St. Thomas More boys basketball comes up short to Liberty in Marsh Madness title game
To win its eighth state championship in program history — and its first since moving up to Division I select — St. Thomas More boys basketball needed to make a comeback for the ages against Liberty Magnet High School. For a while, it looked possible.
After falling behind by 22 points in the first quarter, STM — primarily led by senior Michael Mouton and his 11 first-half points — cut the deficit to just 10 by the midway point of the second. However, that proved to be short-lived as Liberty still managed to keep the lead at 18 heading into halftime.
The second half restarted the run, though. Mouton scored nine more points in the third, and in the fourth, the deficit was cut to as few as two with under 12 seconds remaining. But Liberty held on down the stretch, with the Patriots (26-3) making all of their free throws for the rest of the game, defeating the Cougars (29-4) on Saturday, 62-58.
Early run seals loss
While Liberty's offense came out hot, St. Thomas More's was anything but. The Patriots could barely miss, while the Cougars couldn't make a shot even if they got one off, with many possessions ending in turnovers.
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In total, Liberty took a 20-0 lead over the opening five minutes before St. Thomas More finally got on the board with two Chad Jones free throws.
Big Three carry the offense
Only three Cougars — Mouton, Jones, and Anthony Angelle — got on the board until late in the third, when senior forward Hays Regard made a three. Elijah Guidry later added a free throw and Xarian Babineaux made a three in the final minute, but even still, those were the only STM players to score on Saturday. Mouton, Jones, and Angelle combined for 51 points, with Mouton's 28 leading the way.
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The Cougars' 58 points were tied for the fewest points they scored in any playoff game this season.
Second straight Liberty loss
STM's dominant run of four straight straight state championships was ended by Liberty in March of 2022, when the Patriots upset the Cougars in Lafayette, 47-43. St. Thomas More didn't schedule Liberty in either the 2022-23 or 2023-24 seasons, so Saturday was the first meeting between the two schools since then.
However, the chance to even the score will need to wait until next season at least.
This article originally appeared on The Courier: St. Thomas More boys hoops comes up short in Marsh Madness title game
