Bulldogs hand Panthers first district loss

Coming into the game against the Ville Platte Bulldogs on Friday, the Pine Prairie Panthers were a perfect 6-0 in district and had a two-game lead on every other team. For the Bulldogs, a win would pull the Panthers to within striking distance and keep themselves in the district title hunt. Ville Platte took the win 63-31 and got revenge on Pine Prairie from the first time the teams hooked up in district play.
The Bulldogs are now within one game of the Panthers and need help from the other district teams to have a chance at the district title. Ville Platte must also win out in their next three district games. If Pine Prairie can win their next three league contests, the Panthers will claim the district title.
Like two prize fighters measuring each other in the opening round, the Bulldogs and Panthers danced around the court trying to land the first punch. Ville Platte knocked down the initial points of the game on a put back by Keilan Semien. Pine Prairie answered with the next three points. With 2:07 left in the first period the game was tied at six apiece.
The Bulldogs were able to end the quarter on a 4-0 run to take the early 10-6 lead; a lead that Ville Platte would never yield.
As the second quarter began, each team had trouble putting the ball through the net. Ville Platte netted the first four points of the stanza and extended their lead to 14-6. Pine Prairie would try to answer back. However, for every basket the Panthers made, Ville Platte had an answer.
The game tilted back and forth and stood at 17-12 until the last minute of the period. The Bulldogs broke the game open, scoring nine points in 59 seconds to give themselves a 26-12 lead as the first half closed.
The third quarter was not kind to Pine Prairie. The Panther shooters that figured so prominently in the first district contest went ice cold for most of the game, especially in the third period.
On the flip side, the Ville Platte offense kicked into another gear. The Bulldogs went on several mini-runs to score 15 points in the stanza. As the third period buzzer sounded, Ville Platte had extended their lead to 41-17.
Another dominating performance in the final quarter cemented the game for the Bulldogs. Ville Platte continued to roll on offense, scoring 20 points in the period. Pine Prairie still could not find their offensive rhythm, only netting 14 points to close out the game.
On the night, the Bulldogs had 12 players register points in the scorebook, led by Semien who scored 12 of the Ville Platte 63 points. The Panthers were lead by Douglas Fontenot and Vontrevis Thomas, each scoring six points.
The Bulldogs are now 15-11 on the year and 5-2 in district. Pine Prairie drops to 24-5 on the season and 6-1 in district. On Tuesday, Ville Platte will host Livonia, while the Panthers will travel to Northwest.