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.

Dodge City splits WAC opener

By: John Zetmeir

Offensive struggles were the ultimate undoing of the Dodge City High School girls basketball team’s Western Athletic Conference winning streak.

An 18-game conference winning streak was snapped by a 52-37 loss to the Great Bend Panthers on Tuesday night. The streak began after a loss to Great Bend in February of 2014.

While the Red Demons’ undefeated conference run did come to an end, they still have seven more opportunities to win a third-straight WAC championship.

“We’ve got to take it one game at a time,” Dodge City head coach Kelley Snodgrass said. “It was a great run while it lasted but WAC is still wide open this year. That was game one and I think the girls know that. I’m almost glad that it’s over so now the pressure is off and hopefully we can get back at it and take it one game at a time.”

Dodge City struggled to make shots from the opening tip. Senior Ashley Nelson made the first field goal of the day with 3:20 left in the first quarter and a 3-pointer by Kaylyn Maple at the buzzer was the only other field goal make of the first quarter.

The Red Demons made just 6-of-26 field goals in the first half and 12-of-46 for the game.

Senior Tia Bradshaw led the way with 12 points while Nelson added 10. Great Bend’s Carley Brack led all scorers with 27 points.

A 9-0 run in the final 2 minutes of the first half helped get Dodge City back into the game after trailing 23-8. Great Bend answered the run by starting the third quarter with an 8-1 run of its own.

“We definitely weren’t hitting any (shots) and that carried over to our defensive intensity,” Snodgrass said. “You hate for that to happen but it does. I think part of that is being out of shape. We’re not back in shape yet.

The Red Demon girls (2-3, 0-1) will take on Cimarron this Friday at United Wireless Arena.

DODGE CITY BOYS 49, GREAT BEND 40.

A third quarter surge by Dodge City propelled the Red Demons (1-4, 1-0) to their first win of the season on Tuesday night in their WAC opener against Great Bend 49-40.

Dodge City did have to hold on after they allowed a 35-20 lead to slip to 42-40 with just under 2 minutes to play in the game.

After leading 16-14 at the halftime break, the Red Demons came out firing in the second half. Senior Chris Baker knocked down a 3-pointer before junior Luke Gleason connected on two 3-pointers on back to back possessions.