LAKE CHARLES – Madison Prep took a one-point lead as the clock showed 1:46 left in the fourth.
The Chargers battled back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth and looked to stave off an upset. Northside’s Jaydon Francis had other plans.
He drove to the cup on the ensuing possession and scored a three-point play.
No. 12 Northside forced three turnovers late to seal a 65-61 victory over top-seeded Madison Prep in the Burton Coliseum on Wednesday in the Division II select semifinal.
Northside shot 45% from the field and went 15-of-18 from the charity stripe. The Chargers shot just 38% and went 10-of-19 from the free-throw line.
“High-stakes games like this almost always come down to who does the small things the best,” Chargers coach Jeffery Jones said. “They did the small things the best tonight.”
After Madison Prep took an early 5-0 lead, Northside’s Treylon Angelie hit a pair of threes and then got a floater to go to help put the Vikings up 11-5 at the end of the first quarter.
The Chargers went cold and shot just 2-of-17 (11%) in the quarter.
Madison Prep (27-3) senior Kenny Brown pulled up from mid-range and hit a shot to end the run at the start of the second quarter. His score helped the Chargers settle into a groove and go on an 8-2 run to tie the game.
Freshman TJ Beaulieu drove the baseline and banked in a floater to tie it.
Late in the quarter, Beauliu nabbed a rebound, then raced down the floor and found junior Elijah Garner. He finished the fast break with a layup to give Madison Prep a 17-15 lead.
Brown knocked down a pair of threes late, including one just before the buzzer, to put Madison Prep up 23-22 at halftime. The Chargers shot a much better 7-of-11 (64%) in the second quarter.
The two sides continued to trade the lead in the third. Northside took a four-point lead late after ripping off a 7-2 run, capped off by an Angelie fast-break layup.
Northside (21-13) led 42-38 after three.
The Vikings’ lead stretched to seven points at the start of the fourth before Madison Prep began to chip away. Two trips to the charity stripe led to two Chargers’ points. Garner then scored an open layup on a fast break to make it a three-point game.
Northside went back up six points, but Madison Prep got it down to three again after Garner stole the ball and found junior Elijah Avery for a layup midway through the fourth.
Senior Landon Epps got the Chargers within one point with a pair of free throws. After Garner put his side up one with a layup, Northside scored seven straight to put the game away.
Though Madison Prep fell in the game, Jones was proud of what they accomplished this season.
“This game is not an indication of the season,” Jones said. “They responded all year long, and for that, I’m proud of them.”
