When it came to crunch time, Dodge City scored just four points during the final three minutes, three seconds Friday night.
Yet the Red Demons held on for a 47-41 victory as Valerie Ortiz and Kesha Buckner each made two foul shots in the final 12.3 seconds in season-opening play at the DCHS Field House.
Cold-shooting Salina Central managed just three points itself during the final 3 1/2 minutes. The Mustangs made just 28.8 percent from the floor (15-for-52).
Ortiz, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, led Dodge with 16 points, hitting 5-of-12 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws.
"She did a good job for us on both sides of the floor," Dodge City head coach Justin Briggs said. "I thought all of our guards did a good job of pushing the ball up the floor.
"Overall, we played well. We had some of the first-game jitters."
Sophomore guard Brenna Briggs added 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, for the Demons, who outscored Central 32-24 after halftime.
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