Red Demons Roll to Big Wins Over Great Bend

Dodge City, KS (westernkansasnews.com) The good news for the Dodge City High School basketball team is that everything they need to accomplish for the final week of the regular season lays in their own hands.

The Lady Red Demons (13-5) win their fifth game in a row and close within two games of having back-to-back undefeated seasons in conference on the strength of a 57-34 win over Great Bend (10-8, 4-2).  

Girls Highlights

A win would have put the Lady Panthers in a first place tie with Dodge City.  The Lady Red Demons quickly took control, jumping out to an 18-4 run.  The big advantage came on the boards as Dodge City held a 47-29 lead on the glass and held Lauren Welsch the Panthers leading scorer to a dozen points, six shy of her average per game.

Bailey Shelor led the Red Demons on homecoming night with 13, only the second time this year she led the team in scoring (@Liberal).  Tia and Brianna Bradshaw added 11 and 10 points while Jessie Harshberger scored nine.  Defensively Dodge City limited Great Bend to 24 % from the field, while hitting 40% themselves including 45% in the first half.

Dodge City can wrap up at least a share of their second straight WAC crown Tuesday night with a win on the road at Hays.

DCHS Girls Coach Kelley Snodgrass Post-game comments

For the Demon boys (9-9, 4-2) they kept a share of first place in substate (Wichita South) and won their fourth in a row by taking care of Great Bend (4-14, 2-4) on a 19-0 run to begin the fourth quarter and hit 70 for the second straight game beating the Panthers 70-46.

Boys Highlights

Dodge City coughed up the ball only eight times and had another huge advantage on the boards 27-19.   The Demons also limited Kody Crosby who averages 15 points per game to just two.  Crosby was held to only eight points in his two games with the Red Demons this year.

Bryce Unruh finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds for Dodge City, followed by Dayton McGroarty’s 15 points.  Eric Reid dished out six assists despite missing his first four three point attempts.  For the night Reid ended 3 of 7 from beyond the arc. 

DCHS Boys Basketball Coach Dennis Hamilton

If Dodge can win both their final WAC games of the year they will finish no worst than with a share of the conference title.  Tuesday Dodge will hope the third time is the charm as they travel to Hays and then Thursday the Demons round out the regular season on senior night with a battle against Liberal.  Both of this weeks opponents are ranked in the state polls.