Bulldogs close out regular season with win

Going into Friday night’s game against the Northwest Raiders, the Ville Platte Bulldogs were needing a win for two purposes; a chance to create a tie for the district championship and an increase in power points.
Ville Platte took care of business on the court, securing an 83-41 win over the Raiders. Off the court, the Bulldogs waited for news of the Pine Prairie/Port Barre contest to see if they would share in the district title. Unfortunately, the Panthers defeated the Red Devils, giving Ville Platte the runner-up spot.
Ville Platte took control of the game starting in the first quarter. The Bulldog offense came out red hot and could not be cooled the entire game. Ville Platte popped the nets for 14 points in the opening stanza. The Bulldog defense did their part, holding Northwest to only nine points in the period.
Ville Platte blew the doors open in the second period and in turn blew the game open. The Bulldogs, led by Shanicole Holland scorched the nets for 27 points in the quarter. Holland knocked down 11 of those points, including a three-point bucket.
The Raiders managed to score 12 points in the period but could not match the Ville Platte offensive output. As the first half closed, the Bulldogs now had a commanding 41-21 lead.
If there was any doubt that Ville Platte controlled the game after the second quarter, the third quarter basically put the nail in the proverbial coffin. The Bulldogs once again dominated both sides of the court.
Offensively, Ville Platte recorded another 20-plus point effort. Defensively, the Bulldogs shut down the Raiders, holding Northwest to only seven points. As the third period buzzer sounded, Ville Platte held a dominating 62-28 lead.
The offensive output did not subside in the final stanza for the Bulldogs. Ville Platte once again poured in the buckets, lighting up the scoreboard for another 21 points.
Leading the Bulldogs in the period was Martin Jason, who scored 10 points in the quarter. Northwest was able to add 13 points to their final tally, but did not have enough firepower to overcome the commanding Ville Platte lead.
Leading the way for Ville Platte was Ernest Ardoin, who netted 15 points. Holland chipped in 13 points, while Jason and Keilan Semien each added 12 points. Darren Poullard was good for 11 points.
The Bulldogs end the season with an overall record of 18-11 and an 8-2 in district 5-3A. Ville Platte now must wait for the playoff bracket to be released on Monday to know where and who they will play. Until then, it is just a matter of being patient.