Clark Reaches Finals
BOBBY ARDOIN
St. Landry Now.com Editor
The J.S. Clark Leadership Academy girls’ basketball team is back in familiar territory with another chance to make school history.
Clark converted an abundance of Ouachita Christian turnovers into easy points on Wednesday afternoon as the Bulldogs cruised into the Division IV select championship game with a 42-23 victory over Ouachita Christian.
The No. 2 Bulldogs will meet top-seeded Southern Lab at noon on Saturday for the division title.
Southern Lab easily defeated No. 4 Cedar Creek 69-29 in the other Wednesday semifinal.
Clark will be playing for a second basketball championship in the last four years. The Bulldogs won a Division V state championship in 2024.
Guards Taylor Barnaba and Jailee Edwards provided the backcourt scoring production, while forwards Akeeleh Williams and Ali’yash Crowder each scored six.
Edwards (13 points) provided the backcourt points with an accurate 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Barnaba scored five points off breakaways and dished off four assists.
Hailey Robins controlled the backboards for Clark.
Robins grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, with six of those coming off missed Eagles’ attempts.
Ouachita Christian struggled to maintain control of the basketball.
The Eagles surrendered 26 points in the paint, while the Bulldogs scored 11 points off 20 OCA turnovers.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well.
Ouachita Christian made only five of 25 field goal attempts. Clark was slightly more accurate, sinking 13-of-32. However the Bulldogs missed each of their five 3-point attempts.
