Jada Richard carries LCA past John Curtis in overtime for Girls Platinum title at Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic

  • January 6, 2024
  • By Les East
  • Category: LSU, Preps
  • icon
  • icon
  • icon
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Area Prep Basketball Report for Sunday, Jan. 7

WESTWEGO – Jada Richard carried her team on her back when it was necessary.

She set up her teammates when it was prudent.

Ultimately she did everything that was necessary for top-seeded Lafayette Christian to edge John Curtis Christian 68-66 in an epic overtime game to win the Girls Platinum Bracket at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic on Saturday at the Alario Center.

“She’s a special kid,” Knights head coach Errol Rogers said. “You only get one of those in a lifetime. I’m blessed to have her.”

Richard, who had 35 second-half points as LCA (18-0) overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat Wossman 60-57 in the semifinals earlier in the day, finished with 37 against the Patriots and was named MVP.

“I try to get my teammates going early in the game,” said Richard, who has signed with LSU, “and when the game is on the line I’ve got to take over.”

Bailey Timmons scored on a put-back and followed with a steal and a layup to start the overtime scoring and give Curtis a 62-58 lead.

Richard followed with two free throws and Indy Hebert added a 3-pointer to give the Knights a 63-62 lead. Richard made two more free throws before Ke’Sonya Nelson scored on a put-back to trim the lead to one.

Eve Alexander made one of two free throws for LCA and Nelson scored on a drive to pull the Patriots even with 52 seconds left.

Richard was fouled again going to the basket and made both free throws for a 68-66 lead with 29.3 seconds left. Chikae Desdunes, who led Curtis with 18 points, missed from the side of the lane Timmons missed a follow at the buzzer.

“She’s a great player,” Patriots coach Alendra Brown said of Richard. ‘You don’t see that many points on the high-school level very often. Our goal was to hold her under her average. She averages 40 points, so we did do that.”

But Wossman didn’t.

The Knights, playing less than 24 hours after seeing starting forward Kaliyah Samuels sidelined by a knee injury suffered in a 57-41 victory against LaGrange in the quarterfinals Friday night, were in danger of suffering their first loss of the season before Richard took over in a huddle as she usually does on the court.

“She was talking to her teammates, telling them, ‘it’s not over. We don’t give up. We keep fighting,’” Rogers said. “She’s a great leader.”

And her teammates responded.

“We played a great team earlier in the day and we fought through adversity,” Richard said.

“It’s a resilient group,” Rogers said.

Alexander complemented Richard by scoring 19 points against Curtis (12-4).

“We’re a one-two punch,” Richard said. “I feed off of her game and she feeds off of mine.”

Alexander scored the Knights’ six points and had eight in the first quarter. Richard added six points during the final minute and a half as LCA took a 14-12 lead at the end of the period.

Richard scored LCA’s first eight and final four points of the second quarter, totaling 18 first-half points as the Knights opened a 37-29 halftime lead.

The Patriots scored the first nine points of the third quarter to take a one-point lead midway through the period.

“Everyone was engaged defensively,” Brown said. “All five players knew what their assignment was.”

Richard scored five points in the final two minutes and LCA held a 45-43 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Curtis scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take a five-point lead before Taelyen Taylor hit a baseline jumper for the Knights’ first points of the period.

Richard had LCA’s last four field goals and the Knights held a 58-56 lead in the final minute before Desduns’ steal and layup tied the scored with eight seconds left, sending the game to overtime.

“We have to be consistent,” Brown said. “We did a lot of good things. We were getting stops and making good, open shots, and then on other possessions we wouldn’t do the same thing.”

And eventually Richard made the difference.

“If the team needs me to,” Richard said, “I can put them on my back.”

She wasn’t bragging. She was just stating a fact.

John Curtis Christian 12 17 14 15 8 — 66
Lafayette Christian 14 23 8 13 10 — 68

JCC: Chikae Desdunes 18, Imani Daniel 16, Ke’Sonya Nelson 11, Jayla Albert 9, Bailey Timmons 9, Imari Daniel 3.
LCA: Jada Richard 37, Eve Alexander 19, Indy Hebert 9, Taelyen Taylor 3.

Area Prep Basketball Results from Saturday, Jan. 6
Boys
Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic
Archbishop Rummel 49, Country Day 45
Archbishop Shaw 63, Booker T. Washington (FL) 50
Carver 59, Crescent City Christian 47
John F. Kennedy 41, Northshore 35
McDonogh (35) 55, Amite 50
Peabody 59, Silsbee (TX) 44
Sophie B. Wright 66 Family Christian 63
Trinity (KY) 51, Milton (GA) 34
Trinity (KY) 48, Peabody 45 (OT)

Others:
Ascension Christian 71, New Orleans Science & Math 58
Belle Chasse 78, Pearl River 62
Bonnabel 68, E.D. White Catholic 48
Central 63, John Ehret 56
Donaldsonville 63, Lafayette Renaissance Charter 58
French Settlement 48, Doyle 46
Livonia 68, West St. John 44
Lutcher 56, Northlake Christian 39
Newman 46, John Curtis Christian 33
Northeast 58, St. Helena 40
Parkview Baptist 41, Mandeville 37
Ponchatoula 58, Catholic (BR) 43
Pope John Paul II 56, Ascension Catholic 36
Springfield 49, Jehovah-Jireh 32
St. Amant 66, Lakeshore 48
St. James 44, Riverside Academy 40
St. Martin’s Episcopal 52, De La Salle 48
St. Paul’s 51, UMS-Wright Prep (AL) 21
St. Thomas More 59, Archbishop Hannan 44
Thomas Jefferson 43, Ben Franklin 40
Vandebilt Catholic 59, St. Charles Catholic 53

Girls
Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic
Acadiana 45, Ellender 19
John Curtis Christian 45, Sparkman (AL) 35
Lafayette Christian 68, John Curtis Christian 56 (OT)
Lafayette Christian 60, Wossman 57
Mandeville 66, Amite 54
Midland 66, Oak Grove 25
Ponchatoula 48, Lafayette 45
Zachary 59, St. Thomas More 41

Others:
Acadiana 45, Ellender 19
Archbishop Chapelle 44, Dominican 35
Covington 50, Westminster Christian Academy (Lafayette) 8
Doyle 40, French Settlement 37
East Iberville 58, Patterson 25
Springfield 65, Holden 42
St. Michael 38, Academy of Sacred Heart (NO) 23
Teurlings Catholic 51, Cabrini 43

  • < PREV Rowbury’s career high, McFarlane’s double-double propel Lions past Privateers in SLC opener
  • NEXT > Fast start not enough for Northwestern State at Lamar

Les East

CCS/SDS/Field Level Media

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Les East is a nationally renowned freelance journalist. The New Orleans area native’s blog on SportsNOLA.com was named “Best Sports Blog” in 2016 by the Press Club of New Orleans. For 2013 he was named top sports columnist in the United States by the Society of Professional Journalists. He has since become a valued contributor for CCS. The Jesuit High…

Read more >

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW ME ON X CONTACT ME