Dodge Girls Lose in Overtime, Boys Handle Cimarron
Dodge City, KS (westernkansasnews.com) For the Dodge City High School Basketball teams it has been a reversal of fortune lately.
Prior to the holiday break the girls were on the up swing evening their record at 2-2 and the boys were dealing with an 0-4 mark. This week the girls lost two straight and the boys have won back-to-back.
The Demon girls lost a seven point lead in the final minutes of the game Friday night at United Wireless Arena and were outscored 6-2 in overtime losing 41-37. The boys rattled off the first thirteen points of their game, had thirty-five at half and finished two points shy of their best output of the year in beating Cimarron 53-39.
Girls Highlights
Neither team lit the net on fire in the first eight minutes. Cimarron ended on a 6-0 run after Dodge scored early in the first quarter on a three pointer by Madison Armstrong and made free throw by Ashley Nelson.
Dodge would exert some control in the second quarter cashing in on five of the team’s thirteen points from senior guard Tia Bradshaw. The Demons also forced thirteen turnovers and limited Cimarron’s (4-3) leading scorer sophomore Taylor Jantz to 4 points.
Cold shooting continued to do in the Red Demons. For the second straight game, Dodge went 1-13 from beyond the arc and would hit only 26 percent of their shots, 5-19 during the second half and overtime.
Jantz would take control scoring 10 of her 14 in the second half and Cimarron Senior Audra Burns added 11. The Blue Jays hit 8/20 shots in the second half and overtime, not overwhelming, but enough to overcome a second half deficit of seven as they outscored Dodge City 21-12 over the final twelve minutes of the game.
The Blue Jays also flexed their muscle at the line going 14-20, while the Red Demons could only pour in 12/27 free throws in the loss.
Tia Bradshaw finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss, five of those boards were offensive. Ashley Nelson added 10 and the tow combined for 23 of the team’s 37 points.
The win means Cimarron evens the all-time series at 3-3.
Post-game comments from Coach Kelley Snodgrass
Boys Highlights
Hot shooting paved the way for Dodge City’s second win of the season. Chris Baker hit 6 of 8 shots including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc to score a season high 19. Hunter Heath finished one rebound shy of his second straight double-double with 18 points and 9 rebounds going 9 of twelve in converting his shot attempts.
The 59 percent shooting mark from the field was the highest for the Demons this year. Dodge also had six shots in the second half, but made up for it by hitting 9 of 12 free throws.
Cimarron (3-4) star post player Nick Ast led the Blue Jays with 18 points and 4 rebounds. Dodge City out rebounded Cimarron 31-20.
Post-game DCHS Coach Dennis Hamilton
The Demons are back in action next Friday night when they host Liberal. For the boys it will be another tough test since the Redskins are favored to repeat as WAC champs.
The motivation will be there for Dodge City after Liberal took the conference title away from the Demons with wins in the final regular season game the last two years. Girls will tip at 6 and the boys at 7:30 from the Dodge City High School Field House.
