Revenge: Accomplished – Patriots crush Bossier; move to Class 4A Top 28 in Lake Charles

McGuire showcases himself at Combine
March 7, 2017
Premella Savoie
March 7, 2017
McGuire showcases himself at Combine
March 7, 2017
Premella Savoie
March 7, 2017

Last year, an official’s bad call in the final seconds of the game cost the Ellender boys’ basketball team its chance at a Class 4A State Championship.

This year, the Patriots took it out of the referees’ hands and left no doubt that they were going to punch a ticket to Lake Charles for the Top 28.

No. 7 Ellender dominated No. 2 Bossier on Friday night in a 60-37 win – a revenge victory for the Patriots over the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year. In that game, Bossier made a layup in a tie game after time expired – a shot deemed good by officials, but which video evidence showed shouldn’t have counted because the ball was still in the shooter’s hand when the buzzer sounded.


This year, a hungry, motivated Patriots team opted not to let things hinge on the outcome of a singular call, controlling the game for the entire 32 minutes, punching a ticket to the Class 4A State Semifinals.

They advance to take on Westgate tomorrow at the Top 28 – two wins shy of the State Championship.

“We were motivated. The kids wanted to play pretty badly,” Patriots coach Cornell Scott said. “We felt as though we shouldn’t have lost last year, and we came out strong and really controlled the game throughout. We did a really good job and we’re happy to be able to go and get that revenge.”


That revenge came in the final 16 minutes of play – a dominating stretch where the Patriots showed that they can beat anyone in the state of Louisiana.

The first half was for Bossier. The Bearkats used strong defense and efficient offense to keep the Patriots at arm’s length.

Bossier led 26-23 at halftime, which had many of the home fans in attendance thinking that the Bearkats would again get the best of Ellender in a high-stakes game.


But the Patriots dominated the final 16 minutes and turned this one into a rout. The second half the Patriots put together may be one of the better 16-minute stretches of basketball anyone has had in Louisiana this season.

After the early deficit, Ellender shined. The Patriots allowed just one point in the third quarter, which flipped the small halftime deficit into a huge, third-quarter lead.

Scott said senior Davontavean Martin was huge on Friday night, powering the Patriots with his ability to score everywhere on the floor.


“He was really, really good for us,” Scott said. “He really played a great game for our team. He made plays on both ends of the floor and really was a powerful force out there on the court.”

But Ellender also got a big contribution from a relative unknown, as well.

In addition to Martin’s 18 points, the Patriots also got a double-digit contribution from Askyre Anderson, who scored 12.


Anderson is a quality player, but he isn’t in the headlines often, because of the efforts of Martin, Marquie Mosley and Kobe Hartman – the team’s top scorers.

Scott said Anderson’s points were some of the biggest in the game.

“He showed that he can be a big part of those big games and really be an impactful player,” Scott said. “He really stepped up and he was a big part of our win. We’re proud of how he did.”


After taking the big lead in the fourth quarter, Bossier made attempts to battle back in the final quarter, but none of the efforts held any merit.

That’s because of the late-game defense, which completely smothered the Bearkats and never allowed them an inch of space in scoring positions.

“We took away their best players,” Scott said. “We did a good job attacking their offense. We had a good plan from practice and we came out and we executed it. We were ready to go, and the kids were motivated.”


Now, the challenge for Ellender is to keep moving forward.

The Patriots will take on No. 3 Westgate in Lake Charles – a team with quality wins up and down their schedule.

Scott said he’s seen the Tigers in person. Both teams played at the H.L. Bourgeois – an event the Patriots won.


The teams play similar styles, according to Scott. They both like to pressure the ball and get up and down the floor in transition for quick offensive opportunities.

In the Quarterfinals, Westgate beat Plaquemine 90-81. Before that, they beat Morgan City (68-62) and Warren Easton (74-67) in postseason play.

This will be the first time in Scott’s head coaching career that he makes it to the Top 28, but he doesn’t expect anyone on Ellender’s team to be nervous.


Scott pointed to his team’s experience on the AAU circuit as proof that the Patriots will be ready to play its best on its largest stage to date.

“We have guys who play for the shoe companies over the summer,” Scott said. “Those teams play in the big venues and go everywhere there is to go. We expect to be settled in and we expect to prepare throughout the week. For us, we’ve won a lot of tournaments throughout the season. Now, we just are approaching it the same way. We have to go win one last tournament out there in Lake Charles.” •

Davontavean Martin


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