Conference play begins

Boys

In the much-anticipated start to conference play, the Bulldog boys found themselves in a gritty showdown against the Wright Panthers.

The opening quarter set the tone for an intense game as both teams traded basket for basket. After the first eight minutes of play, the Panthers held a slim 13-12 lead over the Bulldogs. 

The intensity increased in the second quarter as the Panthers threw on a full-court press, which allowed them to take a ten-point lead into the halftime break. As the second half began, the full-court press fell back, but the momentum remained in the Panthers' favor as they continued to control the game and the 52-40 lead throughout the third quarter.

With one quarter remaining, the Bulldogs found themselves down by 12 but not out. With 3:58 remaining to play, a Panther foul sent Eli Gill to the line.

Sinking one free throw, Gill initiated a momentum shift in the game. Capitalizing on the score, the Bulldogs threw on a full-court press, causing two turnovers and adding four points to the board, allowing them to close the gap, 54-58, with 3:26 remaining.

This momentum shift forced the Panthers to call a timeout in order to stop the Bulldog run. The final three minutes played out much like the opening three, with the teams trading basket for basket.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the Panthers held onto their initial lead, and secured the 73-67 victory. Despite the loss, three Bulldogs put up double digit scoring for the night as Keaton Mills put in 25 points, Parker Skeens added 16 and Jake Schommer put in 15. 

"I thought we competed really well on Friday night, we were able run with Wright and put ourselves in a position to win. Just needed to make a few more stops early in the game," Coach Olson commented.

The Sundance team was up against another tough opponent on Saturday as they traveled to Big Horn. The Rams focused on driving the lane and drawing a Bulldog foul, a strategy that proved to pay off for the Rams.

Shooting 34 free throws for the night, Big Horn was able to control the momentum of the game and walk away with a 60-40 victory. 

The Bulldog boys hope to snap their losing streak as they host the Moorcroft Wolves on Friday and travel to Lusk to face the Burns Broncs. 

Girls

The Sundance girls' basketball team opened up conference play this week as they took on the Wright Panthers and the Big Horn Rams. Hosting the Wright Panthers on Friday the Lady Bulldogs established an early lead and maintained their dominance throughout the game.

Jaylin Mills put 21 points on the board for the Bulldogs throughout the game while Lexie Marchant and Hailey Karol controlled the boards, securing a combined 15 rebounds for the Bulldogs. 

The team was off to Big Horn on Saturday to face an ever-tough opponent, the Big Horn Rams. The two teams stayed close to each other throughout the first quarter, with the Rams holding a one-point advantage, 11-10.

The Bulldogs made their move within the second quarter, holding the Rams to only 5 points. The two teams traded baskets and momentum throughout the second half of play, but the advantage from the second quarter helped keep the Bulldogs on top, leading them to a hard-fought 49-41 victory.

There were two Bulldogs with double-doubles for the night as Lexie Marchant and Jaylin Mills both put in 16 points for the night. Marchant and Mills also controlled the boards for the Bulldogs, pulling down 10 and 11 rebounds respectively.

The Sundance Lady Bulldogs have two games this week as they host the Moorcroft Wolves on Friday and travel to Lusk to face the Burns Broncs on Saturday. Tip off Friday will begin at 2pm with the JV, varsity will follow.

Stats

SHS Boys vs. Wright: 67-73

Scoring: Mills 25 (4/13 FT, 1/2 3pt), Skeens 16 (2/2 FT, 2/2 3pt), Schommer 15 (0/1 FT, 3/10 3pt), D. Gill 5 (1/2 FT), Lenz 3, (1/3 3pt), E. Gill 3 (3/6 FT)

Rebound leaders: Mills 10, E. Gill 7

Steals: Mills 5

Assists: Mills 3, Skeens 3

SHS Boys vs. Big Horn 40-60

Scoring: Mills 14 (2/7 3pt), E. Gill 11 (1/2 FT, 0/1 3pt), Skeens 4 (0/2 3pt), Schommer 3 (3/3 FT), Downey 2, Lenz 2 (0/2 3pt), Watt 2, D. Gill (0/1 3pt)

Rebound leaders: E. Gill 12

Assists: E. Gill 2, Schommer 2, Watt 2, Mills 2

Steals: Mills 3, E. Gill 2

SHS Girls vs. Wright: 51-25

Scoring: Mills 21 (2/7 FT, 3/5 3pt), Williams 9 (3/9 3pt), L. Marchant 6 (0/2 FT), Karol 4, Marchant 3 (1/3 3pt), Jones 3 (1/2 FT), Marchant 2, Gill 1 (1/2 FT)

Rebound leaders: Karol 8, L. Marchant 7

Assists: Karol 4

Steals: Mills 5

Blocks: L. Marchant 2

SHS Girls vs. Big Horn: 49-41

Scoring: Mills 16 (4/8 FT, 0/1 3pt), L. Marchant 16 (8/13 FT), Jones 8 (0/1 FT), Gill 4 (2/6 FT), Marchant 4 (4/8FT, 0/2 3pt), Marchant 1 (1/2 FT, 0/2 3pt)

Rebound Leaders: Mills 11, L. Marchant 10, Karol 8

Steals: L. Marchant 3, Karol 3

Blocks: L. Marchant 2