Opportunity missed

PINE PRAIRIE — Coming into Tuesday night’s District 5-3A contests, the Pine Prairie Panthers and the Lady Panthers both had a tremendous opportunity within reach.
For the Lady Panthers, that opportunity was a chance to pull even at 5-1 in district play and garner a tie for the league lead with only four games left to play.
The Panthers on the other hand had the chance to gain their second win of the district season and stay within striking distance of the top of the standings before the mid-way point of league play.
Unfortunately, neither team could capitalize on that opportunity, as the Lady Bulldogs slipped past the Lady Panthers 34-31 and the Bulldogs pulled away late for a 61-54 win over the Panthers.
In the early game, neither the Lady Bulldogs or the Lady Panthers were able to produce much offense the entire game.
Part of the reason for Ville Platte was the fact that they were without the services of starting center Tyreonna Doucet.
The Lady Bulldogs and the Lady Panthers battled the entire first half, with Ville Platte owning a slim 23-19 lead as the first half horn sounded.
The third quarter was just as challenging for both offenses to put up any significant amount of points.
Pine Prairie did however manage to string enough points together to tie the game at 29-29 as the period came to an end.
The anemic offensive play continued in the final quarter. The Lady Bulldogs hit the first five points of the period, but it took them the first four minutes in the period to do so.
No team was able to add a bucket to their total until there were only five seconds left in the period, when Sarah Vidrine scored the final two points of the game.
With the win, Ville Platte moves to 20-7 on the year, but most importantly remains undefeated in district play at 6-0. They will host Church Point on Friday.
Pine Prairie drops to 12-7 on the year and 4-2 in district. The Lady Panthers will travel to Eunice on Friday.
In the nightcap game, the Panthers were able to jump out to an early 9-2 halfway through the fourth quarter.
However, the Bulldogs would knot the game at 10-10 with only 1:36 left in the initial period.
Pine Prairie regained that lead and held a 16-12 advantage as the first quarter came to an end.
The second quarter teetered back and forth, with each squad trading baskets. By the time the period ended, Ville Platte held a 29-27 lead, as the two teams headed into the locker room.
The Bulldogs would build a six point advantage, 37-31, with 4:33 left to go, only to see that lead be cut in half 27 seconds later.
Ville Platte finished on the quarter on a 14-5 run to take a 51-39 lead going into the final quarter.
Pine Prairie tried to whittle away at the Ville Platte advantage throughout the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs continued to keep the Panthers at bay the entire period by trading basket for basket.
In the end the Ville Platte defense held serve and kept Pine Prairie from cutting into the lead too deep.
The Bulldogs are now 17-6 on the year and 3-1 in district. They will host Church Point on Friday.
Pine Prairie drops to 12-10 on the season and 1-4 in district play. The Panthers travel to Eunice on Friday night.