Donaldsonville basketball team that displayed exceptional sportsmanship honored by city leaders

The team that went viral for its exceptional display of sportsmanship during its playoff run has been honored by the Donaldsonville City Council.

Mayor Leroy Sullivan and the council recognized the Donaldsonville High School boys basketball team that finished a successful season with an appearance in the state semifinals in Lake Charles.

Coach Lionel Gilbert said it has been a joy to work with the student athletes and the coaching staff.

"Most importantly, the support of the community has been big for us," Gilbert said. "It's been huge for these guys to get them to buy in. They see the city and parish are behind them. It makes them work a little bit harder. They understand that accountability is not just in the gym, it's what you do in the community."

'True definition of sportsmanship'

The team's sportsmanship spread throughout social media during their playoff run when players could be seen consoling opposing players who were overcome with emotion as their season came to an end.

After their upset victory over No. 1 seed French Settlement, fans' and LSPN's cameras captured the moment, which has been shared widely online.

The Tigers from Ascension Parish had just defeated the Lions 62-56 in the quarterfinal round of the Division III state playoffs March 1.

Ascension Parish Schools also recognized the players' positive actions with a post to its social media page, and parish government celebrated the team as well at the time.

French Settlement coach Jake Bourgeois referred to the game's ending as "the true definition of sportsmanship" in a social media post.

"They could have run around and celebrated but chose to show grace and comfort even through excitement," Bourgeois wrote in a post at the time. "You should be so proud; I know I'll forever be a better coach because of that moment."

"The community of Donaldsonville should be very proud for raising such young men. We will be cheering you on at state and go Tigers," a French Settlement fan wrote in another post.

Donaldsonville's season ended with a 56-45 loss to Red River in the Division III non-select semifinal.

Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow at facebook.com/WeeklyCitizen and facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief.