Rough Weekend For Demon Basketball

Dodge City, KS (westernkansasnews.com) The Dodge City High School Basketball teams thought they would find the answers this week to what had been plaguing them.  After the four games they were left with more answers than questions.

Thursday night the girls beat Guymon 56-34.  Ashley Nelson sparked an early rally for the Demon girls scoring the teams first seven points as the squad jumped out to a 7-3 including a three.  Tia Bradshaw did not start, but she hobbled her way through an ankle injury she sustained late against Cimarron to score nine on 4-7 shooting. 

Girls Highlights vs. Guymon

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Dodge City also held Guymon top post player Megan Bellar to six points and six rebounds, well off her average of 13 and 10.  Dodge City out rebounded Guymon 38-27 and shot 44 percent, 18 percentage points better than their 26 percentage shooting they suffered in a pair of losses to Great Bend and Cimarron last week.

Post-game Comments from DCHS Coach Kelley Snodgrass

If there was any carryover of momentum from Thursday night’s win to Friday for the Lady Demons it was certainly hard to find it. 

Girls Highlights vs. Liberal

Liberal opened up on a 10-4 run and led 27-12 at half.  Dodge several times knocked the lead down to 10 but could not get it any closer as Liberal beat Dodge City in a conference game for the first time in 14 tries 44-32.

Whitney Hay led the Lady Redskins in points with a career high 16 on 3/5 shooting from outside the arc.  Jada Mickens scored six of her eight points from the line, but she dominated off the glass with 13 rebounds.

Madison Armstrong matched her best game in threes hitting three of them on seven attempts and ending the game with her best total of 11 since she had 15 against Hereford, Texas.  Ashley Nelson and Aneth Morales each had eight while Tia Bradshaw struggled by scoring just four.   Both Nelson and Bradshaw were hamstrung with foul trouble each finishing with 4 fouls apiece as Liberal outscored Dodge 17-8 in the second quarter.

Liberal’s ability to get to the line had a profound effect on the game.  The Redskins went 12 of 23 from the stripe, while Dodge managed to hit 3 of five free throws and failed to reach the free throw line in the second half.

Post-game Comments from DCHS Coach Kelley Snodgrass

Over to the boys games where Dodge City overcame an 11 point deficit and had a chance to send the game into overtime or win it with a three on the final possession of the game, but Luke Gleason air balled the potential game tying shot short from the foul line and Guymon held tough to beat the Demons 54-52. 

For Guymon it was their seventh win in the series in twenty-one games.  The teams had not played since 2007.

Game Highlights Boys vs. Guymon

Chris Baker led the Demons with his second straight nineteen point performance hitting 5 of nine three pointers, tying his career best when he had five threes against Hugoton on December 13th. 

Hunter Heath finished two rebounds shy of another double-double scoring 16 points and adding eight rebounds.  The real spark came from Sam Unruh off the bench as he lit up Guymon for 17 on 8-9 shooting. 

Guymon also used their second quarter to their advantage outscoring Dodge City 21-12 and holding a 28-21 lead at halftime.  Three players scored in double figures led by 13 each from guards Riley Kokaly and Dylan Portillo. 

Post-game Comments From DCHS Coach Dennis Hamilton

On Friday, Liberal blew the door wide open on a close game that the Demons led by one 35-34 midway through the third.   When the game ended Liberal ended on a 33-13 run including 13-2 at one point to win 67-47.

Liberal dominated on the glass 28-15 and had 16 offensive rebounds to Dodge City’s three.  Cade Hinkle had 17 and dished off 6 assists for the Redskins.  Deladris Green poured in 23 on 8-16 shooting, seven of ten from the line and grabbed 11 rebounds.

Chris Baker had another solid night in the loss scoring 14 and going a perfect 4 of 4 in 3’s and is now 27-52 shooting from long distance this season which is over 50%.  Hunter Heath made his living from the line connecting on 11-14 free throws for 15 points.

Coach Dennis Hamilton’s Post-game Comments

The Demon Girls (3-5, 0-2 WAC) are off to play Hays Tuesday.  The boys (2-6, 1-1 WAC) will rest up with the hope of getting star guard Noah Sowers back in time for Thursday’s tip in the opener of the Tournament of Champions against Wichita North.