By: RHETT MANUEL
Sports Editor
PINE PRAIRIE – The Sacred Heart Lady Trojans came in with a clear gameplan to take on the in-town rival Ville Platte Lady Bulldogs in the championship game of the Evangeline Parish Tournament.
Sacred Heart intended to play the final game at their pace in hopes of pulling off the upset.
It worked well and ultimately took the game to overtime. When it got there it came down to the foul stripe, where Ville Platte hit 3-of-5 attempts down the stretch to seal a 31-30 win over the Lady Trojans and win the parish championship.
The low-scoring and tense atmosphere began in the first quarter and never let up.
The teams ended the first quarter in a stalemate. After Ville Platte’s opening bucket, a Kali Shiver three-point play and a Taylor Darbonne bucket gave the Trojans a 5-2 lead. A Destiny Lavigne steal and layup paired with a Tashayli Poullard two gave the Lady Bulldogs a brief 6-5 lead.
A Shiver three-poiner and a Vandryua Wilson bucket ended the quarter in a tie.
Both teams took their best shots at taking control of the game in the second quarter. The Lady Bulldogs opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run to take the 14-8 lead. The Lady Trojans responded likewise, going on an 8-0 burst that was led by Darbonne and Shiver three-pointers for a 16-14 halftime lead.
Defensive intensity ramped up in the second half, with each team allowing only single-digit outputs from the other in each of the final two quarters.
Ville Platte found itself on the right side of the third quarter, allowing only a single Sacred Heart bucket in the third quarter to take a 21-18 lead into the final frame.
The Lady Bulldogs found themselves with chances to salt the game away in the final frame at the foul line. But, they were only able to knock down 1-of-9 foul shots in the fourth quarter. Those crucial points left on the floor would’ve made the difference.
But, instead Shiver, Bre Ardoin and Jodie Landry were able to tie the game up at 24 with two-pointers. A Kenzie Stevens two gave Ville Platte a lead with under two minutes to play.
Ultimately, it came down to the foul line where the Trojans had their own struggles.
Shiver missed a pair of shots with 21.5 to play that would’ve tied the game up. But, she got a second opportunity seven seconds later and knocked them down to send the game to some bonus basketball.
The teams played eerily similar games in the extra frame, with Wilson getting a chance for a three-point play but missing the foul shot to give Ville Platte a 28-26 lead.
Sacred Heart’s Landry responded likewise, but also missed the foul shot to tie the game.
Rosie Ardoin hit two free throws to give Sacred Heart a 30-28 lead with 1:28 to play in overtime.
The difference came from Stevens and Saniah Williams, who hit three of their combined four shots at the stripe to take the parish title.
June 20, 2026
