Bulldogs toughened through tournament play

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

— The Bulldogs gained valuable experience and won one game during the Adair Okla. tournament last week.

The team lost to the 4A Adair, Okla. Warriors 56-40 in the first round of the tournament on Dec. 4.

“We played a pretty good ball game,” said Decatur coach and athletic director John Unger, despite the loss.

The two teams matched up well and it was a single point game through the fourth quarter when the Warriors scored some extra points at the free-throw line, he said.

Sophomore Mario Urquidi scored 17 points and made 12 rebounds,while his twin brother Victor Urquidi scored 14 points.

“We had a chance to win. They played with a lot of energy,” Unger said.

The Bulldogs had too many turnovers throughout the game. They did a good job of controlling the “paint” but fouled too much, allowing the Warriors to score 22 points from free throws, he said.

Decatur 40, Jay (Okla.) 38

Decatur won its Dec. 7 tournament game against the Jay, Okla. Bulldogs 40-38.

Decatur took an early lead in the game, with a score of 12-7 at the end of the first quarter. Jay narrowed the gap during the second quarter for a halftime score of 17-14, butDecatur pulled away in the third, scoring an additional 10 points to Jay’s 2.

Jay outscored Decatur 22-13 in the fourth quarter, bringing the score to a tie in the last 33 seconds of the game. Decatur had enough composure to get the ball on a rebound and then score. After a time out, they held Jay off for the last 11 seconds of the game, Unger said.

“They still have a lot to work on but they fought and won,” he said.

Decatur sophomore Mario Urquidi lead the scoring with 16 points during the game, followed by senior Andrew Harris with 10 points.

Decatur shot the ball well, scoring on 57 percent of their attempted shots, and played with energyand intensity, Unger said.

Claremore, Okla. 65 Decatur 34

The Bulldogs faced the Sequoyah Eagles, from Claremore, Okla, for their final tournament game on Dec. 8.

The two teams were nearly tied early in the game with a score of 11-10 after the first quarter, but the Eagles quickly pulled away for a final score of 65-34.

“They got hot and we got cold,” Unger said.

Decatur turned the ball over too much and didn’t defend the three-point shot, allowing the eagles to score 11 three-pointers, Unger said.

Overall, the Bulldogs gained valuable experience during the tournament. They played against three teams they had never faced before, which will help them prepare for district and regional play, Unger said.

“The tournament was good for us. We faced 3A and 4A schools,” he said.

Decatur 44 Oaks Mission, Okla. 29

After the tournament,the Bulldogs beat the Oaks Mission Warriors 44-29 in a non-conference game at Oaks, Okla. on Monday.

The win gives Decatur a record of 5-3 this season.

The Bulldogs faced the Watts Engineers at a home game on Tuesday after press time. Decatur is next scheduled to play Union Christian Academy at home on Dec. 18.

Sports, Pages 10 on 12/12/2012