Lady Eagles push past Prairie View; St. Al boys crush Cathedral

Published 9:30 am Friday, January 24, 2025

Style points were not nearly as important to Porter’s Chapel Academy as actual points.

Marley Bufkin scored 12 of her game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, and the Lady Eagles netted their last seven points at the free throw line in a 35-30 girls’ basketball victory over Prairie View Academy on Thursday.

Prairie View only scored one point in the fourth quarter, and made two field goals in the last 15 minutes. Briley Lane hit a 3-pointer just before the third-quarter buzzer to put the Lady Spartans ahead 25-20, and Allison Willmore dropped in a layup with 19 seconds left in overtime.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Lane led Prairie View with 12 points and Avery Willibrink scored 11.

Both teams missed several chances to win it in the final minute of regulation, and then Porter’s Chapel took control in overtime.

Bufkin made a basket and split two free throws to put the Lady Eagles ahead 29-26 with 3:10 remaining. She split five more pairs of free throws, and Mia Abdo also had a 1-for-2 trip to the line, as the Lady Eagles stayed ahead by two scores for all but a few seconds of the last 2 1/2 minutes.

Prairie View did not have the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead in the last 2:36. It got within three points with Willmore’s layup, but Bufkin hit a free throw on PCA’s ensuing possession to restore the lead to four.

Abdo and Sophie Masterson both finished with four points for PCA (5-7, 3-3 MAIS District 4-3A). Masterson also grabbed 10 rebounds, while Kendall Smith had seven. Abdo had three rebounds and two steals to go along with her points.

PCA will host Central Holmes Academy Monday at 6 p.m.

Cathedral 56, St. Aloysius 23
Taryn Lusby led St. Aloysius (7-12, 0-3 MAIS District 4-5A) with 11 points, but the Lady Flashes lost to Cathedral on Thursday.

Anslee Averett and Olivia Larsen scored five points each for St. Al, and Mallory Hobson had five rebounds.

Boys
Prairie View 79, Porter’s Chapel 50
Mason Tullos scored a game-high 20 points and Nathan Stokes had 19 as Prairie View beat Porter’s Chapel Academy in Thursday’s boys’ game.

Prairie View made three 3-pointers in the second quarter as it raced to a 43-18 lead at halftime.

Schaffer Bell and Morris Bailey Jr. both had double-doubles for Porter’s Chapel. Bell finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Bailey had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Clayton McClure also scored eight points for the Eagles.

St. Aloysius 56, Cathedral 43
St. Aloysius used a balanced effort to cruise past Cathedral on Thursday.

Anthony McCloud scored 20 points and Carson Gleese had 18, but the Flashes (12-8, 1-2 MAIS District 4-5A) got contributions across the stat sheet.

Carter Henderson chipped in eight points and his brother Carson Henderson scored six. Laken Bradley totaled four points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Sadler Lambiotte had seven assists and five steals.

St. Al will be right back in action Friday night, with a home game against Adams County Christian School.

In Thursday’s junior varsity game, St. Al beat Cathedral 40-32. Dru Gleese had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Flashes.

Patrick Southerland and Grant Gattle both had six points and six rebounds, while Evan Mallard finished with seven points, five rebounds and four steals.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

email author More by Ernest