Madison Prep vs. Catholic (Baton Rouge) top performers

Catholic (Baton Rouge) clung to its one-point lead in the final minute — its first since the opening quarter — as one Madison Prep shot after another clanged or rolled back off the rim.   But the home-standing Chargers kept swarming the paint for second- and third- and fourth- and fifth-chance opportunities, until senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1218217' first='Josh' last='Smith'] finally got a putback to fall.   "That was a tough look — I think everybody on the team had a shot that play," Smith laughed. "I mean, everybody. That was crazy. But we capitalized off it. I got the rebound later and capitalized. It's just hard work at the end of the day."   And, with an additional free throw by junior big man [player_tooltip player_id='1492968' first='Chris' last='Lindo'] in between, Madison Prep came away with two stops of its own in the final seconds, including a block by senior forward Jamari Thigpen as time expired, to survive the Bears, 55-53.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/pfNrI0i21z4 </div></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='1218216' first='Jayce' last='Depron'] — 6-4 G — Madison Prep (2024)   The senior guard — with older brother Jardin Gilbert, the LSU football transfer from Texas A&M, back in town to watch — finished with 10 points, including a deep third-quarter 3-pointer and five late points with the game on the line, and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. He also added two assists and two steals.   Matthew Hotstream — 6-1 G — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2025)   The junior point guard finished with team-highs of nine rebounds and four assists and also scored nine points, primarily on well-paced drives, and snatched a steal.   [player_tooltip player_id='1492968' first='Chris' last='Lindo'] — 6-6 F — Madison Prep (2025)   The junior big man was the Chargers' go-to early before dealing with foul trouble most of the second half. Lindo was the tallest, longest player on the court and played strong around the basket and on the boards, but also showed the athleticism and handle to pull down rebounds and take off up court without having to wait for or find a guard. Lindo finished with nine points, five rebounds, two blocked shots and several others altered, a steal and an assist.   [player_tooltip player_id='1347276' first='Tate' last='McCurry'] — 6-2 G — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2025)   The junior guard started hot from the perimeter with two early 3-pointers and 10 first quarter points. He finished with a team-high 17 that included three makes from beyond the arc and several attacking drives to the basket, including some skilled and acrobatic finishes. He added three rebounds, a blocked shot, a steal and at least two assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='1218217' first='Josh' last='Smith'] — 6-3 G — Madison Prep (2024)   The senior guard started slowly before catching fire late in the first half for 10 points in a flurry to highlight his 12 at the break and game-high 18 in all. Smith also grabbed four rebounds, punctuated by the game-winner, and played pestering defense much of the evening highlighted by a steal for a layup and a charge drawn late in the third quarter to slow Catholic momentum at the time.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/vKHzsDV9b8k </div></figure>     Jamari Thigpen — 6-5 F — Madison PRep (2024)   The senior chased down the Bears' open player flashing under the basket and recorded his second block of the game to preserve the victory. He also finished with four points, five rebounds and an assist and showed confidence in a variety of aspects of his game — including putting the ball on the floor and driving, taking shots from the perimeter and working in the post with his back to the basket.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/36I_j8RImYM </div></figure>     Matthew Trahan — 6-3 F — Catholic (Baton Rouge) (2025)   The junior dominated the boards early during the Bears' strong start and finished with eight rebounds and eight points, including an impressive quick-elevating dunk in traffic. He also blocked at least two shots and helped disrupt other attempts.

Catholic (Baton Rouge) clung to its one-point lead in the final minute — its first since the opening quarter — as one Madison Prep shot after another clanged or rolled back off the rim.