St. Augustine stuns No. 1 Liberty: Live score, updates of Louisiana Division I select semifinal game

No. 4 Purple Knights upset defending champion Patriots, 43-41, in an LHSAA boys basketball playoff game

Liberty Magnet, which is attempting to repeat as state champion, has lost only one regular game against in-state competition each of the past two seasons. / Liberty Magnet Basketball Instagram

No. 1 Liberty Magnet (25-1) and fourth-seeded St. Augustine (28-4) meet in a Division I select boys basketball semifinal at the Louisiana (LHSAA) state tournament Wednesday at 2:45 p.m. in Lake Charles.

Pregame

Senior Malek Robinson, the nation's steals leader for much of the season, and the Liberty Patriots reached the state tournament with wins over No. 17 Hammond (71-45) and No. 8 Jesuit (40-21). Robinson, a returning starter, averages 15 points, 8.2 steals, eight assists and seven rebounds per game.

Senior Kareem Washington scores 11 points per game and has been the top perimeter shooter for Liberty, which gets nine points apiece from juniors Devin Houston and Kingston Jarrell and senior Chivas Lee, the Outstanding Player from last year's championship game win over St. Thomas More.

The Purple Knights, who downed No. 13 Bonnabel (62-31) and No. 5 Alexandria (57-43), have nine seniors on the roster, including Jakobe Shepeard (12 points, 6 rebounds per game). Sophomore Aaron Miles scores a team-high 13 points per game. Six players average between 4 and 6 points.

The Liberty/St. Aug winner will face the winner of Thursday's 1 p.m. game, No. 3 St. Thomas More (27-4) vs. No. 7 John Curtis Christian (26-6), in the finals at noon Saturday.

First quarter

-Officials from the Lafayette Association

-Jakobe Shepeard misses two free throws for St. Aug.

-Aaron Miles lay-up for St. Aug. Kareem Washington answers for Liberty. St. Aug 2, Liberty 2 6:31, 1st.

-Devin Houston with the bucket for Liberty. Patriots up 4-2 5:50, 1st.

-Malek Robinson vs. Aaron Miles matchup at point guard is something to see.

-Liberty 6, St. Aug 4 6:33, 1st. Robinson scores for the Patriots. Three Liberty players with a bucket.

-Kolbin Jefferson with a 3 for the Purple Knights. Robinson has four points for the Patriots. Liberty 8, St. Aug 7 3:41, 1st.

-Robinson fouls Miles. Two shots. Misses the first. Makes the second. Tied at 8. 2:50, 1st.

-Steal and lay-up by Shepeard. St. Aug 10, Liberty 8. Purple Knights score again. Every St. Aug player has scored. Timeout. St. Aug 12, Liberty 8 1:37, 1st.

-Kareem Washington 3 from the corner. St. Aug 12, Liberty 11 1:08, 2nd. Five points for the senior.

-Purple Knights force a five-second turnover. Liberty gets it back. Kingston Jarrell elevates for a big dunk near the buzzer. Liberty 13, St. Aug 12 end 1.

Second quarter

-Devin Houston drives coast-to-coast for Liberty and is fouled. Misses both free throws. St. Aug shot 83% from the field (5 of 6 FG) in the first quarter. Liberty was 6-for-16 (37%). Liberty 13, St. Aug 12 6:00, 2nd.

-Liberty sitting back in a zone. No points this quarter for either team. Liberty 13, St. Aug 12 4:29, 2nd.

-Aaron Miles floater wiped out. Offensive foul on the sophomore. Liberty 13, St. Aug 12 3:56, 2nd.

-St. Aug 14, Liberty 13 Braydon Boyd lay-up for the Purple Knights. Malek Robinson fouled for the Patriots. Makes one free throw. We're tied at 14. Liberty goes up by 2. Washington in the paint. Liberty 16, St. Aug 14 2:31, 2nd Quarter.

-Khalil Jones corner 3 for the Purple Knights. Robinson to the rim on the other end. Liberty 18, St. Aug 17 1:59, 2nd

-Robinson has seven points and two fouls for Liberty. Jones and Boyd each with six points for the Purple Knights. Liberty 18, St. Aug 17 :48 left in the half.

-Houston with a tough drive for two points to give Liberty a three-point halftime lead. Liberty 20, St. Aug 17 Halftime.

Halftime stats: Liberty shooting 9-for-22 from the field (40%). 8 of 15 on 2-point field goals (1-for-7 from 3-point range). Robinson has seven points, two rebounds, a steal and an assist. Patriots only 1-of-5 from the free-throw line.

Halftime stats: St. Aug shooting 7-of-10 from the field (70%). 1-of-4 on free throws. 11 turnovers (five for Liberty). Jones and Boyd with six points apiece. Boyd has four rebounds.

Third Quarter

-Kareem Washington pull-up jumper after a St. Aug alley-oop didnt' pan out. Liberty 22, St. Aug 17 7:11, 3rd.

-Offensive foul on the Purple Knights, but they steal it back. A Miles' bucket nullified by offensive foul. Now the Patriots with an offensive foul. Liberty 22, St. Aug 17 6:42, 3rd.

-Devin Houston steal for Liberty. Robinson pass to Chivas Lee in the corner. It's good for 3. Liberty 25, St. Aug 17 5:27, 3rd.

-Jarrell rebounds a St. Aug miss from the perimeter. Houston alley-oop to Jarrell. Liberty 27, St. Aug 17 4:32, 3rd.

-Offensive foul on St. Aug. Liberty 27, St. Aug 17 4:21, 3rd. Purple Knights going to a full-court press.

-Houston with a steal. Purple Knights steal it back. They're scoreless this half. Malek Robinson called for a block. Shepeard gets St. Aug on the scoreboard this half with a 3-point play. Liberty 27, St. Aug 20 2:58, 3rd.

-Another blocking foul on the Patriots. Kolbin Jefferson with two free throws. 5-0 run for the Purple Knights. Liberty 27, St. Aug 22 2:11, 3rd.

-Timeout Liberty 27, St. Aug 22 2:11 3rd. Robinson the leading scorer with seven points.

-Houston missed two free throws. Jefferson makes it a 7-0 run for the Purple Knights with a drive for his fifth point. Liberty 27, St. Aug 24 1:43, 3rd. Timeout.

-Fifth team foul on St. Aug. It's on Tye Williams. Malek Robinson shooting two free throws. Makes both. Liberty 29, St. Aug 24 1:18, 3rd.

-Chivas Lee closely guarding a Purple Knight. Turnover (five seconds). Robinson dribbles it off his foot. St. Aug gets it back. Foul on Shepeard. Robinson shooting more free throws. Makes one. Liberty 30, St. Aug 24...Jarrell lays it in. Liberty 32, St. Aug 24 end 3rd.

Fourth Quarter

-Wide-open 3-pointer for Miles. Liberty 32, St. Aug 27 7:12 to go.

-Jarrell scores for Liberty. Purple Knights get a bucket. Liberty 34, St. Aug 29 6:20 left.

-Braydon Boyd steal and bucket. Timeout, Purple Knights. Liberty 34, St. Aug 31 5:30, 4th.

-Purple Knights, on a 7-2 run, get a turnover. They can cut it to one point or tie it. Tye Williams knots it at 34-34 with 5:03 remaining. 10-2 run for the Purple Knights.

-Chivas Lee feeds Kingston Jarrell for a dunk. Liberty 36, St. Aug 34 4:32, 4th.

-Running one-hander in the lane for Miles. We're tied at 36. Offensive foul on the Purple Knights. 3:44 to go.

-Senior Jadon Williams makes a free throw for the Patriots. Missed the second. Liberty 37, St. Aug 36 3:20, 4th.

-Boyd gives St. Aug the lead. Purple Knights get it back. St. Aug 38, Liberty 37 2:38 left.

-14 to 5 run for the Purple Knights. Houston misses in traffic. Still 38-37 St. Aug. 1:55 left.

-Miles makes a runner. He has nine points. St. Aug 40, Liberty 37 1:29 left. Robinson misses a free throw. Makes one. St Aug 40, Liberty 38 1:28 4th.

-Patriots missed a couple of close shots that would've tied it. St. Aug 42, Liberty 38 48.4 seconds left.

-Timeout St. Aug 42, Liberty 38 48.4 seconds left.

-Jakobe Shepeard misses a free throw for the Purple Knights. Makes the second. St. Aug 43, Liberty 38 Timeout 42.7 seconds left.

-Robinson leans into a lay-up. Patriots get it back. Lee just missed a 3 that would've tied it. Two free throws for Kingston Jarrell. Makes one. Misses the second, but the Patriots retain possession. St. Aug 43, Liberty 41 10.6 remaining. Timeout.

-Robinson fouled with 9.4 seconds left. Two free throws for the Patriots' senior (13 points). Misses the first. Misses the second. Timeout St. Aug 43, Liberty 41 8.7 seconds left.

-Turnover! Five seconds. Liberty will get a chance to tie or win. Robinson misses. Jarrell rebounds and is fouled. 00.2 seconds left. St. Aug 43, Liberty 41.

-Jarrell misses the first free throw. Timeout. St. Aug 43, Liberty 41 00.2 remaining.

-St. Augustine upsets No. 1 Liberty, 43-41.

POSTGAME

St. Aug outscored Liberty in the fourth quarter, 19-9. Liberty made 2-of-15 three-pointers (13%) and shot 33% (7-for-21) from the free-throw line. Robinson had 13 points, Jarrell 11 for Liberty. Robinson finished with four steals, three assists and three rebounds.

The Purple Knights made 17-of-24 field goals (70%) and were 13-of-16 (81%) on two-point tries (4-for-8 from 3). St. Aug, which turned it over 27 times (13 for Liberty), was led by Boyd's 12 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Miles finished with nine points. Shepeard and Jones had six each. Williams and Jefferson added five points apiece.

🏆 State Championship Bound

🏆 St Augustine

🏆 St Aug back in the state title game for the first time since 2021. The Purple Knights showed up and showed out tonight knocking off arguably one of the top teams in the state regardless of classifications!

🏆 State Championship… pic.twitter.com/8OlvqBHgb6

— LBRBasketball (@LBR_Basketball) March 12, 2025

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