VILLE PLATTE -- The Ville Platte High boys basketball team is off to another great start as they went 3-0 in their own tournament held this past week.
Ville Platte started tourney play Wednesday with a huge 88-65 win over the Marksville Tigers. In that game, Ville Platte fell behind 22-20 after one quarter of play. The biggest disappointment in the quarter was not the score, but the fact that starting guard Jahmal Byers went down with an apparent knee injury.
Knowing they needed to step up their game with one of their scorers on the floor, Ville Platte turned up their game in the second quarter to outscore the Tigers 23-11 and take a 14 point lead into the locker room.
The Bulldogs then pulled away in the second half, blowing past Marksville to advance on in the tournament. In the game Terrian Roy scored 24 points to lead the way.
On Friday night, Ville Platte took down Class 4A LaGrange 76-64. That win put Ville Platte in the Saturday final against North Central.
It took an extra frame to decide the championship game on Saturday, as Bulldogs scrapped their way to a 64-63 win over Hurricanes. Ville Platte jumped out to a commanding 20-9 lead after one quarter of play behind Tahj Roy’s 10 points.
The second quarter saw North Central pick their way back into the game by collecting 19 total points. As the teams headed into the locker room, the Bulldogs led 35-27.
The third quarter was basically a wash, as Ville Platte was only able to gather one more point than North Central in the period for a 48-39 lead.
In the final period of regulation, the Hurricanes buckled down and outpace the Bulldogs 17-8 to tie the game and send it to overtime.
In the extra frame, Ville Platte’s Tye’Wuan Byers scored all eight points, including five big free throws, to put the Bulldogs over the edge.
Meanwhile on the girl’s side of the bracket, the Ville Platte Lady Bulldogs began their tournament play with a 49-44 win over Class 4A Breaux Bridge to advance on in the winner’s bracket.
On Friday, Ville Platte took on a very good North Central squad and unfortunately was unable to produce enough offense to overcome a 66-48 loss.
That loss put them in the third place game on Saturday against Avoyelles. In this contest, the Lady Bulldogs came to play, as they blew past the Lady Mustangs 69-37. In that game, Trinity Leday scored 21 points.
Image
Tracey Jagneaux
Sports Editor