OAKS (Okla.) -- The Decatur senior boys traveled southwest Nov. 20 to take on the Warriors of Oaks-Mission High School in the opening game of the 2014-15 Bulldog basketball season. And the Bulldogs got on the board early and managed to hold the Warriors scoreless for the first two minutes.
Once Oaks-Mission was on the board, they began a short rally but it was not enough to catch up to the Bulldogs. By the end of the first period, Decatur held a five point advantage over Oaks, 12 to 7.
The second period was catch-up time for Oaks as the team racked up eleven points to tie the game at 18 all. With less than five seconds remaining in the first half, Oaks took possession of the ball and drove it down court; and with one second left on the clock, Oaks took a shot from three-point land and made it, giving them a 21 to 18 over Decatur at the half.
Neither team played well in the third period, turning it more into a defensive battle. However, the Bulldogs managed to put two points up at the end of the period to make it a 31-29 Decatur lead.
The final period opened much the same as the previous, with neither team hitting many shots. But then, with two minutes remaining, Oaks managed once again to tie the game at 33 all; but big man Mario Urquidi stepped up and hit a dunk shot to regain the lead.
In a bizarre finish, with Decatur leading 38 to 33, Oaks got possession with three seconds left on the clock and called a time out. When Oaks inbounded the ball, one of their players hit a three pointer, but the clock was not started and the referee called the game and waved off the shot. They later went back and counted it, but it was not enough. Decatur took its first victory of the season, 38 to 36.
"For a first game, I thought we did some good things," John Unger, head basketball coach, said. "For one, we played extremely hard and did a great job rebounding the ball."
Leading scorer for the game was Mario Urquidi with 22. Other Bulldogs with points include Kyle Shaffer with 8, Jason Porter with 6, and Ryan Shaffer with 2.
The Bulldogs were without three of their starters, seniors Victor Urquidi and Terry Kell -- both recovering from ankle injuries -- and Ming Vang, who recently underwent minor knee surgery. They may be ready to play for the Decatur tournament Dec. 2.
Unger relied on not just Urquidi and Allan Castaneda but his group of up-and-coming sophomores.
"The younger guys got a chance to get their feet wet and play a bunch of minutes, which will help them out as the season progresses," Unger said. "We knew it would be a sloppy game just because it was our first game and we have to get used to organized basketball again and how to handle the tempo of the game. There are many little things we will need to correct to be better next time we play.
"This group could be really special if they continue to work hard, continue to help each other and stay positive," Unger concluded. "I love this team and they way they interact with each other and we will look to keep it going."
The Decatur Bulldogs Holiday Tournament begins Dec. 2 with the final game scheduled for 7 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Lloyd Peterson Gym in Decatur. To view the tournament brackets, go to decatursd.com/athletics.
Sports on 11/26/2014