Bulldogs host Powder River Conference

SHS Boys

The Sundance boys' basketball team was back on the hardwood on the weekend after their holiday break. Traveling to Newell and hosting the Powder River Conference, the Bulldogs improved their overall record to 7-4 with wins over Newell, Glenrock and Arvada-Clearmont.

Kicking off their weekend play, the Sundance Bulldogs were in Newell to face the Irrigators in a game that would be dominated by the Sundance offense. Taking the lead early in the game, the Bulldogs would not look back, nor let the Irrigators get close.

Ten players would score for the Bulldogs throughout the night and two found their way into double digits. Keaton Mills led the way putting up 17 points and sinking an impressive four for four from behind the three-point arc.

Fellow teammate Gunner McLaughlin wasn't far behind putting up 14 points and securing seven rebounds for the Bulldogs as they went on to take the 63-34 victory over the Irrigators. 

Friday and Saturday the Sundance Bulldogs played host to Glenrock, Arvada-Clearmont and the Thunder Basin JV in a Powder River Conference. The opening round of play put the Bulldogs against the Glenrock Herders Friday morning.

The Bulldogs seemed to carry over their momentum from the night before into this game as senior Gunner McLaughlin continued to dominate the floor, putting up 19 points for the game and helping the Bulldogs take a commanding 50-28 victory.

Looking to make it a three-game winning streak, the Bulldogs faced the Arvada-Clearmont Panthers on Friday night. The Bulldogs asserted their dominance from the start, taking a 15-3 lead in the first quarter and only adding to it as the game progressed.

All players on the Bulldog team found their way onto the hardwood for the night and ten made it into the scoring column as a balanced Bulldog attack continued to put points on the board in the 54-15 victory. 

After a successful start to the new year, the Bulldogs were up against the Thunder Basin JV on Saturday afternoon. It was an evenly matched game with both teams feeling each other out throughout the first half of play.

Almost three minutes ticked off the clock before either team was able to score. Levi Rudloff was the one to break the seal on the basket when he drained one from behind the arc, giving the Bulldogs the first advantage of the game.

That lead, however, was short lived as the Bolts answered right back with a three-point basket of their own. Taking a two-point lead, 14-12, into the second quarter the Bulldogs were hoping to build a comfortable cushion between themselves and the Bolts.

Putting up 14 points in the first half it seemed as though the Bolts did not have an answer for Sundance's Gunner McLaughlin, until the final minutes of the first half when the Bulldog's shooting went cold. With Sundance unable to score, the Bolts went on a 9-0 run and took a 32-26 lead into the locker room. 

The Bulldogs' scoring continued to struggle throughout the second half of play, as the Bolts offense only got better. The Bolts made an impressive 10 shots from behind the three-point arc throughout the course of the second half.

The Bulldogs were able to answer to the points being put up by Thunder Basin; however, trading two points for three did not allow them to catch up and the Bolts began to run away with the score and take an 80-59 victory. 

Coach Olson reflected on the weekend play, "I think that we have shown a lot of improvement up to this point. We still have a lot of little things to clean up that are holding us back from our potential but we are on the right track, just need to continue to work at practice every day. We have Hill City at home next weekend which will be a good matchup, they have played some very talented teams so far and have been competitive. I think we can expect a hard-fought game that will come down to the wire."

The 7-4 Sundance Bulldogs will have a lighter schedule this week as they host the 1-4 Hill City Rangers on Saturday with play beginning with the JV girls at noon, followed by JV boys, then varsity girls and boys. 

SHS Girls

The Sundance girls hosted a Powder River Conference this past weekend, inviting the Glenrock, Arvada-Clearmont and Thunder Basin JV teams over for some friendly competition. The Lady Bulldogs opened play against the Glenrock Herders.

The Herders came into the game with a 2-3 record for the season, hoping to even it out. Both sides had a slow start in their morning meetup but the Herders found themselves ahead 15-12 going into the halftime break.

The Bulldogs remained consistent in their scoring, putting up six points a quarter in the first three and adding only one more within the fourth for a final score of 25. The Herders, on the other hand, made their way into double digit scoring throughout the fourth quarter and took a 31-25 victory.

Hoping to rebound from their morning loss, the Lady Bulldogs faced the Lady Rams of Big Horn, a team they will meet again during conference play later in the season. This Friday night game put the Lady Bulldogs in a little better position as they jumped out to a quick start behind the scoring of Bailey Hofland.

Hofland scored seven of her 13 points in the first quarter, giving the Bulldogs a 13-4 cushion over the Rams. The Lady Rams inched their way back into the game by making their free throws throughout the second quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs maintained a 22-13 lead into the break. 

The second half of play brought an even distribution of Bulldogs into the scoring column as all players were able to see time on the floor. Holding the Rams to only six points throughout the second half, the Bulldogs built on their lead and took a 44-19 victory.

Bailey Hofland led the Bulldogs in scoring with 13 points, while Cana McInerney controlled the boards with seven rebounds on the night. 

The final game of the Powder River Conference put the Bulldogs against a team from Gillette, the Thunder Basin JV. The Bolts brought their intensity from the start. Opening up with an aggressive full court press and defense, the Lady Bolts were able to hold the Lady Bulldogs to just eight points in the first half of play. 

Regaining some confidence at the start of the second half, the Lady Bulldogs were able to break the Bolts press and find their way to the basket. Cana McInerney was first on the board for the Bulldogs, draining a three as the second half began.

The Lady Bulldogs continued to chip away at the score with Bailey Hofland making her way down the lane, through traffic, to score. With just a little over two minutes left in the game, Hofland scored again with a putback, bringing the Lady Bulldogs within three points of the Lady Bolts, 23-26.

The game went down to the wire as the Bolts continued to push their way to the basket. The Bulldogs put up one more score with 17.3 seconds remaining, but it was not enough as the buzzer rang and a final score of 32-25 in favor of the Lady Bolts.

The Sundance Lady Bulldogs will take on a pair of South Dakota teams this week as they travel to Harding County on Thursday to face the ever-tough Ranchers and welcome the Hill City Rangers to town on Saturday. Game times on Saturday will begin at noon with the JV team followed by boys JV and then girls varsity and boys varsity. 

Boys Stats

SHS vs. Newell: 63-34

Scoring: Mills 17 (1/3 FT, 4/4 3pt), McLaughlin 14 (4/6 3pt), E. Gill 8 (0/1 3pt), Harmon 6 (2/3 FT), Rudloff 6 (0/2 3pt), Fiedor 4, Davis 2 (0/1 FT, 0/4 3pt), D. Gill 2 (2/2 FT), Fleenor 2 (0/1 3pt), Gaylord 2

Rebound Leaders: McLaughlin 7, Mills 6, E. Gill 4

Assists: Rudloff 8

Steals: Mills 4, Fleenor 2

Blocks: McLaughlin 2

SHS vs. Glenrock: 50-28

Scoring: McLaughlin 19 (4/5 FT, 1/? 3pt), Mills 9 (1/? 3pt), Harmon 6, Rudloff 6, E. Gill 4 (2/2 FT), D. Gill 2, Schommer 2, Davis 2 (0/3 FT)

SHS vs. Arvada-Clearmont: 54-16

Scoring: D. Gill 10 (0/1 3pt), Rudloff 8 (0/2 FT, 0/1 3pt), Mills 8 (0/2 3pt), McLaughlin 8 (1/2 FT, 1/4 3pt), Fiedor 6 (0/2 FT), Harmon 4, Skeens 3 (1/1 3pt), Davis 3 (1/3 FT, 0/2 3pt), Schommer 2 (2/4), Fleenor 2

Rebound Leaders: Rudloff 5, Fiedor 4, Fleenor 4

Assists: McLaughlin 6, Skeens 2

Steals: Rudloff 4, McLaughlin 3

Blocks: McLaughlin 2

SHS vs. Thunder Basin JV: 59-80

Scoring: McLaughlin 24 (3/9 FT, 2/? 3pt), Rudloff 12 (3/5 FT, 4/? 3pt), Mills 12, Davis 5 (3/4 FT), Schommer 4

Girls Stats

SHS vs. Glenrock: 25-31

Scoring McInerney 15 (3/4 FT, 2/7 3pt), Skeens 5 (3/4 FT, 0/3 3pt), Ba. Hofland 3 (1/2 FT), Br. Hofland 2 (0/1 3pt)

Rebound Leaders: Br. Hofland 7, Ba. Hofland 5, Gillespie 3, Skeens 3

Steals: McInerney 6

Blocks: Ba. Hofland 1

SHS vs. Big Horn: 44-19

Scoring: Ba. Hofland 13 (3/5 FT), Br. Hofland 6 (1/2 FT, 1/1 3pt), Banker 6 (0/2 FT), Marchant 5 (1/3 FT, 0/1 3pt), McInerney 5 (1/4 3pt), Skeens 4 (0/1 3pt), Jones 4 (0/1 FT, 0/1 3pt), Marchant 1 (1/2 FT)

Rebound Leaders: McInerney 7, Banker 5

SHS vs. Thunder Basin JV: 25-32

Scoring: Ba. Hofland 11 (1/4 FT) McInerney 10 (1/2 FT, 1/4 3pt), Jones 3 (1/5 FT), Br Hofland 1 (1/2 FT)

Rebound Leaders: Ba. Hofland 7, Jones 6, McInerney 5

Steals Skeens 4, McInerney 4

Assists: Skeens 3

Blocks: McInerney 2