Carr’s Career Day Leads Lady Buffaloes Over Fairview
Garden City High School girls basketball team hosted Life Prep during the Roundball Classic on Tuesday December 13, 2022 at The Garden in Garden City, Kan. The Lady Buffalos lost to Life Prep 47 - 62. Photo Credits; Adam Shrimplin, Shrimplin Photography
Senior Kamdyn Carr was a big factor in Garden City’s first win over Coronado. Her defensive prowess, recording several important steals, helped GCHS hold the Cougars to just 21 points.
One day later, she got an opportunity to flash her skill set on the offensive end.
Carr scored a career-high 14 points on Friday, leading the Garden City Lady Buffaloes to a second consecutive win in 2023, vanquishing the Fairview Knights, 49-36. Carr was the only player to score a field goal in every quarter, closing the game with nine second-half points.
“[Kamdyn]’s our framework. She is everything that embodies what we want out of our players,” second-year coach Jacob Miller said. “She brings all the intangibles that we need for our success.”
Both teams got off to big runs in the opening quarter, with Fairview starting on a 10–0 run to lead by eight. The Knights hit two three-pointers on that run, with seniors Lila Nuttle and Danae Addison-Taylor giving the Buffs their biggest deficit.
They responded well to close the quarter, cutting the deficit to just one with a quick seven points. The second quarter showed even better resilience, as Garden City (2-0) stretched their run to 15-0 to take a seven point lead.
“We came out flat,” Miller said. “We knew that we had to figure out how good of a basketball team we were going to be down eight.”
Big and-ones from Kamdyn Carr and Alexiz Villegas boosted the Buffs’ lead to nine at the break, the largest for either team.
Late in the game, eight straight Knights (0-3) points would bring the game within two at 35-33. Coach Miller called for time, and made the team showed their perfect adjustments. GCHS would give up just three points the rest of the way, sliding away to win late.
“They bought in to what our game plan was,” Miller said. “The dogs came out, that’s our motto, and we hit three threes and went on a 9-0 run.”
GCHS’s triples down the stretch from Hailey Brown, K.J. Pinchon, and the aforementioned Carr would prove enough. The Buffaloes sunk six treys in the win.
“We just finally clicked, slowed down,” Carr said. “I think that I’ve really had to step up and take on a leadership role, and I think it’s led to more playing time.”
The win puts Garden City in the exact same spot as last season, with a chance to seal a victory at the Cougar Tip-Off. They’ll do it against a team that agonizingly beat them last season in what should be a very confident display of basketball.
The Lady Buffaloes close up the Cougar Tip-Off on Saturday against the Palmer Ridge Bears. Coverage on KWKR 99.9 ‘The Rock’ begins at 11:40 A.M., with tip scheduled for noon.
