By RYAN ARENA

HAMMOND – Riverside. Curtis. It’s official.

The two teams that have been atop the LSWA Class 2A rankings all season will square off in the state championship game next week, the Rebels putting the final touches on that fact with a dominating 63-43 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday night at Southeastern.

Donald Thomas led the Rebels (36-9) with 13 points. Ricardo Gathers scored 11 and Zelvin Smith added 8.

Steven Wronkoski led STA (30-6) with a game-high 21 points.

Riverside began each half with a tempo-setting run; an 11-1 mark to begin the game, then a 10-0 run at the outset of the second half.

Riverside led by as many as 26 points. It allowed just one point in the first 6:09 of the game.

ALBANY 64, ST. JAMES DOUBLE OVERTIME) – St. James made a feverish fourth quarter comeback and came close to advancing to the Class 3A final for the second time in two seasons, but Albany was able to hold off the Wildcats in double overtime for a two-point win.

The game pitted the defending 3A champion Wildcats (27-6) against former coach Justin Adams, the current Albany coach and the man who guided St. James to its first ever state crown in his only season as its coach.

Korielle Tucker scored 23 to lead St. James. Dasha Adams scored 14 and Shakira Braxton scored 12.

Danielle Keith scored 24 points and grabbed 22 rebounds to lead Albany (31-3). Lauren Thompson scored 22.