The #11 (3A) Hampton-Dumont-CAL girls basketball team engineered a fourth quarter scoring run to pull away from a neck and neck matchup with Tigers, and win their ninth game in a row. The South Hardin boys led from the jump to win their fifth game out of their last six. The Bulldog girls won 41-31 and the Tiger boys won 73-48 on Thursday, as aired on 104.9 KLMJ.
In the girls game, H-D-CAL took a 10-8 lead following a defensive led first quarter. In the second, H-D-CAL led 18-12. South Hardin responded with a 7-0 run to go up 19-18. The Bulldog took the lead back at 21-19 at the half on a Jordan Valley triple. Following a 23-23 tie in the third, each team traded one possession leads for the remainder of the quarter, until a Kenzie Moorehead layup with 10.3 left gave the Bulldogs a 30-29 lead. In the fourth, the Bulldogs didn’t allow a Tigers field goal and went on a 11-2 scoring run to secure the road win.
Bulldogs Head Coach Miranda Stafford on composure against Tigers and rematch with Algona.
“Not panicking, not trying to do too much, not going off the game plan, just sticking with what’s working. Working their tails off on the defensive end, getting stops and eventually the ball will go in. I was glad with the way that we bounced back to some of their runs and were able to stay composed. We did some good things in the second half and kind of created a little bit more distance, so it was a little bit more comfortable there at the end,” says Stafford. “I think our last conference title was the first year I was here, so that’s going on ten years. We’ve worked to put ourselves in a position to play for that. We need to go in relaxed. We can’t make it bigger than what it is. We’ve got to play basketball like we have been. We’re going to make some shots. They’re a great team. They’re going to go on some runs. They’re going to hit some big shots. We’ve just got to stay composed and do what we’ve done all year.”
Jordan Valley had 13 points for the Bulldogs. Alli Sheldahl led the Tigers with eight points.
In the boys game, South Hardin fired up their transition offense with trapping pressure to take a 27-7 first quarter lead. The Bulldogs offense adjusted in the second outscoring the Tigers 17-10, but South Hardin kept a double digit lead at 37-24 at the half. The Bulldogs got within seven deficit at 39-32 in the third. The Tigers from that point outscored the Bulldogs 34-16 to gather the home win.
Tigers Head Coach John Phillips on success of pressure and play of Traven Wheeler and Sam Benson.
“The defensive pressure is what changed the game right in the beginning. Our press, picking off passes and then finishing at the other end, that’s what really set the tone, especially in that first quarter. Proud of the guys and how they battled,” says Phillips. “Traven, he’s a freak athlete. When he comes to play and puts his mind to it, he’s really tough to stop. Sam’s really been coming on strong the last three to four games. He’s been hitting his gaps right, hitting his open threes, just making the right play, taking it to the hoop strong. We know that he could be that type of player. We look forward to both of those players playing like that and even better in future games.”
Traven Wheeler had 18 points and Sam Benson added 17 points for the Tigers. Brady Harr paced the Bulldogs with 26 points.
The Hampton-Dumont-CAL girls (19-1) will battle for a share of the conference title and the Bulldog boys (4-14) will visit Algona in North Central Conference action on Friday on 104.9 KLMJ. The South Hardin girls (8-12) and the Tiger boys (10-10) will travel to Denver in NICL crossover action on Friday.
H-D-CAL Girls Head Coach Miranda Stafford:
South Hardin Girls Head Coach Nick Eller:
South Hardin Boys Basketball Senior Traven Wheeler:
H-D-CAL Boys Head Coach Brian Niesen:
