Patriots edge Wildcats 49-45

In a rematch of earlier this season, the teams squared off for the first time in district play, in what was a playoff-style atmosphere, and the North Vermilion Patriots escaped with a 49-45 win over Abbeville.
After controlling most of the game, costly turnovers changed the tide of the game, and allowed the Patriots to win and start their district schedule 2-0.
“We knew it was going to be tough coming into Abbeville with them beating us already,” said North Vermilion head coach Jack LeBlanc. “We know each other so well and we talked about who can handle it mentally when a team goes on a run. We talked about why we made or schedule so hard this year,and our guys were able to handle it.”
The action was slow in the first half with Abbeville taking a 22-20 lead into the halftime break.
Abbeville led 36-30 after three quarters, but with 4:20 left, the Patriots tied the game, and on their next possession took the lead with a 3-pointer by Mike Bessard to give North Vermilion a 42-39 advantage.
Dade Dieterich took a charge with 36 seconds left to give the Patriots the ball back, and two free throws by Blake Turner with eight ticks remaining sealed the game for the road team.
“They outplayed us,” said Abbeville head coach Berwick Hamilton. “They took it to another level offensively and defensively. We turned the ball over five or six times in the third quarter with the lead. They played good defense.”
Bessard was the game-high scorer with 18 points followed by Jordan Windmon with 14.
Other scorers were: Blake Turner (8), Dade Dieterich (5) and Donald Comeaux (2).
Clyde Mitchell was the leading scorer for Abbeville with 13 points, followed closely by Dre’vian Evans with 12.
Other Wildcat scorers were: Jourdan Brooks (9), Isaiah Antoine (6) and Clements Dorsey (5).
“It is always a big win when you beat a parish or district school,” LeBlanc said. “Our guys are not just focused on winning one game, they are focused on winning a district championship.”
With the win North Vermilion improves to 2-0 in district play, and Abbeville drops to 1-1.
The Patriots will be in action Tuesday when they host West St. Mary, and Abbeville will be on the road Tuesday night against Notre Dame.