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Perhaps the winter break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Dodge City Demons boys basketball program, who entered the break at 1-3 and were itching for a victory against their heated rival, Garden City.
Add in the new United Wireless Arena and you had a matchup ready to steal the spotlight in Dodge.
The Demons didn’t disappoint on Tuesday night, using a stifling defensive effort against the Buffaloes, walking away with a 45-36 victory.
“Our kids had a little bit of a refuse to lose type of attitude tonight, started grinding there and made some good things happen,” Hamilton said. “When we went to the 2-3 zone, it didn’t allow them to run that little special play they like and I think that when we put three guys across the baseline, it made them a little tougher for them.”
The game started off with the Demons rushing out to a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter, thanks to some nifty baskets from senior guard Trey Hallman.
Garden City would scratch and claw their way back into the contest, connecting on four three pointers, taking the lead from Dodge 14-12 as the first quarter came to a close.
The two would continue to trade blows as the second quarter kicked off, with both sides exchanging baskets.
Both teams would end up shooting around 39 percent for the first half as the Demons were led by Hallman’s 10 and Adley Davis added in seven of his own.
Despite outscoring the Buffaloes 9-8 in the second quarter, the Demons would go into the locker room at the half down by one to visiting Garden City.
As the rivals hit the third quarter, the pace they had begun in the first quarter fell silent as the two sides went ice cold from the floor, missing contested threes and layups.
With Garden City up 26-23 in third, Hallman drove around a Buffalo defender and dished it to a wide open Kelan Newton. His floater from seven feet would cut the Garden City lead to just one.
The Demons would follow that possession up with perhaps their best ball handling of the quarter, rotating the ball around the perimeter before the ball wound up in the hands of Davis who would bury the three pointer to recapture the lead for Dodge at 28-26.
Both teams opened up the fourth quarter on all cylinders as Garden’s Jake Curran would roll in a three to give the Buffs a 30-28 lead.
A couple of Dodge City baskets, finished with an Isaiah Bradshaw three-point bucket would put the Demons back up by three with a big home crowd on their side, willing the team to a much needed home win.
Behind the effort of Jace Larson and Hallman, the Demons were able to stretch out that three point lead into a 39-33 lead with under a minute to play inside the UWA. Coming off of a timeout, the Demons were able to play keepaway from the Buffalo defense, chewing up nearly 15 seconds before Garden City could foul.
Depsite their best efforts, Dodge City would turn the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play, giving the Buffaloes a slim ray of hope with 33 seconds to go in the contest.
However, Curran would launch a three pointer from beyond NBA range with over 30 seconds left, giving the Demons possession and all but sealing the victory for head coach Dennis Hamilton and his squad.
Two free throws from Davis stretched the Demon lead to eight, but a three pointer from Curran resuscitated the Buffs from the dead. But two Jordan Doan free throws on the next possession all but assured the Demons of their second victory of the season.
Dodge City outscored the Buffaloes 17-10 in the fourth quarter and we led by Hallman and Davis who scored 12 points each for the home squad, with Hallman also adding in seven rebounds and seven assists.
“Hallman is our go to guy, obviously, we want the ball in his hands during those crunch time moments and we used him early and had some luck with it,” Hamilton said.
As a team, the Demons shot 40.5 percent from the field while holding Garden City to 33 percent and only allowed four free throws to the visiting Buffaloes.
The Demons had eight players score and were able to outrebound the Buffs by eight, which was a point of emphasis coming into the break.
“We kind of taken the attitude that we are going to be a zone first, man second type of defensive team,” Hamilton said. “Maybe we will be that type of team that can rebound out of a zone and that’s a good sign, because I believe it’s still nothing more than a desire trait, you’re looking for someone, looking for the ball and we had kids doing that tonight. Adley was one of those kids doing that tonight and leading us and that’s a positive.”
Dodge City will be back on the court Friday night as they will host Larned in an effort to get back to .500 on the season. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Perhaps the winter break couldn’t have come at a better time for the Dodge City Demons boys basketball program, who entered the break at 1-3 and were itching for a victory against their heated rival, Garden City.
Add in the new United Wireless Arena and you had a matchup ready to steal the spotlight in Dodge.
The Demons didn’t disappoint on Tuesday night, using a stifling defensive effort against the Buffaloes, walking away with a 45-36 victory.
“Our kids had a little bit of a refuse to lose type of attitude tonight, started grinding there and made some good things happen,” Hamilton said. “When we went to the 2-3 zone, it didn’t allow them to run that little special play they like and I think that when we put three guys across the baseline, it made them a little tougher for them.”
The game started off with the Demons rushing out to a 10-0 lead early in the first quarter, thanks to some nifty baskets from senior guard Trey Hallman.
Garden City would scratch and claw their way back into the contest, connecting on four three pointers, taking the lead from Dodge 14-12 as the first quarter came to a close.
The two would continue to trade blows as the second quarter kicked off, with both sides exchanging baskets.
Both teams would end up shooting around 39 percent for the first half as the Demons were led by Hallman’s 10 and Adley Davis added in seven of his own.
Despite outscoring the Buffaloes 9-8 in the second quarter, the Demons would go into the locker room at the half down by one to visiting Garden City.
As the rivals hit the third quarter, the pace they had begun in the first quarter fell silent as the two sides went ice cold from the floor, missing contested threes and layups.
With Garden City up 26-23 in third, Hallman drove around a Buffalo defender and dished it to a wide open Kelan Newton. His floater from seven feet would cut the Garden City lead to just one.
The Demons would follow that possession up with perhaps their best ball handling of the quarter, rotating the ball around the perimeter before the ball wound up in the hands of Davis who would bury the three pointer to recapture the lead for Dodge at 28-26.
Both teams opened up the fourth quarter on all cylinders as Garden’s Jake Curran would roll in a three to give the Buffs a 30-28 lead.
A couple of Dodge City baskets, finished with an Isaiah Bradshaw three-point bucket would put the Demons back up by three with a big home crowd on their side, willing the team to a much needed home win.
Behind the effort of Jace Larson and Hallman, the Demons were able to stretch out that three point lead into a 39-33 lead with under a minute to play inside the UWA. Coming off of a timeout, the Demons were able to play keepaway from the Buffalo defense, chewing up nearly 15 seconds before Garden City could foul.
Depsite their best efforts, Dodge City would turn the ball over on the ensuing inbounds play, giving the Buffaloes a slim ray of hope with 33 seconds to go in the contest.
However, Curran would launch a three pointer from beyond NBA range with over 30 seconds left, giving the Demons possession and all but sealing the victory for head coach Dennis Hamilton and his squad.
Two free throws from Davis stretched the Demon lead to eight, but a three pointer from Curran resuscitated the Buffs from the dead. But two Jordan Doan free throws on the next possession all but assured the Demons of their second victory of the season.
Dodge City outscored the Buffaloes 17-10 in the fourth quarter and we led by Hallman and Davis who scored 12 points each for the home squad, with Hallman also adding in seven rebounds and seven assists.
“Hallman is our go to guy, obviously, we want the ball in his hands during those crunch time moments and we used him early and had some luck with it,” Hamilton said.
As a team, the Demons shot 40.5 percent from the field while holding Garden City to 33 percent and only allowed four free throws to the visiting Buffaloes.
The Demons had eight players score and were able to outrebound the Buffs by eight, which was a point of emphasis coming into the break.
“We kind of taken the attitude that we are going to be a zone first, man second type of defensive team,” Hamilton said. “Maybe we will be that type of team that can rebound out of a zone and that’s a good sign, because I believe it’s still nothing more than a desire trait, you’re looking for someone, looking for the ball and we had kids doing that tonight. Adley was one of those kids doing that tonight and leading us and that’s a positive.”
Dodge City will be back on the court Friday night as they will host Larned in an effort to get back to .500 on the season. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
