Bobcats fall to Panthers in district finale

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PINE PRAIRIE – The fourth quarter proved to be the difference Tuesday night as Pine Prairie slipped past the Eunice High Bobcats to claim a 52-49 victory in District 5-3A action at the Panthers gym.
The Bobcats entered the fourth quarter with a 43-37 lead, but couldn’t hold off the Panthers over the final eight minutes of play.
Isaiah Payne sparked the Panthers in the quarter with seven points.
The Bobcats, meanwhile, lost starters Brandon Ndubueze, Deshawn Vigers, and Mykal Moore to fouls.
The Panthers outscored the Bobcats by a 13-6 margin to claim the victory.
The game went back-and-forth in the first half, with the Panthers holding a 13-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Bobcats claimed the momentum in the second quarter with a 16-13 advantage to tie the game at 26 going into the halftime break.
Moore sparked the Bobcats in the third quarter, hitting six field goals to give his team a 17-11 advantage at the end of the quarter.
But the Cats were unable to hold the lead.
Jude Cormier scored four points and Ndubueze added a field goal for the Cats.
The Panthers took advantage of the Bobcats’ foul problems in the fourth quarter, going to the free-throw line 17 times in the final eight minutes and converting seven of those opportunities.
Payne and Darnell Durgin led the scoring for the Panthers with 12 apiece. Sylus Carson added 11 points for the Panthers.
Moore led the scoring for the Bobcats with 16 points. Deshawn Vigers added nine and Carlin Vigers had eight for the Cats.
Cormier and Ndubueze had six points apiece for the Cats, who played without Malik Poullard, who was sidelined by illness.
Coach Chad Andrepont and his team now wait to see if they will earn a state playoff spot with their 10-17 record, sitting at No. 32 in the Class 3-A power rankings.
The brackets should be released by the LHSAA on Sunday.