After a first-quarter flourish, Dodge City High School was able to put it on cruise control Thursday night during non-conference action with Colby.
Dodge City opened up a 26-8 lead after one quarter, and effectively slammed the door shut on the Eagles during a 75-39 manhandling at the DCHS Fieldhouse.
Ranked No. 5 in the latest Class 6A poll by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association, the Red Demons (14-2) had little trouble with a 4A counterpart in Colby (5-10).
Senior forward Terrance Williams poured in 21 points on 9-for-12 shooting, and sophomore point guard Rico Hogan added 15 points, including a trio of 3-point hits.
Leading 10-8, Dodge went on a first-quarter-ending 16-0 scoring binge over the final five minutes of the period to build its commanding 18-point lead.
Trey Hallman and Hogan had 3-pointers, and Williams had a pair of breakaway dunks off steals to help the Demons seize early control.
The Demons’ stifling man-to-man full-court defensive pressure was the primary reason. They induced Colby into 13 first-quarter turnovers, 20 for the first half and 28 for the game.
As a result, Dodge scored 18 first-quarter points off turnovers.
“We forced a number of turnovers there in the first quarter,” Dodge City head coach Dennis Hamilton said.
The Demons also hit a high percentage of their shots throughout. They finished 30-for-63 from the floor (47.6 percent) and made half of their 12 3-pointers.
The only struggle offensively was Dodge’s free-throw shooting as it only 9-for-19 from the foul line.
Yet Hogan and Williams have been two constants all season for the Demons.
And Thursday, Williams had one of his best shooting nights of the season.
“He really doesn’t take many bad shots,” Hamilton said of Williams. “He is really effective going at the basket, it seems like, as opposed to being a stationary shooter.
“He can hit the open shot from mid-range or from the inside-out kick or just getting to the basket. Around the basket, he jumps so quick and makes some things happen there.”
The Demons hit 50 percent of their shots in the first quarter (11-for-22) and finished the opening half 15-for-34 (44.1 percent). They were 3-for-7 on 3s (42.9 percent) in the first half.
Williams made seven of his nine first shots and finished with 15 first-half points. Hogan had seven first-half points.
n COMING UP
The Demons are idle until next Tuesday, when they travel to Garden City for a Western Athletic Conference game. DCHS is in first place in the WAC with a 4-0 record.
DODGE CITY —
