Red Demon Basketball Win Both Games in Woodward
Woodward, OK (westernkansasnews.com) It was their first road test of the year for both the Dodge City girls and boys basketball teams and despite some rough patches in each game the Red Demons left Woodward with a pair of wins 48-38 in the girls game and 53-42 in the boys.
Girls Highlights
For the girls it was an important win because this same group went 1-3 on the road in non-conference last season. Woodward was missing their big player Hillary Hurst someone who led the team in scoring the last three seasons and touched up the Red Demons for 22 in last year’s win at the Dodge City Field House. Early on the Boomers never noticed her absence jumping out to a 16-10 lead. After that, Dodge began to assert themselves with a big 14-3 run to end the half and take a 5 point lead to the locker room at 24-19.
What may have given Dodge City Head Coach Kelley Snodgrass the most comfort is that in the game, Dodge City proved they were more than Jessie Harshberger. The WAC player of the year was held to 7 points. Instead it was young players Tia Bradshaw and Macie Price who stepped up their game. Bradshaw the junior scored 3 three pointers in finishing with a game high 14. Price the sophomore hit two big threes in scoring eight.
Devre Newby had 14 points for the Boomers going a perfect 7-7 from the free throw line.
DCHS Girls Coach Kelley Snodgrass Post-game comments
With the win, Dodge City improves to 2-0 and will take Friday to prepare for their big matchup with Manhattan Saturday night from the Dodge City Field House.
For the boys, what a difference a few days make. Down 21-8 Saturday to Junction City the Demons needed a 9-0 run to make it a game again going into halftime. This time Dodge City turned the tables in jumping out to their own 21-8 lead.
Boys Highlights
Woodward short of man power on the bench was missing their lead returning scorer Garrett Owen with a knee injury. He had 19 in the 67-60 loss to the Red Demons last season.
Dayton McGroarty was the only players in double figures for the Red Demons with 11, nine of his points came in the first half. McGroarty set the tone early with a strip underneath Woodward’s own basket and follow up slam.
The story of the second half was Dodge City’s inability to finish off the Boomers. Two separate times the Red Demon lead grew to a dozen only to have it shrink. First time it was cut down to 32-26 with just a few minutes left in the third quarter and 40-35 with five minutes to play. Each time the Red Demons built the lead back up.
The Demons hit the boards hard in their road win, Caden Walters had seven points and nine rebounds, eight defensive. Noah Williams battled fouled out late, but before his exit he had a second straight game of six rebounds and after a 0-6 performance from the field in Saturday’s opener, he went 2-4 scoring six points.
Dodge City did an incredible job defensively on Mauro Rojas. Two nights after he finished with 25 against Ponca City, Rojas scored 11 points, but he was also responsible for six Woodward turnovers. Zach Kee and 6’ 8” post player Anthony Hickman added 11 each. Woodward shot the ball better 15-31 for 48% from the field, but had nine fewer shots than Dodge City at 17-40 for 42%.
DCHS Boys Coach Dennis Hamilton Post-game Comments
The Red Demons improved to 1-1 on the season and will ride their wave of momentum against Manhattan to Saturday night’s matchup in Dodge. Pre-game begins at 5:45. Girls game starts at 6, boys at 7:30. The game can be heard on Z98 and westernkansasnews.com.
