DECATUR -- After narrowly averting their first loss on the road against Magazine Leftwich on Jan. 20, the Decatur Bulldogs returned home to the Dawg Pound Jan. 22 to take on the Johnson County Westside Rebels from Coal Hill.
The Bulldogs faced a close one as they traveled to Magazine Tuesday night to play the Leftwich Rattlers and narrowly escaped with a win, 38-33, and their seventh straight conference victory.
"We didn't play our usual game against Magazine," said John Unger, head basketball coach. "We were lucky to pull this one out at the end."
It was a very different set of circumstances when the Johnson County Westside Rebels came to Decatur.
The Bulldogs displayed their usual air of confidence at the opening tip off of the Bulldog/Rebel match up. Decatur was the first to hit the board and quickly built a 4 to 0 lead. But the Bulldogs struggled throughout the remainder of the first quarter as they built as much as a 10-point lead and saw two Westside rallies cut it back.
Two short Bulldog rallies, however, towards the end of the second quarter, put the Bulldogs back on top by nine as the half ended.
As the third quarter opened, the Rebels managed a rally that brought them to within two points. That would be as close as they ever came to the Bulldogs. Decatur mounted a 30-second back-to-back eight-point rally and ended Westside's hopes of defeating the Bulldogs.
"Our press forced some turnovers and we were able to get some easy points which helped us control the game. I was really pleased with our performance, and we will keep working hard and hope to get better," Unger said.
In the final quarter, Unger once again played his entire bench. This allowed every player a little play time, a strategy that worked in the Bulldogs' favor. Each player hit the court with the same enthusiasm and drive as the starters. Each kept the pressure on the Rebels, forcing turnover after turnover. When the dust had settled, the Bulldogs pulled off their eighth straight conference victory, 65 to 47.
"We were ready to play tonight," said Unger. "We came out early and set the tone and kept putting the defensive pressure on them. Our bench played great, and I think our depth wore on Westside."
Decatur is now 15 and 6 overall and 8 and 0 in conference play. With six regular season games left, the Bulldogs are well on their way to a 2A state championship, and for seniors Mario and Victor Urquidi, Terry Kell, Allan Castaneda, Brody Funk, and Pheng Lee, a memorable end to their high school basketball careers.
Leftwich Game Stats
Leading scorer was Mario Urquidi -- 17 points and 8 rebounds, followed by Pheng Lee -- 8 points and 3 rebounds, and Jason Porter -- 7 points and 3 rebounds. Other Bulldogs scoring points include Allan Castaneda -- 2 points and 3 rebounds, Victor Urquidi and Jafett Puga -- each with 2 points and 1 rebound. Bracy Owens had 2 rebounds for the evening.
Westside Game Stats
Leading scorer for the Bulldogs was Mario Urquidi -- 20 points and 9 rebounds, followed by Victor Urquidi -- 10 points and 3 rebounds, Pheng Lee -- 10 points. Other Bulldogs scoring points included Jason Porter -- 7 points and 3 rebounds, Leng Lee -- 6 points and 2 rebounds, Meng Vang -- 6 points and 8 rebounds, Terry Kell -- 4 points and 5 rebounds, Bracy Owens -- 3 points.
Leading scorer for the Rebels was Andrew Estep -- 21 points and 6 rebounds, followed by Trey Holt -- 10 points and 7 rebounds and Derrick McKee -- 9 points and 1 rebound.
The Bulldogs will take on the Hartford Hustlers Jan. 30 in the Dawg Pound at Decatur High School. Junior high boys start at 5 p.m. with the senior high boys at 6 p.m. followed by the senior high girls at 7 p.m.
Sports on 01/28/2015