By JOHN JAMES MARSHALL, Journal Sports

Perhaps no other sport has gone through the evolutionary process quite like basketball. Many years ago, you couldn’t dunk in college or high school. The lane has been widened on a number of occasions. The implementation of the 3-point shot was revolutionary in ways that many did not expect.

Those changes subsequently brought about changes at other levels of the sport. It took about a decade, but college basketball soon followed the NBA with its version of the 3-point line. It didn’t take long for high school to do the same.

But go to a high school basketball game and there’s one thing you won’t see that is present at every other level – a shot clock.

“I think we need to implement it soon,” Huntington boys basketball coach Mack Jones says. “But I don’t know when it will happen.”

Jones isn’t alone in being pro-shot clock. Local coaches would be in favor of it, but it would come at a price. Literally.

“Even though the other night we stalled a little bit against Parkway, I would definitely love to see it,” says Benton girls coach Mary Ward, now in her 20^th year as a head coach. “I think it would speed the pace of the game up and be more strategic. But the logistics of it all would be so tough for high school athletics.”

Different high school programs operate in different ways, but the added expense would be tough to take on. It can already be tough to get by with paying three referees, two security guards and other costs before the ball even gets tipped off.

You’d basically have to add a fourth official to that expense because operating a shot clock isn’t as simple as just hitting the reset button. And if you think that would be a tough cost for a Class 5A school to absorb, think about what it would mean for Class B and C schools.

“It’s hard enough to find someone to run the clock and keep the (score) book,” Ward says. “Getting someone to do the shot clock would be even tougher.”

On several occasions, the LHSAA membership has considered adopting the shot clock, but it has never gone much further than just an idea. A statewide shortage of officials is also a contributing factor.

“It would cost a little bit, but I think it would be worth it,” Jones says. “It just makes the game faster and more exciting. Plus you are preparing the kids for next-level basketball.”

In 1979, North Carolina held the ball for almost the entire first half against Duke (the Tar Heels didn’t take a shot for the first 12 minutes) and trailed 7-0 at halftime.

Loyola boys basketball coach Ben Schonfarber thinks there might be teams with an advantage if there were a shot clock, but you wouldn’t see an all-out stall.

“I think it would be beneficial overall, but I think it would be more beneficial to the better teams,” says Schonfarber, who is in his seventh year. “But if it’s a 30- or 35-second shot clock, I don’t know how much that speeds the game up because most teams don’t really sit on the ball these days.”

The shot clock is actually already used in some locations in the country and in AAU play. But that’s not the only reason Jones would like to see it. “I just think we need to try to make it as close to what it is in college as possible,” he says.

Jones is in his 33^rd year as a head coach and has seen the game evolve during that time. He says the threat of a team taking the air out of the ball isn’t as likely. “When I first got into it, more coaches were running the four-corner (offense) because they had only one kid who could handle the ball,” he says. “With AAU ball now, all of them can handle it so you probably don’t see that as much anymore.”

Finances aside, coaches believe the biggest difference if a shot clock were in place would come in the last two minutes, not the first 30.

“When you get under two minutes, you need to have conversations with the players about when we want to shoot,” Schonfarber says. “Do we want to bleed the clock or do we want to take an open shot if we get it?”

“Strategies would come down to trying to use the shot clock to your advantage,” Jones says. “Say you are down by five with two minutes left. With a shot clock, you’d still have a good chance by just playing good defense.” 

Contact JJ at johnjamesmarshall@yahoo.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

Parkway’s Mikaylah Williams, considered one of the top two high school girls basketball players in the country, has been selected to the West roster of the 2023 McDonald’s All American Game according to an announcement Tuesday.

Williams, a 6-foot guard and the consensus No. 2 prospect in the 2023 graduating class, has signed to play for LSU. Tigers coach Kim Mulkey and assistant Bob Starkey attended a home game last week to watch their top recruit in action.

She is one of 24 players named to play in the game slated for March 28 at the Toyota Center in Houston at 6:30 p.m. (ET). It will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

She has played for the United States in summer competition for the past two years.

Williams will be joined on the West roster in Houston by No. 1 prospect JuJu Watkins of Sierra Canyon, California.

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JOURNAL STAFF

Captain Shreve used a 21-4 second quarter to get past visiting Parkway 67-54 Tuesday night to get another District 1-5A win.

The Gators (20-4, 6-1) , coming off their lone loss in district play to league leader Southwood (6-0), turned a three-point deficit after one quarter into a 32-18 halftime lead.  Jyrin Sowell hit all seven of his free throw attempts on his way to leading the Gators with 19 points. Devyn Graham was next in scoring with 14 points, hitting on 6-of-7 at the line as Shreve sank 18-of-24 free throws on the night.

Parkway (12-11, 4-3) outscored Shreve in the third quarter 21-17 to pull within 49-39 but could get no closer than eight in the fourth period. Brhaelyn Brown got hot from behind the arc and led all scorers with 20 points, draining four 3-pointers. Chance Snell was the Panthers’ other double digit scorer with 10 points.

Southwood’s game at Natchitoches Central was postponed until tonight because of the bad weather in the area.

AIRLINE 74, BYRD 73:  The host Vikings needed extra time to get the 1-5A win in overtime as Tre’Von Jackson scored 26 points. Airline (12-13, 2-5) also got 16 points from both Kanayo Agu and Colby O’glee.  Byrd dropped to 8-13, 1-5.

EVANGEL 66, MINDEN 39: The Eagles used balanced scoring led by CJ Shiflett’s 12 points for the District 1-4A win on the road and improved to 18-5, 3-0.

BOSSIER 66, NORTHWOOD 39: At Northwood, the visiting Bearkats got 21 points from Tahj Roots, while Kerel Woods had 13 and Lakavin Thomas 12. Bossier is 14-9 overall and 2-1 in 1-4A. Northwood (7-14, 0-2) was led by David Morris with 14 points and Maurea Hudson scored 12.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON 67, NORTH DESOTO 37: At the Lions Den, the hosts rolled behind Colossian Mason Jones’ 22 points. Tabayous Anderson added 11 points for BTW, who evened its District 1-4A record at 1-1 and improved to 11-9 overall. North DeSoto dropped to 8-15, 0-2.

CALVARY 82, D’ARBONNE WOODS 26: At Farmerville, the Cavaliers had five players score in double figures for the District 1-2A win. Calvary (17-4, 3-0) was paced by Rondae Hill who had 15 points and six assists. Bubba Strong scored 13, Malaki Thomas tallied 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds and Kameron Kennon and Xavier Henderson both scored 10.

LOYOLA 58, GREEN OAKS 50: The win by the host Flyers pulled them into a second-place tie in District 1-2A with the Giants at 2-1 and improved Loyola to 14-11. Green Oaks dropped to 10-12, 2-1. 

GIRLS

PARKWAY 68, CAPTAIN SHREVE 25: At Captain Shreve, the Panthers had little trouble staying unbeaten in District 1-5A (9-0) and improved to 21-5 overall.  Parkway took a 42-18 lead into halftime and increased the lead with a 22-0 third quarter as Ty’lissa Henderson totaled 19 points and Mikaylah Williams poured in 14. Brianna Jones led the Lady Gators (11-12, 3-6) with eight points.

BYRD 60, AIRLINE 53: At Airline, the Lady Jackets were led by Janiya Vanderpool’s 19 points, while Morgan Young tossed in 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Byrd improved to 15-8 overall and 4-5 in 1-5A. Airline dipped to 16-11 overall and 2-7 in district.

HAUGHTON 47, BENTON 43: The host Lady Bucs got the 1-5A win to move into third place at 6-3, 12-8 overall. Skylar Branch led all scorers for Haughton with 18 points, Sara White had 13 points and Abbie Hooper 11. Benton (16-10, 5-4) was led by Marissa Schloth’s 16 points and Chloe Bailey added 11.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON 52, NORTH DESOTO 32: At BTW, the Lady Lions’ Asia Foster scored 14 points, Lakaira Harris 12 and Janiyah Dotson 11. The win kept BTW tied with Minden atop District 1-4A at 2-0 and improved its overall record to 10-9. North DeSoto slipped to 8-15, 0-1.

MINDEN 61, EVANGEL 21: At Minden, the Tide got out to an early 21-6 lead after one quarter on the way to taking the District 1-4A win and improving to 2-0 in the district and 9-12 overall.

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JOURNAL STAFF

College Basketball

Tuesday’s score

MEN

Arkansas 60, LSU 40

Today’s game

MEN

Trinity Valley at BPCC, 7 p.m.

High School Basketball

Tuesday’s scores

GIRLS

Parkway 68, Captain Shreve 25
Byrd 60, Airline 53
Haughton 47, Benton 43
BTW 52, North DeSoto 32
Minden 61, Evangel 21
Calvary 48, D’Arbonne Woods 40

BOYS

Captain Shreve 67, Parkway 54
Airline 74, Byrd 73, OT
BTW 67, North DeSoto 37
Bossier 66, Northwood 39
Evangel 66, Minden 39
Huntington 82, Woodlawn 57
Calvary 82, D’Arbonne Woods 26
Loyola 58, Green Oaks 50
Homer 47, Magnolia 40
Ringgold 97, Plain Dealing 41

Today’s games

Southwood at Natchitoches Central, boys and girls

High School Soccer

Tuesday’s scores

All games postponed. 

Today’s games 

GIRLS

Bossier at Wossman 5:30 p.m.

Northwood at Huntington 8 p.m. 

BOYS

Huntington at Minden 6 p.m.

Airline at Byrd 6:15 p.m.

Benton at Shreve 6:15 p.m.

Schedules are subject to postponements.

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By ROY LANG III, Journal Sports

The winning streak extends to two weeks, thanks to a stellar performance at the first DP World Tour event of the season.

Back to the links for PGA Tour and DP World Tour. 

As far as the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines, remember it begins this morning. Get your bets in early.

I am vigorously against betting short favorites in golf, but Rory McIlroy has plenty of reasons to dust the field in Dubai, especially since Jon Rahm is dominating in the States in his quest to claim Rory’s top spot in the world rankings.

Notes

All bets are measured in units. For instance, if your normal bet on a game is $100, that is one unit. If the bet is listed as .2 units, it’s a $20 bet.

Best line (as of Tuesday) is listed in parenthesis. Find the best price — one key to being a successful sports bettor! Shop around! Remember this is a VALUE-based system, so don’t settle for a price significantly less than the one listed. And jump on better prices!

 Sportsbook legend

CAE: Caesar’s

FD: Fan Duel

MGM: Bet MGM

DK: DraftKings

BS: Barstool

BR: BetRivers

LANG’S LOCKS

Last week: +.74 units

2023 season: -1.2 units

2022 season: +101 units 

THIS WEEK’S GOLF SELECTIONS

PGA TOUR 

Farmers Open 

Top 20 bets

Jhonattan Vegas, 1.2 units, +450 (CAE)

Scott Stallings, .7 units, +360 (CAE)

Matthew NeSmith, .5 units, +550 (DK)

Caleb Surratt, .5 units, +1790 (DK)

Samuel Stevens, .4 units, +1200 (DK)

DP World Tour 

Hero Dubai Desert Classic 

Win bets

Rory McIlroy, 1.6 units, +340 (FD)

Thomas Pieters, .1 unit, +3500 (MGM)

Ludvig Aberg, .1 unit, +19900 (MGM)

Top 20 bets

Thomas Pieters, 1.3 units, +162 (CAE)

Ludvig Aberg, 1.1 units, +550 (CAE)

Jordan Smith, 1 unit, +200 (CAE)

Paul Waring, .7 units, +650 (CAE)

Louis De Jager, .5 units, +700 (DK)

Hennie Du Plessis, .4 units, +600 (CAE)

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

This week’s outcomes will be tonesetters for basketball teams at Grambling, Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State – and the good news is that nearly all of the action comes at home.

The men’s teams from Grambling and Northwestern State are just one game off the lead in their leagues and both play twice on their homecourts. Grambling has the greatest opportunity. At 5-2 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, the Tigers host Jackson State, also 5-2, in a battle of third-place teams Saturday afternoon. Monday night, SWAC co-leader Alcorn State (6-1 in the conference) visits the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center.

On the women’s side, it’s Louisiana Tech with the greatest upward mobility, hosting Conference USA bottom-feeders UAB (Thursday) and UTSA (Saturday) having already beaten both on the road, although in a pair of close games. The sixth-place Techsters, hampered over the past month by an injury to junior standout Anna Larr Roberson, aren’t near the top of CUSA but can get over .500 in the league race with a sweep. 

MEN 

NORTHWESTERN STATE:  The Demons (12-8, 4-3 Southland) had lost six of their last eight heading on the road last week to Southeastern Louisiana (now the league co-leader at 5-2) and UNO, but Missouri State transfers and team captains Ja’Monta Black and DeMarcus Sharp led NSU to a road sweep. Black won his first Southland Player of the Week award by averaging 29.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals while sinking 14 of 29 3-pointers. Sharp, challenged by new coach (and former Missouri State assistant) Corey Gipson to be more aggressive, averaged 27 points and 6.5 assists at point guard. 

Next games: Thursday NSU hosts Houston Christian (4-3 in league play) at 8, then welcomes Lamar (2-5 in the SLC) Saturday afternoon. The Demons are in a four-way tie for third place in the 10-team league, which hits the middle of the 18-game season with Saturday’s games. 

GRAMBLING:  The Tigers (12-7, 5-2 SWAC) were impressive in an important road win Monday at UAPB, topping the Golden Lions (now 5-3 in the league) by shooting 54 percent overall, 56 percent on 3-pointers and making 20-of-22 free throws. It’s impressive when you’re in the top 10 of a list that starts with Tennessee, Houston and Alabama; Grambling leads the SWAC and is eighth in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to an average of 38.3 percent aim. They were right on that number at UAPB as Jourdan Smith rose up for 24 points. 

Next games:  The G-Men are home Saturday at 3 against Jackson State, then host Alcorn Monday at 7:30 during “Greek Weekend” on campus. There are 11 SWAC games left. 

LOUISIANA TECH:  The Bulldogs (11-9, 4-5 in Conference USA) had a remarkable home win last Thursday over Western Kentucky, overcoming a 12-point second half deficit to get to overtime. Once there, Tech didn’t give up a point in the extra five minutes of an 85-74 triumph. But Saturday, Middle Tennessee outshot the Bulldogs 52-39 percent in a 17-point road win. Cobe Williams continues to rank high in CUSA stats:  fourth in scoring (18.7), second in steals (2.2) and sixth in assists (4.1).

Next game:  Tech goes to UAB Thursday and UTSA on Saturday. They’re tied with UAB in the standings while the Roadrunners are 1-9.

WOMEN 

LOUISIANA TECH: The Lady Techsters (11-8, 4-5 CUSA) are poised to snap last week’s two-game skid (66-55 at Western Kentucky, 68-50 at Middle Tennessee). Roberson, who started stacking double-double games in the second half of last year, returned to the starting five at Middle for the first time since Dec. 18. Saturday’s loss was a close battle except for the start (a 10-0 MTSU burst) and finish (16-2 Middle run).

Next games: Home twice, Thursday night at 6 facing UAB and Saturday afternoon at 1 against UTSA. Both visitors are 2-7 in CUSA including losses at home to the Techsters. There are 11 games to go in conference play.

GRAMBLING:  The Lady TIgers (5-13, 4-3) fell 64-57 Monday night at UAPB despite a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) by Phylicia Allen.

Next games: Grambling is home Saturday at 12:30 against league-leading Jackson State, then meets Alcorn Monday at 5:30 at the Hobdy Center.

NORTHWESTERN STATE:  The Lady Demons (7-10, 3-4) suffered a bad loss Saturday at UNO, falling to a team with only three wins playing without its head coach, who had a death in the family. NSU has dropped two straight on the heels of a three-game win streak, but is 6-2 at home, a good omen this week. In her final collegiate season (the first three at Grambling, where she scored 501 points), Candice Parramore passed the 1,000-point career mark on a 3-pointer. It’s her second season at NSU.

Next games:  Home Thursday at 5:30 against Houston Christian (4-3 in the SLC) and Saturday at 1 when Lamar (2-5) visits.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

Boys Standings
DIVISION I – DISTRICT 1	Dist.	All
Captain Shreve	3-0-0	11-7-3
Byrd	2-1-0	13-6-2
Benton	2-1-0	10-11-1
Airline	1-2-0	3-11-1
Southwood	0-4-0	0-9-0
Division II – District 1	Dist.	All
Parkway	5-0-0	12-5-1
Caddo Magnet	5-0-0	10-5-2
Haughton	3-2-0	12-7-1
Northwood	2-3-0	5-10-4
North DeSoto	1-3-0	6-12-0
Huntington	0-4-0	2-6-0
Minden	0-4-0	3-10-1
Division III – District 1	Dist.	All
Bossier	2-0-0	17-2-2
Sterlington	1-0-0	8-8-3
Union Parish	1-1-0	4-10-3
Carroll	0-3-0	0-4-0
Division IV – District 1	Dist.	All
Loyola	3-0-0	9-11-1
Evangel	1-1-0	10-8-0
Calvary	1-2-0	9-7-0
Claiborne Christian	0-0-0	0-4-0
North Caddo	0-2-0	0-11-0

Boys Power Ratings 

Division I

11. Byrd

17. Captain Shreve

27. Benton

40. Airline

44. Southwood

Division II

10. Caddo Magnet

14. Parkway

20. Haughton

27. Northwood

40. Huntington

Division III

2. Bossier

Division IV

11. Loyola

20. Evangel

36. Calvary

      37. North Caddo

Girls Standings
Division I – District 1	Dist.	All
Captain Shreve	5-0-0	24-1-3
Byrd	3-1-0	15-6-4
Airline	2-2-1	10-10-4
Benton	1-2-1	9-11-3
Haughton	1-3-0	7-11-2
Southwood	0-4-0	0-9-1
Division II – District 1	Dist.	All
Caddo Magnet	5-0-0	16-8-0
Parkway	4-0-0	11-6-1
North DeSoto	3-2-0	5-11-3
Natchitoches Central	2-2-0	6-10-0
Minden	2-3-0	6-11-0
Northwood	0-4-0	6-15-1
Huntington	0-5-0	2-15-0
Division III – District 1	Dist.	All
Sterlington	1-0-0	10-8-1
Bossier	0-0-0	6-9-1
Wossman	0-1-0	2-12-1
Division IV – District 1	Dist.	All
Loyola	3-0-0	13-4-3
Calvary	1-1-1	10-6-2
Evangel	0-1-1	5-7-4
North Caddo	0-2-0	7-8-0

Girls Power Ratings

Division I

3. Byrd

4. Captain Shreve

20. Airline

26. Benton

33. Haughton

46. Southwood

Division II

6. Caddo Magnet

9. Parkway

30. Northwood

37. Huntington

Division III

25. Bossier

Division IV

2. Loyola

11. Calvary

15. Evangel

32. North Caddo

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By DAVID ERSOFF, Journal Sports

The high school soccer regular season ends Jan. 30, giving local teams a week to jockey for playoff position.

Division IV No. 10 Loyola (9-10-1) is slated to host Division I No. 18 Captain Shreve (11-7-3) tonight to get some good power points and playoff-level competition. Division II No. 14 Parkway boys (12-4-1) will get both by heading to Division III No. 2 Bossier (17-2-2) in a game moved from tonight to Friday night in anticipation of heavy rain.

Both the boys’ and girls’ Division II, District 1 titles will be settled in winner-take-all games between Parkway and Caddo Magnet on Thursday. First up will be the girls as No. 9 Parkway (11-6-1) and No. 6 Caddo Magnet (14-8-0) face off at Lee Hedges with kickoff at 6 p.m. The boys’ game will follow at 7:45 when Parkway faces No. 10 Caddo Magnet (10-5-2).

In the biggest girls’ game of the week, Division I No. 4 Captain Shreve (24-1-3) is planning to host Division IV No. 2 Loyola (13-4-3) at 6 p.m. tonight at Messmer Stadium. Loyola has two other important games scheduled this week. Saturday it will host Division II No. 3 Teurlings Catholic (9-7-4) as well as a last-day matchup with Caddo Magnet on Monday.

The Division I No. 3 Byrd Lady Jackets (14-6-4) continue their tough season-ending schedule with a trip down south, first playing on Friday at Division II No. 2 Lakeshore (13-7-4) and Saturday at Division I No. 10 Southside (16-5-1).

This past Friday saw a “Clash of Titans” as Division III No. 3 St. Louis Catholic came to Bossier to face the No. 2 Bearkats, a very possible preview to a state playoff semifinal matchup.

Before the game, the Bearkats presented the visitors with a signed ball in tribute to one of their teammates who passed away earlier this season.

The crowd was large, including the Bossier cheerleaders and band in the stands who kept the crowd excited throughout the game.

The game started fast and never slowed down. Bossier used its controlled passing to keep the Saints off their game and kept them frustrated by getting to just about every loose ball. Seven minutes into the game, Bossier pushed the ball into St Louis’ box, and was able to finish for a 1-0 lead.

This did not deter the Saints, as they used some long passes to pressure the Bearkats’ back line, and with a couple uncommon Bossier mistakes, the Saints had a couple solid chances at goal. They just couldn’t connect that last pass or get off a clean shot. They did, however, use long inbound throws to get the ball into some dangerous positions.

Twenty minutes in, the Saints’ keeper came up with a fantastic save at point blank range. Even the home crowd applauded that effort. Unfortunately for St Louis, the lift they got from the save didn’t last, as Bossier was able to double the lead a minute later. Halftime came with the score 2-0 Bossier.

The Saints came out strong in the second half, putting immediate pressure on Bossier, including a couple solid shots at goal. Bossier absorbed the pressure, then took the ball methodically down the field in a string of over 10 passes, ending in a back-breaking goal that sent the home team up 3-0.

The Saints never gave up, never slowed down and never stopped working to get back into the game. Even when Bossier added a fourth goal, St. Louis kept coming, a true sign of a great program.

The player of the match had to be St. Louis keeper Junior Noah Ellender, who had numerous high-stress saves, and fought all the way to the end.

Oscar Alvarengo had two goals, with Felix Deras and David Rojas adding one each. Deras and Wilson Alvarado each had an assist, with two assists being credited to Yoany Reyes. Keeper Logan Bamberg came up big with six total saves, two of which were highlight-worthy.

Byrd’s Lady Jackets travelled to Lafayette Friday, fighting to a scoreless tie with Division I No. 6 Dominican (13-2-2). Saturday Byrd faced Division I No. 9 Mt. Carmel (15-5-2) and won 1-0 on Ellie Lawrence’s 25-yard free kick that went in the upper corner of the net.

Captain Shreve’s Lady Gators took a day trip Saturday to Sulphur to face Division III No. 4 St. Louis (10-6-3) and topped the Lady Saints 3-1. Brooklyn Lattier scored twice and Alex Knight had the other goal. Assists were credited to Emma Bradford, Ella Rossi and Knight.

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By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

There’s no guarantee Jalen Brooks will be the Red River Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year when awards are announced in March, but he’s certainly the odds-on favorite.

The LSUS senior guard is the RRAC Player of the Week for the sixth time this season. That’s half of the POTW awards that have been issued by the league office.

Brooks, a Woodlawn product, leads the conference with a 23.3 scoring average and snags 11.2 rebounds per game.

In the past week, while the Pilots went 2-1, he averaged 25 points while sinking 23 of 43 shots, and grabbed 7.0 rebounds per contest. 

MEN 

LSUS:  The Pilots (15-5, 7-3 RRAC) are tied for first in the RRAC standings with Texas A&M-Texarkana after posting a 94-89 win at Huston-Tillotson last Saturday.

Next games: Thursday at Louisiana Christian (3-8 in RRAC) at 7:30, home Saturday at The Dock hosting Xavier (7-4 in RRAC) at 4 o’clock. 

CENTENARY:  The Gentlemen (12-6, 6-4 SCAC) suffered double-digit road losses last weekend at Trinity (80-59 on Friday) and Schreiner (68-54 on Saturday) after hard-fought homecourt wins over both teams in early December. The Friday loss at Trinity pitted the second- and third-place teams in the league standings, with Trinity stretching its winning streak to nine as the Tigers shot 60 percent from the floor and outscored the Gents 40-26 in the paint. That was an even more blaring shortfall for Centenary Saturday, as Schreiner outscored the visitors 44-14 in the paint, and outrebounded the Gents 40-23. The lost weekend cost Centenary only one slot in the standings.

Next games:  Centenary comes into a home weekend fourth in the nine-team Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, hosting seventh-place Southwestern Friday night at 7:30 and fifth-place Texas Lutheran Saturday at 2 in the Gold Dome.

BOSSIER PARISH CC:  The Cavaliers (11-8, 3-6 in Region IV) notched a 64-59 road win Saturday at Paris Junior College as Kendrick Delahoussaye and D’Marcus Hall set the pace offensively with 11 points each. BPCC is 6-4 over the last 10 games.

Next game:  The Cavaliers are home Wednesday at 7 hosting Trinity Valley CC. The Cardinals are 4-16 overall but 4-6 in Region IV East Zone competition, standing in a fourth-place tie, while BPCC is 7^th.

WOMEN

LSUS: The Lady Pilots (17-4, 11-2) have won eight straight and are second in the RRAC race behind undefeated (12-0) Texas A&M-Texarkana. LSUS dumped Huston-Tillotson 70-64 on Saturday.

Next games: LSUS goes to Louisiana Christian Thursday at 5:30, then hosts Xavier Saturday at 2. Both foes are 6-5 in conference play. 

CENTENARY:  The Ladies (1-18, 1-9) were drubbed at Trinity (96-46) and Scheiner (92-58), expanding their skid to four. Trinity is 10-0 in the SCAC and Schreiner is third at 8-2. Centenary, which has 10 freshmen on its 16-woman roster, is getting outscored by 22 points a game.

Next games: Centenary is home Friday against fifth-place Southwestern at 5:30, then faces fourth-place Texas Lutheran Saturday at noon.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

Boys  Basketball
DISTRICT 1-5A	Dist.	All
Southwood	6-0	15-7
Captain Shreve	5-1	18-4
Parkway	4-2	12-10
Natchitoches Central	3-3	7-12
Airline	1-5	11-13
Byrd	2-4	9-12
Haughton	1-5	11-15
Benton	2-4	7-15
DISTRICT 1-4A	Dist.	All
Evangel	2-0	17-5
Huntington	2-0	17-7
Bossier	1-1	13-9
North DeSoto	0-0	2-11
Woodlawn	1-2	11-11
BTW	0-1	10-9
Minden	0-1	8-14
Northwood	0-1	7-13
DISTRICT 1-2A	Dist.	All
Calvary	2-0	16-4
Green Oaks	2-0	10-11
Loyola	1-1	13-11
North Caddo	1-1	5-11
Lakeside	0-2	7-14
D’Arbonne Woods	0-2	5-11
District 1-1A	Dist.	All
Ringgold	6-0	16-10
Arcadia	4-1	11-9
Haynesville	4-2	8-7
Homer	3-3	4-6
Plain Dealing	1-4	5-13
Magnolia	1-5	4-12
Glenbrook	1-4	3-10

Power ratings

Select Division I

5. Huntington

7. Captain Shreve

8. Southwood

30. Byrd

31. Northwood

Select Division II

8. Evangel

17. BTW

Select Division III

3. Calvary

16. Green Oaks

18. Loyola

22. North Caddo

Select Division IV

27. Magnolia Charter

Non-Select Division I

19. Parkway

32. Airline

33. Haughton

37. Benton

Non-Select Division II

4. Bossier

Non-Select Division IV

30. Plain Dealing

Girls Basketball
DISTRICT 1-5A	Dist.	All
Parkway	8-0	20-5
Natchitoches Central	6-2	15-9
Haughton	5-3	19-8
Benton	5-3	16-9
Byrd	3-5	14-8
Airline	2-6	16-10
Captain Shreve	3-5	11-11
Southwood	0-8	12-11
DISTRICT 1-4A	Dist.	All
BTW	1-0	9-9
Minden	1-0	8-11
Huntington	0-0	17-6
Northwood	0-0	14-8
North DeSoto	0-0	8-14
Woodlawn	0-1	6-16
Evangel	0-0	1-5
Bossier	0-1	0-14
DISTRICT 1-2A	Dist.	All
Loyola	2-0	6-15
Calvary	1-1	7-4
D’Arbonne Woods	1-1	6-11
Lakeside	1-1	3-13
Green Oaks	1-1	1-17
North Caddo	0-2	3-8
District 1-1A	Dist.	All
Arcadia	5-0	18-6
Homer	4-1	9-7
Haynesville	3-2	7-16
Plain Dealing	2-3	5-10
Glenbrook	2-3	5-10
Ringgold	0-5	4-16

Select Division I

6. Huntington

17. Byrd

23. Captain Shreve

25. Northwood

Select Division II

20. BTW

27. Woodlawn

37. Evangel

Select Division III

18. Loyola

19. Calvary

24. North Caddo

Non-Select Division I

2. Parkway

14. Benton

20. Airline

21. Haughton

Non-Select Division II

41. Bossier

Non-Select Division IV

33. Plain Dealing

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JOURNAL STAFF

College Basketball

Monday’s scores

WOMEN

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 64, Grambling State 57
LSU 89, Alabama 51

MEN

Grambling State 77, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67

Today’s game

MEN

LSU at Arkansas, 6 p.m.

High School Basketball

Monday’s scores

GIRLS

Arcadia 64, Plain Dealing 30
Homer 49, Haynesville 34

BOYS

Arcadia at Plain Dealing, (n)
Haynesville 51, Homer 49
Ringgold 75, Magnolia 29

Today’s games

GIRLS

Parkway at Captain Shreve

Byrd at Airline

Benton at Haughton

Southwood at Natchitoches Central

North DeSoto at BTW

Bossier at Northwood

Evangel at Minden

Woodlawn at Huntington

Calvary at D’Arbonne Woods

Green Oaks at Loyola

North Caddo at Lakeside

Plain Dealing at Ringgold

BOYS

Parkway at Captain Shreve

Byrd at Airline

Benton at Haughton

Southwood at Natchitoches Central

North DeSoto at BTW

Bossier at Northwood

Evangel at Minden

Woodlawn at Huntington

Calvary at D’Arbonne Woods

Green Oaks at Loyola

North Caddo at Lakeside

Homer at Magnolia

Plain Dealing at Ringgold

High School Soccer

Monday’s scores

GIRLS

Byrd 3, Airline 0
Caddo Magnet 4, North DeSoto 2 

BOYS

Calvary 8, Southwood 0
Byrd 2, Loyola 1
Haughton 8, North Caddo 0
Pineville 5, Parkway 3

Today’s games 

GIRLS

Calvary at Sterlington 5:30 p.m.

Airline at Minden 5:30 p.m.

Haughton at Benton 5:30 p.m.

Evangel at North Caddo 6 p.m.

Huntington at Northwood 6 p.m. 

BOYS

Northwood at Huntington 6 p.m.

Evangel at North Caddo 7:45 p.m.

Schedule subject to change due to weather.

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The table was set for Dak Prescott. Sunday offered the best chance in seven years to change perception and take the next step as an NFL quarterback. 

Again, it didn’t happen. 

A 19-12 NFC playoff loss at San Francisco closed the book on another disappointing finish to a season. This didn’t happen at the hands of an Aaron Rodgers miracle or a team vastly better than the Cowboys. 

This time, Prescott got bounced by a rookie — a third-stringer who was the 2022 NFL Draft’s Mr. Irrelevant just eight months ago. 

No, Brock Purdy didn’t light up the Cowboys defense. The uber-talented 49ers didn’t ride his right arm into the NFC Championship Game. He completed 19 of 29 passes for 214 yards. 

However, the kid played mistake-free football. 

In tight games, especially in the postseason, that can be the difference. 

Sunday, Prescott was the difference. 

The 29-year-old, who ended a lengthy turnover streak with a dazzling five-touchdown performance a week earlier against Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs, fell back into his 2022 ways. 

The former Haughton star threw two interceptions Sunday, one in the first quarter that led to a San Francisco field goal and another in the red zone during a tie game in the final 90 seconds of the second quarter. The Niners also added three points from that mistake. 

The second half was littered with opportunities for Prescott and the Cowboys to take the reins. 

They managed six points. 

The 23-year-old quarterback who makes peanuts, the guy with just six prior starts, prevailed. Not the seven-year veteran with the $160 million contract. 

Just when all appeared lost for the Cowboys, San Francisco running back Eli Mitchell gifted the Blue Stars a chance to pull off a miracle after he ran out of bounds when the 49ers had a chance to run out the clock. 

It wasn’t meant to be for Prescott. Again. 

In addition to a pair of picks, Prescott tossed one touchdown and completed 23 of 37 throws for 206 yards. 

San Francisco has reeled off nine straight victories. The Niners are a legitimate threat to win the Super Bowl. However, the Cowboys had the supposed edge at quarterback Sunday. In the playoffs, that’s supposed to be enough – especially in tight games. 

Rookie quarterbacks, especially third-stringers, have almost no track record of success. 

Prescott has been there. When he arrived in Dallas as a fourth-rounder in 2016, many had him pegged as third-stringer. However, injuries to Tony Romo and Kellen Moore vaulted Prescott to the top spot before his rookie season began. 

Prescott stunned many by leading the Cowboys to a 13-3 record that season. He’s since helped the Cowboys build one of the league’s most potent offenses. He’s amassed big numbers and an impressive amount of victories in the regular season. However, after Sunday’s loss he heads to the offseason with two career playoff wins and four losses. 

Purdy is headed to the conference title game after two playoff wins in two playoff starts. It’s a place Prescott has not been. 

This doesn’t spell the end of the road for Prescott. His career will not be defined by Sunday’s loss or a tumultuous 2022 campaign. His overall body of work is too good to ignore, but the mistakes that labeled this season must be an anomaly. 

He’s already a good quarterback, arguably really good. Can he be great? 

Assuming he stays healthy, Prescott can still quell the naysayers. Will any of the opportunities be as good as the one he faced Sunday? There is certainly no guarantee. 

All we know right now: The lost seasons are piling up.

Contact Roy at roylangiii@yahoo.com

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