DECATUR -- The Decatur Bulldog senior boys had something to celebrate Nov. 20 when they won their first game of the 2015-16 season at home against the Watts (Okla.) Engineers.
The Bulldogs put the first points on the scoreboard early in the first quarter. A strong Decatur defensive effort held the Engineers scoreless until the half-way point in the quarter when Watts finally scored. Decatur, however, maintained the lead and ended the first quarter with a 13 to 9 lead.
Decatur maintained a six point margin in the second quarter, taking a 28 to 22 lead into the break. A comeback by Watts late in the third quarter pulled them within 1 point of Decatur, making it a 36 to 35 game going into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter saw the Engineers take a one point lead at the 4:30 mark. The Bulldogs quickly regained the lead as the seconds ticked off the clock. With only 12 seconds left in the game, Watts had a chance to take the lead and the win, but a Watts player fouled Jay Porter, sending him to the free-throw line. Porter stepped to the line and sank both shots, winning the game for the Bulldogs 49 to 46 and giving the Decatur its first victory of the season.
"It was exciting for the young guys to win and I believe they are doing the right things," said John Unger, head basketball coach. "We had multiple guys that scored. They all played with enthusiasm and a sense of urgency that I have not seen in the last two games."
Decatur traveled south Nov. 23 to take on the West Fork Tigers in West Fork, a second meeting this season for the teams. West Fork took the victory at Bulldog Stadium two weeks earlier.
The Bulldogs put the first points on the scoreboard and managed to keep the Tigers at bay through much of the opening quarter. West Fork made four shots late but could not catch Decatur. The first quarter ended with Decatur up, 14 to 8, taking the 3A conference Tigers completely by surprise.
West Fork continued to struggle against Decatur's strong offense and defense in the second quarter. A series of three 3-point shots by Taylor Haisman helped to extend the Bulldogs' lead over the Tigers, 29 to 17, at the break.
The West Fork fans did not have to wait long for their Tigers to regain the upper hand. They overpowered the Bulldogs in the third quarter and held a 32-to-29 lead over the Bulldogs as the teams entered their final quarter of play.
As with the Watts (Okla.) game a few days earlier, the fourth quarter saw the Bulldogs regain the lead at the 2:13 mark. The lead switched back and forth for the next 50 seconds of the game, but West Fork managed to regain a two point lead at the 1:21 mark. From then on it was all Tigers. They took the victory, 43 to 37.
"Our guys executed great tonight on the offensive end in the first half," said Unger. "In the second half we just couldn't get our shots to fall. Our defense was excellent and it kept us in the game, but we just couldn't score late in the game. I'm proud of our guys' effort and you can tell we are getting better each day."
Decatur Stats:
(Watts) Leading scorer was Taylor Haisman with 15, followed by Bracy Owens with 10. Other scorers included Leng Lee and Jay Porter, each with 6, Troy Flood and Jafett Puga, each with 4, Kyle Shaffer and David Lopez, each with 2.
Rebounds: Jafett Puga with 10, Leng Lee and Bracy Owens with 5 each.
(West Fork) Leading scorer was Taylor Haisman with 15 points including four three-point shots, followed by Jay Porter with 6, Leng Lee with 5 and one three-point shot, Kyle Shaffer and Jafett Puga, each with 4.
Rebounds: Leng Lee with 10, followed by Puga with 5 and Shaffer with 4.
Other Bulldog scores:
Junior High girls: Watts 35, Decatur 24; West Fork 31, Decatur 11
Junior High boys: Watts 25, Decatur 21; West Fork 32 Decatur 8
Senior girls: Watts 38, Decatur 30; West Fork 47, Decatur 10
The next action for both the senior boys and girls will be the Decatur Holiday Tournament which starts Nov. 30 and concludes Dec. 5 at Peterson Gym in Decatur. For more information on this event or other Bulldog basketball contests, go to decatursd.com/athletics.
Sports on 12/02/2015