Bulldog Basketball
Author: Gary Bauman, MT43 News Sports Correspondent
Bulldog Basketball
Gary Bauman
MT43 News Sports Correspondent
Townsend’s Lady Dogs Face Conference Rivals
Friday the Townsend Lady Bulldogs hosted the Manhattan Tigers in a pivotal 5B conference game. The Dogs had their hands full with 6’2” senior Gracie Millimen whose inside game got the Tigers off to a big start in the first half, scoring 16 of their 29 points within the paint. The Tigers built the lead up to as much as 17 in the 3rd, before the spark from Emmalin Fischer changed the momentum in favor of Townsend. Fisher hit three threes and a two, all in the third quarter that sparked a comeback to get the dogs back to within 9 points before the end of the third quarter. By the 4-minute mark of the 4th, Ella Beggers’ key steals created scoring opportunities that had the Tigers’ lead to just 4 with 4 minutes to play. Another Fischer 3-pointer and a steal by Begger that led again to a basket gave the Dogs a chance to win late, but Camdyn Holgate’s late 3 and pair of free throws put an end to the comeback as the Lady Dogs came up short, 53-48.
Emmalin Fischer 18, Ella Begger 8, Cassidy Flynn 8, Jazel Ragen 5, Kaitlyn Noyes 4, Holly Newman 4, Emily Bird 1
Manhattan Tigers Venture North to Take on the Bulldogs
Number 4 ranked Manhattan Tigers showed up in Townsend to take on the Bulldogs on Friday night. Callin Fenno got off to a hot start for the Tigers as he put them up early scoring 8 of his game-high 27 in the first quarter. With the Bulldogs trailing 21-5 after the first period, Sawyer Horne, who finished the night with 17, hit some key shots with the hope of getting the Dogs started. But by halftime, the hot-shooting Tigers had made 6 of 8 from behind the arc and built a 40 to 16 lead. Townsend fought hard in the second half, but Manhattan just could hardly miss from the field shooting 53% and building the lead up to 40 points by the end of the 3rd quarter. A late hoop by fan-favorite Townsend’s Wyatt Roberston would still not be enough as the Bulldogs fell to the Tigers 74 to 40.
Sawyer Horne 17, Ryedan Reed 10, Grady Erickson 6, Trenton Hoveland 3, Braden Martin 2, Wyatt Robertson 2
A Defensive Lockdown in Lone Peak on Saturday
Saturday the Lady Bulldogs ventured south to take on the Lone Peak Bighorns.
The Dogs struggled early to score as they opened the game with nine straight misses before they were able to get on the board. Defense was the spark for the Dogs as they forced 31 turnovers from the Bighorns on the night, many of which would lead to baskets on the other end. This allowed the Dogs to maintain a 4-point lead going into the half. The 3rd quarter was a defensive match as both teams struggled to score. The two teams put up 12 total points combined, and the Dogs were able to keep a two-point lead going into the 4th quarter. The Dogs were shooting just 22% at this point of the game but were able to force more turnovers to allow them to stay competitive until they could find the right offense. Three big 3’s, two by Cassidy Flynn and one by Ella Begger, broke the game wide open in the 4th quarter. Flynn finished the game with 12 points and Begger and Kaitlyn Noyes had 10 apiece as the Lady Dogs went on to a 50 to 41 win.
Cassidy Flynn 12, Ella Begger 10, Kaitlyn Noyes 10, Emmalin Fischer 6, Holly Newman 4, Abby Wickens 3, Emily Bird 3, Mishayla Lambott 2
The Lone Peak Big Horns Play Host to Townsend
The Townsend Bulldogs journeyed to Lone Peak to take on the Bighorns on Saturday. The Dogs came out firing in the first quarter, making five of their first seven shots from the field. Ryedan Reed had 6 of his 13 points and Sawyer Horne had 5 in the first quarter as the Dogs built an early 10-point lead. Yet the Bighorns were able to fight back to within one by the end of the quarter, 15 to 16. The fight continued in the second quarter as both teams exchanged baskets with the Bulldogs building a halftime lead of 4 points, 33 to 29. The second half was Lone Peak’s Ebe Grabow’s half, as he hit 22 of his game-high 29 points. Sawyer Horne kept the Dogs in the game with 11 of his 18 points coming in the 3rd quarter, but the Dogs still saw themselves down two going into the 4th. The Dogs were held to 3 of 13 from the field in the 4th quarter being outscored 8 to 15 as they fell to Lone Peak 52 to 61.
Sawyer Horne 21, Ryedan Reed 13, Grady Erickson 8, Tavyn Anderson 7, Trenton Hoveland 3
