Bulldogs earn first district win of the season

After facing off against some of the toughest competition in the state during non-district play, the Ville Platte High Bulldogs opened up district play on Friday as they hosted the Port Barre Red Devils. The Bulldogs and Red Devils went back and forth in the first half. However, Ville Platte used a combination of hard-nosed defense and accurate three-point shooting in the second half to walk away with a 73-56 win.
As the first quarter began, both teams came out looking to get a feel for the pace of the game. The Bulldogs relied on the inside-outside tandem of Kielan Semien and Brandon Dominick to put up 15 first-quarter points. Semien netted six points, while Dominick put up seven points in the period. The Red Devils were able to keep pace with Ville Platte, scoring 13 points before the end of the stanza.
The second quarter saw the Bulldogs stretch their lead to eight when Semien tapped in a basket with 4:56 left in the period. Port Barre picked up the pace and cut the lead to three at the 3:56 mark. A Bulldog surge opened the game back to a five-point advantage 1:30 seconds later. The Red Devils got back into the game, scoring the last four points of the stanza to pull within two points, 30-28, as the second quarter ended.
A slow start by Ville Platte to begin the third period gave Port Barre some needed momentum. With 5:47 left in the quarter, the Red Devils took a three-point lead 35-32. This would be the last time that the Red Devils would hold the advantage on the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs shook things up by utilizing a full court trapping defense, which led to a number of Port Barre turnovers. Ville Platte took advantage and began pouring in points, including four three-pointers; three of those coming from Alex Gooden. As the period came to a close, the Bulldogs had widened their lead to eight, 53-45.
The final period belonged to Ville Platte. A three-pointer by Gooden to kick off the quarter ignited the Bulldogs on their way to a 20-point outburst. Solid defense was also a key in the quarter, as Ville Platte was able to hold the Red Devils to 11 points and close out the victory.
Leading the way for Ville Platte was Gooden, who poured in 23 points. Also scoring in double digits were Dominick and Semien. Dominick netted 16, while Semien added 14 points. JaQualen Doucet aided in the scoring department, popping the nets for 10 points.
Ville Platte is now 11-9 on the season and 1-0 in district play. The Bulldogs will travel on Tuesday to take on parish rival Pine Prairie in another district showdown.