Box Score DODGE CITY, Kan. -- The undefeated Dodge City Community College women's basketball team was holding off a stingy Northwest Kansas Tech team 55-49 heading into the fourth quarter - a Mavericks team it beat by 30 points to open the season in Goodland.
But the Conquistadors' defense kicked in to start the final period as they opened the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run and never looked back to beat Northwest Kansas Tech 77-55 on Wednesday at the Dodge City Civic Center.
"We are a pretty high-octane team and we want to go out and try to score 100 points, but sometimes you aren't going to have that," DC3 coach
Mark James said. "Sometimes you got to gut one out and we did that tonight."
Dodge City (6-0) got the fourth quarter rolling when
Alexus Johnson hit one of her three 3-pointers on an assist from
Dasia Johnson to push the Conquistador lead to 58-49 with 9:23 left in the fourth.
After forcing a Mavericks (4-4) turnover,
Alexus Johnson scored again to give the Conqs a double-digit lead at 60-49. It was Johnson again who scored with 7:13 left to continue the run and make it 62-49 before
Talisha Presley drained a 3-pointer to push the run to 10-0 and the lead to 65-49.
A pair of
Antania Newton free throws capped the 12-0 run with 4:35 left in the game to give Dodge City a 67-49 advantage. Northwest Kansas Tech scored its first points of the quarter on a jumper by Milly Disteldorf with 4:18 left in the fourth, but wouldn't get any closer than 16 points the rest of the game.
The Conqs' offense struggled in the first half as they trailed 16-14 after the first quarter and held a slim 37-33 advantage at the half. Keeping Dodge City afloat was Presley as the sophomore scored 18 of her career-high 30 points in the first two quarters.
"Without her in that first half we are in some serious trouble. She came to play," James said of Presley. "... She's been so good for us all year long and has been so good for us for two years - she's going to make some four-year school very happy."
Along with Presley's 30 points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks,
Alexus Johnson had 17 points and three steals.
Dasia Johnson had a solid game off the bench with five points, five assists and two steals while
Rachel Slattery had nine points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Tiana Davila led Northwest Kansas Tech with 13 points.
Dodge City forced 31 Maverick turnovers, turning them into 35 points.
The Conqs host Lamar 1 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Center.
