NEW ORLEANS (January 8, 2024) – Kentucky's Trinity High School and Louisiana's Lafayette Christian Academy won the top boys' and girls' divisions, respectively, at the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Basketball Classic this weekend at the Alario Center. Trinity won the Boys' National Bracket and Lafayette Christian earned the Girls' Platinum Championship. Archbishop Rummel High School of New Orleans won the Boys' State Bracket while Louisiana's Mandville High School took home the Girls' Gold Championship.
 
Tournament Website
 
This year marked the 13th edition of the Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic. It featured 56 total teams competing in five brackets (three for boys and two for girls). In its first 13 years, the tournament has featured teams from Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
 
The Boys' National Bracket featured seven out-of-state teams matched up against nine New Orleans-area schools. Trinity High School from Kentucky held off Peabody High School from Alexandria, La., 48-45, in an overtime thriller to earn the championship. Drae Vasser scored five points in overtime and Jayden Johnson made two key free throws as the Shamrocks outlasted the Warhorses. Vasser earned Most Valuable Player honors, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals while Jayden Johnson had 12 points and seven rebounds. Justin Burns led Peabody (17-3) with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks while Isaiah Jones had eight points. Jordan Matthews had eight points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two assists.
 
All-Tournament Team (Boys National)
MVP: Drae Vasser (Trinity-Kentucky)
Dwight Magee (Crescent City)
Jared Harris (Silsbee-Texas)
Anthony Gause (Milton-Georgia)
Rashad Mitchell (Peabody)
Jayden Johnson (Trinity-Kentucky)
 
The 16-team Girls Platinum Bracket also closed with an overtime thriller as Lafayette Christian topped John Curtis, 68-66. Jada Richard, who had 35 second-half points as LCA (18-0) overcame a 20-point deficit to defeat Wossman 60-57 in the semifinals earlier in the day, finished with 37 against the Patriots and was named MVP. Her two free throws with 29 seconds to go clinched the victory. Chikae Desdunes led Curtis with 18 points.
 
All-Tournament Team (Girls Platinum)
MVP: Jada Richard (Lafayette Christian Academy)
Eve Alexander - (Lafayette Christian Academy)
Imani Daniel - (John Curtis Christian)
Chikae Desdunes - (John Curtis Christian)
Jamya Griffin (Sparkman - Alabama)
Anyra Wilson (Wossman)
 
In the eight-team Boys State Bracket, Rummel junior Tim Duhe scored his team's first 12 points in the second half and senior Denim Smith scored the basket that put the Raiders ahead for good as they defeated Country Day 49-45, to win the championship. Duhe finished with 16 points and was named the MVP.
 
All-Tournament Team (Boys State)
MVP: TJ Duhe (Rummel)
McAllister Callejo (Country Day)
Jamard Jones (Rummel)
Devontre Landry (Sophie B. Wright)
Maddox Moss (Country Day)
Denim Smith (Rummel)
 
In the eight-team Girls Gold Bracket Championship, Mandeville ended the game on a 16-4 run, earning a 66-54 victory. Alanna Benoit posted a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds, five assists), while Hannah Benoit added 14 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
 
All-Tournament Team (Girls Gold)
MVP: Alanna Benoit (Mandeville)
Hannah Benoit (Mandeville)
Saleigh Berry (Mandeville)
Haley Brumfield (Amite)
Miracle Irving (Amite)
 
For the first time, the tournament featured a Boys Junior High Bracket as Country Day defeated John Curtis, 39-26, to win the championship of the eight-team bracket.
 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has a rich history with the sport of basketball. Dating back as far as 1936, the Sugar Bowl has sponsored basketball events in conjunction with the annual football classic. In addition, the Bowl has been a sponsor for multiple local events in the sport. In 2008, the Sugar Bowl Committee partnered with other local organizations to put together a successful bid to host the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four. The Bowl also worked with Tulane and the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation to host the 2013 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, a role it was scheduled to reprise for the 2020 NCAA Women's Final Four, which was cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The Allstate Sugar Bowl has established itself as one of the premier college football bowl games, having hosted 28 national champions, 107 Hall of Fame players, 52 Hall of Fame coaches and 21 Heisman Trophy winners in its 90-year history. The 91st Allstate Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which will double as a College Football Playoff Quarterfinal, is scheduled to be played on January 1, 2025. In addition to football, the Sugar Bowl Committee annually invests over $1 million into the community through the hosting and sponsorship of sporting events, awards, scholarships and clinics. Through these efforts, the organization supports and honors thousands of student-athletes each year, while injecting nearly $2.4 billion into the local economy in the last decade.