DECATUR --The celebration continued in Decatur on Friday night as the Bulldog basketball team, coming off a big win against NWA Classical Academy Spartans on Nov. 17, returned to Peterson Gym for the second home contest of the week. The opponent for the 32-minute contest was the Haas Hall Rogers Danes. The result? A second home win for the 2020-21 season.
The Danes kicked off the contest with the first field goal of the night. Decatur's Kevin Garcia followed, driving to the basket and hitting a layup to tie the game at two each. From there it was a see-saw battle as the lead changed hands several times during the first quarter.
With a minute left in the quarter, the Bulldogs held a three-point lead. A Dane player hit a field goal and drew a foul sending him to the free-throw line for one shot. He made the free throw and suddenly the game was tied at 13-all with 30 seconds left. Another field goal by Haas Hall Rogers moved them back into the lead when the quarter ended.
The second quarter belonged to the defense as neither team was able to execute its offensive game plans. With 1:10 left in the half, the game was tied at 22. A field goal by the Bulldogs with only a second left moved them in front by two going into the break.
The Decatur Bulldog offense came alive in the third quarter when Garcia, Trevor Girdner and Christian Ramirez powered their way past the Dane defense. Garica hit six field goals and four free throws, while Ramirez hit four straight free throws and a field goal and Girdner hit two field goals and a free throw. All three contributed 21 of the Bulldogs 23 total points to take a commanding 14-point lead by the end of the quarter.
The Bulldogs held on to that lead throughout the fourth quarter to take their second win of the week, 64-48 over the Haas Hall-Rogers Danes.
Garcia led the scoring drive with 29 points, a new personal best by one. Girdner was the second-highest Bulldog shooter with nine, followed by Ramirez with seven, Carlos Hernandez with seven, Enrique Rubi with four and Bryson Funk with three. Rounding out the scoring were Zac Luker and Edgar Herrera, each with two.