Southern Lab routs Vermilion Catholic, 70-38, to reach quarters
A rested Southern Lab wasted no time Monday pouncing on Vermilion Catholic and sending a number of messages Monday on its way to the quarterfinals. The No. 7 Kittens (16-9) frustrated the Eagles with their full-court pressure and dominant rebounding…
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Continue ReadingA rested Southern Lab wasted no time Monday pouncing on Vermilion Catholic and sending a number of messages Monday on its way to the quarterfinals.
The No. 7 Kittens (16-9) frustrated the Eagles with their full-court pressure and dominant rebounding from the outset, blew the game open in the second quarter and led wire-to-wire in a 70-38 rout in Seymour Gymnasium.
The Division-IV state champions in 2022 started their 2023 postseason with an almost entirely different roster from the senior-heavy group a year ago, but appeared to show the potential to make another deep run during the next week — or two.
And the Southern Lab basketball group provided some revenge for their friends and classmates, whose football season Vermilion Catholic had ended in the quarterfinals about 100 yards away in Mumford Stadium.
Troy Murphy (2024) | 6-2 F | Southern Lab
The junior forward led the charge on the boards early and often en route to a physical 19-point, 13-rebound performance overall. He grabbed four boards in the first quarter alone, including a pair of putbacks and six points in the period. Murphy also blocked two shots as he paired with sophomore Charles LaGarde to provide reliable anchors to the defense and allow the guards to play aggressively.
D’Lloyd Joseph (2023) | 6-1 F | Southern Lab
The senior wing chipped in a pair of driving baskets in the first before exploding for back-to-back 10-point quarters in the second and third third and finishing with a game-high 28. His five steals also helped highlight the Kittens’ effective defensive pressure, and he snatched four rebounds.
Charles LaGarde (2025) | 6-4 F | Southern Lab
The Kittens’ tallest player hauled in eight rebounds and blocked two shots.
Braylon Brown (2025) | 5-9 G | Southern Lab
The sophomore guard finished with 14 points, including two of the team’s four 3-pointers, and grabbed four rebounds.
Jonathan Butler (2023) | 5-9 G | Southern Lab
The senior guard didn’t score his five points until late, but always seems to provide critical poise and pace to a group that had to replace the bulk of its roster from last season’s state title run and had five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Jackson Trahan (2025) | 5-11 F | Vermilion Catholic
The sophomore forward provided the Eagles a bit of a spark off the bench in the first quarter with his rebounding, grabbing three boards and tipping others away from the Kittens, and playing of passing lanes, where he grabbed four or five steals and deflected and disrupted other balls. Trahan also finished with 11 points in the lane.
Lewis Briggs Jr. (2023) | 6-0 G/F | Vermilion Catholic
The standout safety for the football team, a multisport athlete like most of the Eagles, used his combination of length and quickness to find some occasional success in the challenging circumstances. He finished with six points with makes from inside, outside and the foul line, a team-high six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Clent Briggs Jr. (2023) | 5-9 G | Vermilion Catholic
C.J. Briggs finished as the Eagles’ leading scorer with 12 points thanks to a late surge that included a 3-pointer to add to a night on which more of his damage was done driving and in the mid-range. He grabbed two rebounds and two steals and dished out an assist.