American Press

LaGrange headed to finals after 53-44 win over North Vermilion

Published 12:58 am Thursday, March 5, 2026

By Rodrick Anderson

AMERICAN PRESS FILE PHOTO: LaGrange senior guard Ramiyah Thomas dribbles the ball during a game at Iowa High School on Jan. 30, 2026. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)

The LaGrange Gators will play for a state championship for the first time since 2021 after beating North Vermilion 53-44 on Wednesday in the Non-select Division II semifinals at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state tournament in Hammond.

No. 2 LaGrange (29-4) will play three-time defending state champion No. 4 Wossman (20-6) at 6 p.m. on Saturday in the finals. Wossman beat No. 1 Sterlington (26-5) 54-48 on Wednesday to secure a spot in the finals for the fifth consecutive season.

The Gators and Wildcats squared off early in the season at the Lafayette Christian tournament on Jan. 2, with Wossman winning 62-47. LaGrange lost to Non-select Division IV No. 1 Midland 50-31 the next day, but has since won 18 consecutive games.

The Gators led nearly wire-to-wire as they hammered the Patriots’ defense with bucket after bucket in the paint, accounting for 80 percent (42) of their points.

North Vermilion (27-3) held the lead for less than 30 seconds in the first quarter after Stevie Brasseaux scored off an offensive rebound at the 4:59 mark. LaGrange sophomore Aniyah Guillory tied the game at 5-5 26 seconds later, and Daneyah Jackson’s bucket with 3:22 left in the first quarter put the Gators up for good.

LaGrange led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter.

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Sophomore point guard Kayla Harding (10 pts, 6 reb, 7 stl), senior guards Ramiyah Thomas (10 pts, 3 reb, 2 stl) and Marleigh Alexis (11 pts, 4 ast, 5 stl) all scored in double-digits for the Gators.

Reagan Smith led North Vermilion, which was playing in the semifinals for the first time since 1986, with 12 points. Ashante Rose scored 10 points, and Stevie Brasseaux nearly had a double-double with nine points and 11 rebounds.

 

Semifinals

Monday, March 2

Non-select Div. IV – No. 2 Merryville (26-8) 55, No. 3 Arcadia (23-7) 52

Class C –. 3 Pleasant Hill (28-9) 46, No. 2 Calvin (28-3) 39

Class C – No. 1 Simpson (39-4) 64, No. 4 Evans (28-8) 47

Non-select Div. IV – No. 1 Midland (28-7) 73, No. 5 East Feliciana (19-11) 43

Select Div. III – No. 2 Rosepine (26-7) 56, No. 3 Sacred Heart-New Orleans (20-4) 44

Tuesday, March 3

Select Div. III –No. 4 Holy Savior Menard (23-4) 45, No. 1 Lafayette Christian (22-8) 43

Class B – No. 1 Bell City (26-2) 61, No. 5 Zwolle (28-9) 39

Class B – No. 2 Pitkin (34-5) 80, No. 3 Fairview (27-10) 79, OT

Non-select Div. III –No. 3 Westlake (21-4) 46, No. 2 Oak Grove (24-3) 45

Non-select Div. III – No. 1 French Settlement (30-3) 63, No. 5 Ville Platte (24-8) 51

Wednesday, March 4

Select Div. IV – No. 2 JS Clark Leadership Academy (27-5) 42, No. 3 Ouachita Christian (28-2) 23

Select Div. IV – No. 1 Southern Lab (27-5) 69, No. 4 Cedar Creek (22-9) 29

Select Div. II – No. 2 University Lab (27-4) 48, No. 3 Parkview Baptist (25-5) 45

Non-select Div. II –No. 4 Wossman (20-6) 54, No. 1 Sterlington (26-5) 48

Non-select Div. II – No. 2 LaGrange (29-4) 53, No. 3 North Vermilion (27-3) 44

Thursday, March 5

Select Div. II – No. 1 Madison Prep (27-7) vs. No. 5 Buckeye (24-6), 1 p.m.

Select Div. I – No. 1 John Curtis (23-0) vs. No. 4 Huntington (19-7), 2:45 p.m.

Select Div. I – No. 3 St. Joseph’s Academy (22-5) vs. No. 7 Teurlings Catholic (25-8), 4:30 p.m.

Non-select Div. I – No. 1 Zachary (28-3) vs. No. 4 Neville (23-5), 6:15 p.m.

Non-select Div. I – No. 2 Slidell (29-1) vs. No. 3 Prairieville (26-4), 8 p.m.

Finals

Friday, March 6

Non-select Division IV – No. 1 Midland (28-7) vs. No. 2 Merryville (26-8), Noon

Class C – No. 1 Simpson (39-4) vs. No. 3 Pleasant Hill (28-9), 2 p.m.

Select Division III –No. 2 Rosepine (26-7) vs. No. 4 Holy Savior Menard (23-4), 4 p.m.

Class B – No. 1 Bell City (26-2) vs. No. 2 Pitkin (34-5), 6 p.m.

Non-select Division III – No. 1 French Settlement (30-3) vs. No. 3 Westlake (21-4), 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 7

Select Division IV – No. 1 Southern Lab (27-5) vs. No. 2 JS Clark Leadership Academy (27-5), Noon

Select Division II, 2 p.m.

Select Division I, 4 p.m.

Non-select Division II, No. 2 LaGrange (29-4) vs. No. 4 Wossman (20-6), 6 p.m.

Non-select Division I, 8 p.m.

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