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It took a bucket with one second left on Tuesday night to determine the winner as the Dodge City Lady Demons took on the Garden City Lady Buffaloes under the bright lights of the brand new United Wireless Arena.
This time the wheels fell off in what has been the strongest quarter for the Demons all season, dropping a heartbreaker to the Buffaloes 35-33.
The theme all season for the Demons has been starting off slow and turning that sluggishness into fuel over the final three quarters.
They did it once again, this time the team could not maintain the lead in the second half.
“We’ve had five ball games this season and each one we’ve had some type of shot, whether it was at the end of the first quarter, third quarter, tonight it was at the end of the game,” said head coach Justin Briggs. “That’s what put the two points on the board, but that’s not what cost us the game. We lost the game earlier on by not hustling on defense a couple of times and not doing a very good job on the interior.”
Dodge City found themselves locked in a 0-0 tie with Garden deep into the first quarter, thanks to solid defense and cold shooting from both sides. Turnovers were also key in the deadlock, which Garden City eventually broke with a couple of free throws.
The Demons were unable to crack the Buffs early on, failing to capitalize on opportunities to put their visitor away early.
Garden City would jump all over the early Dodge City mistakes, cruising out to a 6-0 lead with just a couple minutes remaining in the first quarter, but as usual, the combination of Ashley Stephenson and Brenna Briggs would step up in a big way for the home team.
Briggs would nail a couple of open looks as the seconds wound down, including a three pointer with just about a minute to play, cutting the deficit to one at the end of the first quarter.
It would be more of the same as the second quarter began in Dodge, with Briggs canning two more three-point field goals and Stephenson working her inside game as the Demons began to settle into a rhythm.
The Buffaloes would finish the first half shooting 20 percent from the field, allowing the Demons to outscore them 12-6 in the second stanza, maintaining a 17-12 lead in front of a good crowd Tuesday night.
Briggs and Stephenson would account for all 17 of the Demons’ points, with Briggs pouring in 11 and Stephenson six.
The two teams would continue their battle into the third quarter, with neither team letting the other pull away in a closely contested ball game.
The Demons would actually jump out to an eight point lead late into the third, using key baskets from Alexis Sanchez and Stephenson to catapult them to that lead.
Garden City would keep chipping away at the lead.
With the Demons out in front, the Buffaloes began to employ a more full-court pressure defense, which effectively frustrated the Dodge offense, forcing them into turnovers and allowing the Buffaloes to climb back into the contest.
Dodge City would enter the fourth quarter with a 29-23 lead, but Garden City, behind a solid rebounding effort thanks to their size, was able to find offensive rebounds time and time again, eventually converting those second chance opportunities into points.
“Obviously rebounding was a big key tonight, we gave up 19 offensive rebounds and they scored 13 points off of those rebounds,” Briggs said. “They get to to the free throw line 18 times and our girls only got there six, which was us not being very aggressive.”
The Buffaloes would recapture the lead late in the fourth quarter 31-30 before a bomb from Briggs gave the Demons the lead once again, 33-31.
Two Buffalo free throws brought the game to a stand still once more, but Garden City would get the last laugh.
With six seconds left, the Buffaloes inbounded the ball on the Demon side of the floor. The ball would roll away from Sanchez and to Garden City’s Kristen Heiman, who actually inbounded the ball. She immediately launched up a 15-footer that rolled around the rim and in, giving the Buffaloes a two-point lead with one second remaining.
Stephenson’s inbound pass would find nothing but air as the Buffaloes escape Dodge with a victory, dropping the Demons to 3-2 on the season.
“We’re going to go back to work tomorrow and you’re going to see a different team on Friday night,” Briggs said.
The Demons will suit up next for a contest with Larned on Friday night with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
It took a bucket with one second left on Tuesday night to determine the winner as the Dodge City Lady Demons took on the Garden City Lady Buffaloes under the bright lights of the brand new United Wireless Arena.
This time the wheels fell off in what has been the strongest quarter for the Demons all season, dropping a heartbreaker to the Buffaloes 35-33.
The theme all season for the Demons has been starting off slow and turning that sluggishness into fuel over the final three quarters.
They did it once again, this time the team could not maintain the lead in the second half.
“We’ve had five ball games this season and each one we’ve had some type of shot, whether it was at the end of the first quarter, third quarter, tonight it was at the end of the game,” said head coach Justin Briggs. “That’s what put the two points on the board, but that’s not what cost us the game. We lost the game earlier on by not hustling on defense a couple of times and not doing a very good job on the interior.”
Dodge City found themselves locked in a 0-0 tie with Garden deep into the first quarter, thanks to solid defense and cold shooting from both sides. Turnovers were also key in the deadlock, which Garden City eventually broke with a couple of free throws.
The Demons were unable to crack the Buffs early on, failing to capitalize on opportunities to put their visitor away early.
Garden City would jump all over the early Dodge City mistakes, cruising out to a 6-0 lead with just a couple minutes remaining in the first quarter, but as usual, the combination of Ashley Stephenson and Brenna Briggs would step up in a big way for the home team.
Briggs would nail a couple of open looks as the seconds wound down, including a three pointer with just about a minute to play, cutting the deficit to one at the end of the first quarter.
It would be more of the same as the second quarter began in Dodge, with Briggs canning two more three-point field goals and Stephenson working her inside game as the Demons began to settle into a rhythm.
The Buffaloes would finish the first half shooting 20 percent from the field, allowing the Demons to outscore them 12-6 in the second stanza, maintaining a 17-12 lead in front of a good crowd Tuesday night.
Briggs and Stephenson would account for all 17 of the Demons’ points, with Briggs pouring in 11 and Stephenson six.
The two teams would continue their battle into the third quarter, with neither team letting the other pull away in a closely contested ball game.
The Demons would actually jump out to an eight point lead late into the third, using key baskets from Alexis Sanchez and Stephenson to catapult them to that lead.
Garden City would keep chipping away at the lead.
With the Demons out in front, the Buffaloes began to employ a more full-court pressure defense, which effectively frustrated the Dodge offense, forcing them into turnovers and allowing the Buffaloes to climb back into the contest.
Dodge City would enter the fourth quarter with a 29-23 lead, but Garden City, behind a solid rebounding effort thanks to their size, was able to find offensive rebounds time and time again, eventually converting those second chance opportunities into points.
“Obviously rebounding was a big key tonight, we gave up 19 offensive rebounds and they scored 13 points off of those rebounds,” Briggs said. “They get to to the free throw line 18 times and our girls only got there six, which was us not being very aggressive.”
The Buffaloes would recapture the lead late in the fourth quarter 31-30 before a bomb from Briggs gave the Demons the lead once again, 33-31.
Two Buffalo free throws brought the game to a stand still once more, but Garden City would get the last laugh.
With six seconds left, the Buffaloes inbounded the ball on the Demon side of the floor. The ball would roll away from Sanchez and to Garden City’s Kristen Heiman, who actually inbounded the ball. She immediately launched up a 15-footer that rolled around the rim and in, giving the Buffaloes a two-point lead with one second remaining.
Stephenson’s inbound pass would find nothing but air as the Buffaloes escape Dodge with a victory, dropping the Demons to 3-2 on the season.
“We’re going to go back to work tomorrow and you’re going to see a different team on Friday night,” Briggs said.
The Demons will suit up next for a contest with Larned on Friday night with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
