Not even close

PINE PRAIRIE - As the 2016 version of the Evangeline Parish Tournament began here on Wednesday, the anticipation of watching some competitive match-ups filled the basketball atmosphere.
However, that reality never materialized, as only one of the first eight games was even remotely close. The average margin of victory in the first two days of play was 26.5 points.
Only the opening game between the Sacred Heart Lady Trojans and the Basile Lady Bearcats fell within a 10 point margin of victory.
With that being said here is a rundown of the first two days of competition. The Gazette will have the semi-finals and championship game results in Thursday’s edition.

Basile (G) vs.
Sacred Heart
In the opening game of the tournament, the Basile Lady Bearcats took a 30-20 halftime lead and turned it into a 49-41 win over the Sacred Heart Lady Trojans.
Basile scored in double digits in every quarter and forced over 20 Sacred Heart turnovers to secure the win.

Basile (B)
vs. Sacred Heart
The second game of the tourney felt like it would come down to the wire, as Basile led by only five points, 20-15, after one quarter of play.
But, a combination of tough Bearcat defense and poor Trojan shooting gave Basile a 52-38 win, as Sacred Heart could only manage six points in the middle two quarters.

Mamou (G) vs.
Ville Platte
In one of the most anticipated games of the tournament, the Mamou Lady Demons had no answer for Ville Platte’s Tyreonna Doucet, as she scored 26 points in leading the Lady Bulldogs to a 66-31 win.

Mamou (B) vs.
Ville Platte
In the final contest on the initial night of the tournament, Ville Platte’s Brandon Thomas hit six three-pointers in the first two quarters to lead the Bulldogs to a dominating 69-45 win.
Ville Platte trailed 14-10 after one quarter of play, but opened up the game in the second and third periods, outscoring Mamou 46-22 during that stretch.

Mamou (G) vs.
Sacred Heart
In the first elimination game of the tournament the Mamou Lady Demons overcame a seven point first quarter deficit to take a 57-41 win over the Sacred Heart Lady Trojans.
The turning point for Mamou came in the second and third quarters, as they outpaced the Sacred Heart 35-14 to take control of the game.

Mamou (B) vs.
Sacred Heart
The Mamou Demons staved off elimination by imposing their will on Sacred Heart both offensively and defensively in a decisive 72-25 win.
The Trojans were held to single digits in three of the four quarters played and only managed six total first half points in the loss.

Basile (G) vs.
Pine Prairie
A chance to advance to the semi-finals did not slip past the Pine Prairie Lady Panthers, as they controlled the game from the opening tip in a 53-22 win over the Basile Lady Bearcats.

Basile (B) vs.
Pine Prairie
The Pine Prairie Panthers advanced on in the tournament with a commanding 79-42 win over the Basile Bearcats.
The Panthers outscored the Bearcats 51-15 in the first half alone to effectively put the game away heading into the locker room.