DECATUR -- It was a tough week for the Decatur Lady Bulldogs as they lost a pair of conference games against the Lady Leopards of Alpena and the Lady Tigers of Lead Hill.
The Lady Bulldogs went into the Jan. 24 Alpena contest with two straight victories, against Eureka Springs and St. Paul, last week and looking for number three. However, the Lady Leopards had a different idea for the outcome of the contest as they gained control of the ballgame early and never allowed the Lady Bulldogs a chance to catch up. Alpena claimed the victory, 45-32.
Decatur returned to Peterson Gym in Decatur Jan. 27 to host the Lead Hill Lady Tigers in the second 1A district contest of the week.
The first quarter started slow with neither team scoring until the 5:30 mark when Decatur's Desi Meek hit a two-point shot to put the Lady Bulldogs in the lead. The remainder of the quarter was evenly matched, with Lead Hill taking the lead, 7-6, at the start of the second quarter. The Lady Tigers managed to maintain a narrow two-point lead until the final minute of the half when the Lady Bulldogs hit a two to tie the game at 14-14 going into the break.
Lead Hill came out of the locker room with a more aggressive attitude and held Decatur to only four points throughout the third quarter. Decatur tried to get back into the game in the final eight minutes of the contest, but Lead Hill's offense proved too strong, resulting in the Lady Tigers taking home the victory, 45-32.
Decatur faces a tough schedule going into the final full week of the season. The Lady Bulldogs were to be on the road Jan. 30 to take on St. Paul, and Jan. 31, taking on Omaha.
The Bulldogs will play their final home game on Feb. 3 when they face longtime rival Eureka Springs at 6 p.m. in Peterson Gym in Decatur. For seniors Cameron Shaffer, Meagan Smith and Reyna Maciel, this marks the final time they will play before a home crowd. They will be honored during a seniors' night ceremony at 5:45 p.m.
In other Decatur Bulldog contests of the week, the Decatur-Gentry junior high girls A and B teams were in action at Peterson Gym in Decatur Jan. 26. In the junior high girls B matchup, it was Gentry over Decatur, 15-5. In the junior high A contest, the Pioneers overwhelmed the Bulldogs, 53-4.
Sports on 02/01/2017