Ville Platte Bulldogs stay in title hunt with win

Looking to stay one game out of first place in the district 5-3A race, the Ville Platte Bulldogs needed a statement game against the Livonia Wildcats. Ville Platte jumped out to a commanding lead in the opening period and never looked back. On senior night, the Bulldogs came away with an 82-47 win.
Ville Platte took the initial tip and began setting the nets on fire. The Bulldogs hit six three-pointers in the first quarter alone, with Alex Gooden knocking down four of those six long range buckets. The Bulldogs put tremendous man-to-man defensive pressure on the Wildcats, holding them to only eight points in the period. At the end of the first quarter, Ville Platte led 21-8.
Another exceptional performance in the second quarter by the Bulldogs extended their lead. Ville Platte was able to pour in another 20 points before the half could end. Defensively, the Bulldogs held the Wildcats to 13 points and took the 41-21 lead into the locker room.
As the second half began, Ville Platte sought to sustain their momentum on both sides of the court. A team effort on offense and prolonged pressure on defense increased the Bulldog advantage. Ville Platte outpaced Livonia 23-13 in the third quarter and gave the Bulldogs a 64-34 lead when the horn sounded to end the period.
With a 30-point lead going into the final stanza, all Ville Platte had to do was maintain the complete game played up to then. The Bulldogs repeated their offensive and defensive performance throughout the fourth quarter. When the final second ticked off the clock, Ville Platte had outscored Livonia 18-13 to seal the win.
Four Bulldog players were able to net double digits in the game. Alex Gooden led all scorers with 18 points. Ernest Ardoin knocked in 17 points, while Darren Poullard chipped in 11 points. JaQualen Doucet added 10 points.
Ville Platte is now 16-11 on the year and 6-2 in district play. The Bulldogs will travel to Church Point on Friday to take on the Bears in a district contest.