Parish champions

PINE PRAIRIE – It was the continuance of a streak and the end of another this past Saturday night, as the Ville Platte High Bulldogs and the Mamou Lady Demons laid claim to the 2016 Evangeline Parish hoops title.
On the girl’s side of the bracket, the Mamou Lady Demons had to fight back through the loser’s bracket to hoist the championship hardware, as they dominated the Ville Platte Lady Bulldogs in a 57-37 victory in the final game of the tournament. The Lady Bulldogs had not lost a parish championship final for the last 20 years.
“Our players were so excited after the game,” stated Mamou head coach Denisha Allison-Lewis. “One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to win the parish championship. I told them that if they showed up to play, they could reach that goal. This will definitely be a huge confidence boost for us going forward.”
Mamou lost to Ville Platte High 66-51 to start the tournament causing them to have to win the next three games in a row to take hold of the trophy. That first game was a defining moment for the Lady Demons as it turns out.
“I did not know the team that showed up the first game against Ville Platte,” said Allison-Lewis. “We watched film on Saturday morning before the championship game and I think they realized how bad they played in the opening game. It really motivated them the second time around.”
Lady Bulldog head coach Dot Doulet had great praise for her team after the game. “Our girls fought really hard the entire tournament,” commented Doulet. “I am so proud of their effort and I know they are going to bounce back from this loss.”
For Ville Platte High, the parish championship trophy has not left the trophy case since 2008 and will remain there one more year as they out lasted the Mamou Demons in a 67-57 win in the title game. The Bulldogs went undefeated in the three games played in the tourney.
Ville Platte head coach Tommy Jones, who has not lost in the title game in his five-year tenure, was really pleased with way his team responded game in and game out in the tournament.
“We came into the tournament on a mission,” stated Jones. “And that mission was to reclaim the parish title. The players did a tremendous job of taking everything Mamou could throw at us and stepped up to the challenge. Having to give our all in this tournament will only make us a stronger team later on in the season.”
Here is a recap of the two championship games:

Girl’s Championship
Mamou came out on fire against Ville Platte in the first quarter of play. Using a full court press that caused several Ville Platte turnovers, the Lady Demons started the game off on a 7-0 run in the first 3:35 and held an 11-5 lead with only 2:00 left in the opening period.
The Lady Bulldogs got some life back and put up a few more points before the horn ended the initial stanza. As the quarter came to a close, Mamou held a 15-9 lead over Ville Platte.
The second quarter went back and forth between the two teams, as neither club could gain an advantage over the other. With 4:17 left in the half, Ville Platte’s Tyreonna Doucet hit the front end of a one-and-one to make the score 22-15 in favor of Mamou.
But, the Lady Demons found an extra gear, as Mamou went on a 6-0 run over the next 1:17 to extend the lead to 28-15. The Lady Bulldogs would answer back before the end of the quarter, as Miya McKinney and Doucet each hit on a two-point basket to cut into the Lady Demon lead and make the score 28-19 as the two teams headed into the locker room.
The third quarter did not produce much change in the Lady Demon lead, as each team traded baskets throughout the period. Mamou’s Tia Gallow knocked down a basket with only 31 seconds left to give the Lady Demons a 40-32 lead going into the final stanza.
In the final period, foul trouble plagued the Lady Bulldogs and Mamou took full advantage. The Lady Demons started the quarter on a 5-0 run and never looked back. Ville Platte’s Doucet fouled out at the 5:19 mark, giving Mamou a huge advantage. The Lady Demons finished the game outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 21-5.

Boy’s Championship
It was not the start that Ville Platte High envisioned when the championship game began. Behind a pair of three-pointers from Mamou’s Mack Thomas and four points from Darius Tezeno, the Demons jumped out to a 14-9 lead as the first period concluded.
Ville Platte got some life back to begin the second quarter, as they blasted their way to a 17-14 lead in the first 2:10. That three-point advantage remained the same the entire period, as each team would answer the other’s mini-runs throughout the quarter.
If any quarter spelled the difference in the game, it would be the third quarter. The continuing defensive pressure from the Bulldogs would cause a number of Mamou miscues on the offensive side of the court. During the quarter, Ville Platte gave themselves a cushion that would not be challenged the rest of the game, as the Bulldogs increased their lead to 48-38.
Ville Platte maintained their lead in the final period. Every Mamou bucket was cancelled out by the Bulldog offense. The Demons could not find any traction in the fourth quarter, as Ville Platte owned a 15-point lead at one junction of the period. Two three-point baskets by Mamou’s Tralon Arvie down the stretch were not quite enough to break through the final eight point advantage held by Ville Platte.