Unsustainable

BRUSLY -- Despite a valiant effort Friday night, the Ville Platte High Bulldogs were unable to sustain an 11 point advantage heading into the final quarter of play as they fell to the Brusly Panthers 67-62 in the LHSAA Class 3A state quarterfinals.
With the loss, Ville Platte finished the season with an overall record of 27-11.
After the game, a disappointed Bulldog head coach Tommy Jones talked about that final period and the play of his team all season long.
“Their defense ramped it up in the fourth quarter, but we also had some miscommunication on a few of our possessions,” stated Jones. “That is just how the game goes sometimes. It’s heartbreaking, especially for these seniors, but this team has accomplished a lot not only this year but over the past few years.”
“We won some games that we weren’t supposed to win over this season,” Jones continued. “I don’t think a lot of people thought we would be in this position tonight. I was just hoping that this group could get back to the Top 28 one more time.”
Emotions ran high even before the game started as the gym was packed to the ceiling with fans from both schools. Being the last time that Brusly would ever play in their old gym because of a new facility being built, the Panthers showed some nervousness that Ville Platte was able to take advantage of in the opening minutes of the first quarter.
The Bulldogs built a commanding 12-3 lead within the first 4:39 of the contest. However, Brusly settled down enough to go on a 9-0 run in the final minutes of the period to tie the game up a 12-12.
Ville Platte came out strong at the start of the second quarter. Tye’Wuan Byers knocked down two big shots, including a three-point basket, to help the Bulldogs take a 19-14 lead at the 5:33 mark of the period.
The Panthers closed the gap to one, 21-20, over the next two minutes of play. Ville Platte began to pull away again as they scored the next five points. Nevertheless, as the had done in the first period, Brusly scratched their way back to a tie game, 26-26, as the buzzer sounded to end the first half.
The third quarter belonged to the Bulldogs. Behind Tyler Jones’ 11 points, Ville Platte marched out to an 11-point advantage, 39-28, over the initial four minutes of the period.
The Panthers tried in vain to cut the Bulldog lead down, but, every time they would get a basket, Ville Platte had an answer. With Devontae Robert getting some hard fought shots on the block to go down, the Bulldogs were able to maintain that 11-point edge long enough to hold a 48-37 lead as time expired in the third quarter.
As much as Ville Platte owned the third quarter, it was Brusly that dominated most of the fourth quarter, especially the first four minutes. With the Bulldogs beginning to struggle offensively, the Panthers methodically cut into Ville Platte’s double digit lead.
By the time the Bulldogs could find any points, Brusly had found enough energy to take a one-point 49-48 lead, their first since the opening minutes of the game. Ville Platte would tie the game back up and re-gain the advantage by two, 53-51, with 3:32 showing on the clock.
However, it was the play of Panther point guard Ja’Sean LeDuff that made the difference in the game down the stretch. LeDuff scored 12 of his team’s final 15 points to lead Brusly to the win and a spot in the semi-finals.
For the Bulldogs, the game meant the end of a high school career for seven seniors. After the game, Jones commented on what they have meant to the program.
“These seniors have set a huge example for the underclassmen,” said Jones. “They have certainly made me a better coach. Not only did they prove themselves on the floor with their wins, but they also proved themselves with the examples they set off the court. They are definitely going to be missed.”