Aug 33, Cougars 29 1:55 left.

-Coach Danny Broussard wanted a travel call, but the Purple Knights get two free throws. St. Aug 34, Cougars 29 1:46 left.

-Elijah Guidry makes one free throw with 1:38 left. Timeout, Purple Knights. Guidry has four fouls. St. Aug 34, Cougars 30 1:38 left.

-St. Aug 35, Cougars 30 1:14 left.

-Roy, Bourque and Couvillon all have four fouls for STM. St. Aug 37, Cougars 30. STM turns it over. Just over a minute to go.

-Bourque fouls out and is called for a technical. Aaron Miles shooting four free throws (13 points). He makes three. St. Aug 40, Cougars 30 1:10, 4th.

-Purple Knights have outscored STM in the second half, 23-10. Timeout. St. Aug 40, Cougars 30 57.8 seconds left.

-Xarian Babineaux free throw for STM. St. Aug 40, Cougars 31. Grayson Roy fouls out. St. Aug 42, Cougars 31 44.7 seconds left.

-St. Aug 44, Cougars 33 18.2 seconds left.

-Trenton Potier scores for STM. St. Aug 44, Cougars 35 12.7 seconds left.

-Jakobe Shepard (nine points) misses a free throw. 9.9 seconds left. St. Aug 44, Cougars 35. Makes the second to get in double-digits. St. Aug 45, Cougars 35 Final.

POSTGAME

Jakobe Shepeard (10 points) named Outstanding Player for St. Aug, which was led in scoring by sophomore Aaron Miles. All 13 of his points came via free throws. He was 13 of 14 from the line.

-Wade Mason wins a state title, the eighth for St. Augustine, in his first year as head coach. The Purple Knights, held to one point in the second quarter, shutout St. Thomas More in the third period.

-The teams combined to make 1 of 16 3-pointers. St. Aug was 19 of 30 from the free-throw line. Outside of Miles, the Purple Knights made 6 of 16 FT.

🏆 STATE CHAMPIONS

🏆 DIVISION I SELECT

🏆 ST AUGUSTINE

🏆 ST AUG WINS A PROGRAMS 8TH STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WHICH TIES THEM FOR 6TH MOST ALL TIME pic.twitter.com/qmrnoxuyes

— LBRBasketball (@LBR_Basketball) March 15, 2025

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