Conquistadors use big third quarter to advance to quarterfinals
Dodge City Community College’s women’s basketball team defeated Arizona Western 72-52 in the Sweet 16 of the NJCAA national tournament in Casper, Wyoming on Thursday afternoon. Sophomore forward Shorna Preston led the way with 21 points, 13 rebounds and six steals. Sophomore guard Layla-J Cameron had a quiet double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The game got off to a slow start offensively for both teams, as Dodge City started out on a 7-0 run that spanned through the first five minutes of action. The Matadors scored their first points with 4:31 to play in the first quarter.
The score was tied at seven and 14 before Arizona Western grabbed the lead at 17-14, which extended out to 20-15. After the Conquistadors went down five, the energy in the game shifted drastically, as they went on a 17-0 run and went into halftime up 32-25, despite having only made on three-pointer.
The second half began the same way the first half did as Dodge City scored the first seven points. The Conquistadors outscored Arizona Western 20-8 to widen the lead, setting up an anti-climactic fourth quarter.
Dodge City finished the game 8-of-27 from three-point range, and outrebounded the Matadors 48-25, with 16 of the rebounds on the offensive glass.
On Friday afternoon, the Conquistadors will find out whether they play the No. 5 seed New Mexico Junior College, who they lost 84-66 to on Nov. 8, or the No.12 seed Florida Southwestern. The winner of that game will meet with Dodge City on Saturday at 3:30 central on Z98.
