St. Thomas More knocks off De La Salle in defensive struggle to reach Division II boys basketball semifinals

LAFAYETTE – No. 4 St. Thomas More kept their drive to a fifth state boys basketball title alive Saturday with a 39-30 win over No. 5 seed De La Salle in the Division II quarterfinals.

“This wasn’t aesthetically pleasing basketball. It was a gritty, low-scoring contest that featured suffocating defense,” STM head coach Danny Broussard said. “Man, what a defensive war that was! That was two teams getting after it on defense. Both teams struggled from the field, and it was a rugged, physical game.”

Points came at a premium from the start. STM’s Evan Savoy hit a three-pointer and Del La Salle’s Terrance Vincent quickly countered with a layup in the second minute of the game. Each team only mustered one more basket each before the end of the period as the Cougars led 5-4.

After a three-pointer by Christian Landry gave STM an 8-4 lead, the Cavaliers went on an 8-0 run. A three-point play by Vincent was followed by Eamon Kelly’s three-pointer. Deanta LeBranch added a basket to give De La Salle a 12-8 advantage with just over five minutes left in the half. The Cavaliers did not score again in the quarter while the Cougars scored eight unanswered points to take a 16-12 lead into the intermission.

An evenly played third quarter was capped by a crucial Thomas Couvillon three-pointer for STM to make it 28-21 heading to the final quarter which the Cavaliers open on a 4-0 run.

“Thomas Couvillon came off the bench and made some shots but none bigger than his three-pointer, Broussard stressed. “I always tell our guys that don’t play a lot that when they get in there, to do their job and today the bench contributed to the victory.”

Armand Woods scored with 5:25 to play to draw De La Salle back within striking distance, 28-25.

As they had earlier, St. Thomas More answered, this time with a 7-0 run to lead 35-25 with just two minutes remaining.

“We fought really hard. We didn’t play well enough offensively to win the game,” said De La Salle head coach Paul Kelly. “We didn’t shoot the ball well. We failed around the basket and on our free throws. We handled their pressure well and we took care of the ball.”

STM was led by Landry with 16 points while Savoy added six.

“I can tell you how proud I am of these kids because everyone has counted these kids out. We had one of the greatest teams to ever play at STM last season. Everyone counted this team out, but I believed in this team. I knew all along we had a chance to do some damage, and we’ll get our shot Wednesday night at the Cajundome,” said Broussard.

Armand Woods led the Cavaliers in scoring with 10 points, and Eamon Kelly had eight.

A hard fought game for both teams and we both struggled to score. Give credit to St Thomas More. They hung in there longer,” said Kelly.

St. Thomas More (28-6) will face top seeded Liberty at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Cajundome in Lafayette. Liberty defeated No. 9 seed St Louis Catholic, 81-39, Saturday afternoon in Baton Rouge.

De La Salle finishes the season 17-11.

LHSAA Boys Prep Playoff Basketball Results

Class 5A Bi-District

#1 Zachary 80, #16 Fontainebleau 49

#16 Mandeville 52, #17 Airline 40

#9 Destrehan 74, #24 St. Amant 61

#8 Natchitoches Central 61, #25 Denham Springs 49

#5 Ouachita Parish 70, #28 Acadiana 44

#12 Southside 55, #21 Ponchatoula 51

#13 Barbe 43, #20 Sulphur 33

#4 New Iberia 64, #29 Sam Houston 34

#3 Ruston 57, #30 Dutchtown 34

#14 East Ascension 61, #19 Hahnville 52

#11 Northshore 72, #22 Bonnabel 61

#6 Captain Shreve 63, #27 Live Oak 41

#7 Walker 46, #26 Pineville 45

#10 West Monroe 59, #23 Southwood 53

#15 East St. John 62, #18 West Jefferson 61

#2 Alexandria 69, #31 East Jefferson 55

Class 4A Bi-District

#1 Carver 66, #32 Livingston Collegiate 54

#17 Salmen 85, #16 South Lafourche 70

#9 Lakeshore 84, #24 Carencro 74

#8 Landry 81, #25 Franklin Parish 54

#5 Beau Chene 84, #28 North Vermilion 72

#12 Northside 53, #21 Plaquemine 47

#13 Washington-Marion 69, #20 Rayne 68 (2 OT)

#4 Huntington 72, #29 Tioga 45

#3 McMain 72, #30 Eunice 33

#14 Booker T. Washington (SH) 56, #19 Breaux Bridge 52

#11 Woodlawn (SH) 77, #22 Livonia 60

#6 Neville 65, #27 Tara 43

#7 Peabody 86, #26 John F. Kennedy 41

#10 Ellender 72, #23 LaGrange 48

#15 South Terrebonne 51, #18 Opelousas 36

#2 Karr 60, #31 Northwood 21

Class 3A Bi-District

#1 Madison Prep 65, #32 Union Parish 30

#16 M.L. King Charter 74, #17 Brusly 61

#9 Northwest 69, #24 Mentorship Academy 56

#8 Sophie B. Wright 54, #25 Albany 34

#5 Iowa 85, #28 Abramson Sci Academy 38

#12 Lutcher 70, #21 Lake Charles College Prep 49

#13 Douglass 60, #20 Mansfield 58

#4 Donaldsonville 94, #29 Mamou 53

#3 Wossman 63, #30 Sterlington 36

#14 Booker T. Washington (NO) 52, #19 Marksville 45

#11 Westlake 75, #22 Caldwell Parish 62

#6 St. Martinville 71, #27 Abbeville 35

#7 Ville Platte 59, #26 Ville Platte 34

#10 Carroll 51, #23 Patterson 42

#15 Richwood 73, #18 Jennings 56

#2 Green Oaks 89, #31 Green Oaks 30

Class 2A Bi-District

#1 Lakeview 87, #32 Morris Jeff Community 51

#16 Avoyelles Public Charter 68, #17 West St. Mary 46

#9 Jonesboro-Hodge 49, #24 Welsh 46

#8 Oakdale 90, #25 Lake Arthur 50

#5 Amite 78, #28 Jeanerette 48

#12 St. Helena 68, #21 General Trass 64

#13 Many 76, #20 Pine 58

#4 Madison 66, #29 Ferriday 42

#3 Rayville 89, #30 Vinton 33

#14 Red River 80, #19 Rapides 64

#11 Avoyelles 55, #22 East Feliciana 49

#6 French Settlement 87, #27 Sarah Reed 59

#7 Franklin 69, #26 North Caddo 57

#10 Winnfield 81, #23 Loreauville 67

#15 Doyle 51, #18 Springfield 49

#2 Port Allen 93, #31 Pickering 51

Class 1A Bi-District

#16 Logansport 66, #17 Centerville 53

#9 East Iberville 63, #24 East Iberville 43

#12 Arcadia 66, #21 Oberlin 45
#13 Homer 63, #20 Sicily Island 40

#14 Ringgold 86, #19 West St. John 44

#22 Plain Dealing 56, #11 Block 52

#10 Oak Grove 71, #23 Montgomery 61 (3 OT)

#18 Merryville 62, #15 Delta Charter 52

Class B Bi-District

#17 Midland 62, #16 Pitkin 60 (OT)

#9 Saline 65, #24 Converse 57

#12 Bell City 60, #21 Elizabeth 45

#13 Singer 77, #20 Weston 62

#14 Stanley 54, #19 Monterey 33

#11 JS Clark Leadership 57, #22 Hathaway 56

#10 Florien 79, #23 Glenmora 57

#18 Negreet 64, #15 Quitman 62

Class C Regional

#1 Calvin 95, #16 Johnson Bayou 50

#5 Pleasant Hill 62, #12 Georgetown 29

#4 Simpson 48, #13 Ebarb 46

#3 Hornbeck 78, #14 Starks 40

#6 Phoenix 70, #11 Summerfield 52

#7 Evans 78, #10 Atlanta 67

#2 Gibsland-Coleman 114, #15 Kilbourne 30

Division I Quarterfinals

#1 St. Paul’s 69, #9 Byrd 28

#4 John Curtis Christian, #5 Brother Martin 50

#3 Scotlandville 62, #11 McKinley 56

#2 Archbishop Shaw 73, #7 Catholic (BR) 55

Division II Quarterfinals

#1 Liberty 81, #9 St. Louis Catholic 39

#4 St. Thomas More 39, #5 De La Salle 30

#3 Archbishop Hannan 62, #6 Evangel Christian 34

#7 St. Michael 61, #2 University Lab 51

Division III Quarterfinals

#1 Newman 92, #8 Pope John Paul II 31

#4 St. Thomas Aquinas 75 #5 Northlake Christian 57

#3 Lafayette Christian 60, #6 Catholic (NI) 35

#2 Episcopal 46, #10 Dunham 44

Division IV Quarterfinals

#1 Southern Lab 57, #8 Sacred Heart 32

#4 Hamilton Christian 61, #5 Central Catholic 53

#3 Country Day 65, #6 St. Martin’s Episcopal 36

#2 Calvary Baptist 76, #7 Ascension Catholic 58

Division V Quarterfinals

#1 Family Christian 67, #8 Grace Christian 38

#4 St. Joseph’s Plaucheville 59, #5 Northside Christian 55

#3 Episcopal of Acadiana 46, #6 Christ Episcopal 40

#2 Jehovah-Jireh 81, #7 Country Day University Academy 58