Lady Bulldogs win one, lose two in tournament action

DECATUR -- After losing in the first round of the Decatur Invitational Basketball tournament on Nov. 15, the Lady Bulldogs advanced to the losers' round, which turned out to be a blessing for the team.

The Lady Bulldogs were co-hosts of the first Decatur basketball tournament, formerly Decatur Holiday Hoops.

The Lady Bulldogs returned to the gym at Decatur Middle School Thursday night to face the Haas Hall-Bentonville Lady Huskies.

In the first half of the contest, neither team shot particularly well. However, the Lady Bulldogs were able to hit enough to take the lead into the halftime break. The scoring slump continued into the third quarter, with the Lady Bulldogs taking a 23-7 lead at the 4:50 mark. As the quarter ended, the Lady Huskies managed a two and a three-pointer to cut the Lady Bulldog lead to 11.

It was more of the same in the fourth quarter as Decatur picked up the five points that Haas Hall made in the third quarter, extending the lead back to 16. The only shot the Lady Huskies made in the final eight minutes was a two-pointer with only five seconds left.

The Decatur Lady Bulldogs claimed the second-round victory, 28-14, over the Haas Hall-Bentonville Lady Huskies to move on in the tournament.

The Decatur Lady Bulldogs changed venues for their third and final game of the tournament Saturday afternoon. Playing at Peterson Gym this time, Decatur made it to the consolation round for the first time in nearly eight years. But the team the Lady Bulldogs faced was a familiar foe and one that has defeated them in the past, the Ozark Catholic Lady Griffins.

For the first two minutes of the first quarter, neither team was able to sink a shot until just under the six-minute mark when the Lady Griffins hit a two-pointer. A few seconds later, Ozark Catholic hit another two-pointer to extend its lead, 4-0. The Lady Bulldogs' first scoring opportunity came at 5:23 when Naomi Jimenez put up a jumper for their first points of the contest. By the end of the first quarter, the Lady Griffins extended their lead to 10, 14-4.

The Ozark Catholic Lady Griffins went on to win over the Decatur Lady Bulldogs.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Heaven McGarrah tries to pass over a Lady Husky player during the second round of the Decatur Invitational Basketball Tournament in the gym at Decatur Middle School Thursday night. The Decatur Lady Bulldogs pulled off a win over Haas Hall-Bentonville 28-14 to advance to the final round of the tournament.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Sherlin Giron (center) tries to drive out of Lady Huskies traffic on her way to the basket during the fourth quarter of the Decatur- Haas Hall Bentonville girls basketball contest in the gym at Decatur Middle School in Decatur Thursday night. The Lady Bulldogs, participating in the Decatur Invitational Basketball Tournament, defeated the Lady Huskies 29-14 to move on to the final round.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Bulldog Kadidiatou Barry (15) tries to open up a hole for team mate Naomi Jimenez (13) during the second quarter of the Decatur-Ozark Catholic girls basketball contest at Peterson Gym in Decatur Saturday afternoon. The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Griffins were part of the second place round of the Decatur Invitational Basketball tournament.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Brooklyn Todd (Decatur 23) tries to put up a jumper from the right side of the lane during the third quarter of the Decatur-Ozark Catholic girls basketball contest in Decatur Saturday afternoon.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Jasmine Herrera (center) reaches high to capture a rebound during the second quarter of the Decatur-Ozark Catholic basketball game at Peterson Gym in Decatur Saturday afternoon.