Pine Prairie Boys vs Church Point

            Chris Guillory talked before the game about the basketball landscape in Class 3-A. To paraphrase him said… The past couple of years we’ve gone from Class B to 2-A to 3-A. We didn’t see much of a change going from B to 2-A playing teams like Glenmora, Rapides, Chataignier, Bayou Chicot, and Vidrine. But going to 3-A last year we saw a huge difference in the style of play with the more competitive teams. A couple years ago Red River came in here and beat us in the playoffs and went on to win the state championship. You put that team in 3-A, and they probably won’t even make the playoffs.

            His Panthers played one such team Tuesday night as the Church Point Bears came to town. Javon Ardoin scored the first bucket to go up 2-0 at the 7:30 mark. Sylus Carsus picked up the offensive rebound and the basket to go up 4-2. Josh Freeman then drained a three pointer from the deep corner of the key to go up 8-2.

            Allen Myles and Ardoin combined to give the Panthers a 12-2 lead going into the 4:14 mark. It seemed the game was well at hand for the Panthers, but the Bears went on a run and clawed back into the game. At the half the Panthers lead 33-30. Church point sunk a bucket coming out the half, and then the Panthers later answered to retake the lead. Freeman drained another three pointer from the corner of the key with just over 5 minutes to go in the quarter.

The bandaged Carson, who previously suffered a laceration above his right eye, stopped bleeding but did not stop believing on the journey as he extended the lead 46-42 for the Panthers. He followed it up with another bucket to go up 48-42 and was good on the three-point play. Going into the final 8 minutes of play in Pine Prairie, the Panthers lead 49-47.

Freeman once again buried a three pointer to go up 52-47. With a full timeout called on the court at the 4:20 mark, the Panthers were high above the Bears by a score of 59-53. Carson buried another 3 pointer with just under a minute to play to go up 66-61 and to secure the win by a final score of 72-61.

With the win the Panthers are 6-0 in district and have a chance to finish district play undefeated and host the opening game in the playoffs.