Pine Prairie up ends Plainview High

Pine Prairie improved to 13-4 right before the Christmas Break kicked in. The Panthers did so by defeating the Plainview Hornets 65-51. The win came in front of the Pine Prairie fans at the PPHS gym.
The Panthers and Hornets traded blows during the first period. The Plainview boys showed they came to play by jumping out to an early lead. Javon Ardoin had other ideas when he hit a three-point bucket. Moments later, Douglas Fontenot did the same. Before too long, the period came to a close with the visiting team holding a one-point lead, 14-13.
Pine Prairie’s defense kicked into high gear in the second period. The Panthers used a zone and a full press in rotation. This forced the Hornets to try and make shots when shots weren’t there. The local boys took advantage of the missed shots and put up 18 points, while holding PHS to just eight points. Allen Myles caught fire and helped his team. Myles banked nine points, including a three-point bucket. Myles had a career night. He hit 20 points to lead all Panthers. Pine Prairie was on top 28-22 as the halftime began.
As the second half commenced, the two teams began trading buckets again. PPHS out-scored Plainview 17-16. Myles hit back to back shots in the frame, while Byron Jackson added a three-point bomb.
The final period started with PPHS holding most of the momentum. They held a 45-38 lead and was about to put the game away. Before the Hornets knew it, the Panthers had put up 20 points. Fontenot hit a trio of lay-ups, and Myles added eight more points. Jackson forced a pair of turnovers and turned them into back to back shots.
Fontenot and Jackson each scored 14 points in the game, while Ardoin was good for 10 points.
Pine Prairie’s win sets the stage as they head to their district opener against Church Point on January 17th. The Panthers will host the Bears in their first ever Class 3A district basketball contest. Head Coach Chris Guillory has the Panthers poised to be able to compete in one of the toughest districts in the state. Every team in the district is expected to make the Class 3A postseason. Northwest has traditionally gone deep in the 3A playoffs, so they will be a force to deal with. The Panthers are already familiar with Ville Platte High, so it wont be a shock to have to battle the Bulldogs. Look for Livonia, Port Barre and Church Point to be tough as well.