By: John Zetmeir
Friday night’s contest between the Dodge City High School and Cimarron High School girls basketball teams was the classic case of what can happen when a team keeps themselves in the game until the very end.
The Red Demons girls took a 7-6 lead at the beginning of the second quarter and did not trail until a 9-2 run by the Bluejays sent the game into overtime. In the 4 minute overtime, Cimarron outscored Dodge City 6-2 to steal the victory 41-37.
The Bluejays ended the game on a 15-4 run that started with just over 3 minutes left in regulation.
‘I told them that we’ve taken a few of (Dodge City’s) punches and we just have to keep after it,’ Cimarron head coach David Ediger said.
With 30 second left in regulation, Cimarron junior Mikaela Pachner knocked down a pair of free throws that sent the game into overtime. Two free throws by Audra Burns pushed the game out of reach with 11.8 second left.
It was a 3-point play by Burns with 1:13 left in the game that cut Dodge City’s lead to two points.
‘I think we were just more determined to do what we needed to do on both ends of the floor,’ Ediger said. ‘We’ve worked really hard since the break, we haven’t put anything new in. We worked on fundamentals, we worked on blocking out and not turning the ball over and we did a much better job of that tonight.’
Cimarron sophomore Taylor Jantz led all scorers with 14 points while Burns added 11 for the Bluejays. Dodge City (2-4) was led by Tia Bradshaw who finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds.
The Bluejays (4-3) will host Syracuse next Friday.
DODGE CITY BOYS 53, CIMARRON 39
The Dodge City boys started fast and never looked back on Friday night. The Red Demons started the game on a 13-0 run on their way to a 53-39 win.
14 points from junior Hunter Heath and 12 points from fellow senior Chris Baker helped the Red Demons jump out to a 35-16 lead at the halftime break. Baker led all scorers with 19 points while Heath added 18.
‘Well I just thought that our kids got out and pushed the ball and took an opportunity for some easy baskets,’ Dodge City head coach Dennis Hamilton said. ‘I just thought our kids came out really focus.’
The Bluejays were able to find a better rhythm offensively in the second half but the 19-point deficit was too much to climb back from.
Dodge City (2-4, 1-0) will host Liberal next Friday.
