For the first time since the 2003-04 season, the Dodge City women's basketball team will be playing for the Region Championship after beating #25 Butler 67-58 in the Region 6 Semifinals on Friday.
The Conquistadors for the first time under Head Coach,
Landon Steele will be playing for a Region title as they will take on #20 Coffeyville who beat Hutchinson 45-42 in the other Region 6 Semifinal in the Region 6 Championship on Saturday, March 15th at 3:00 pm in Hays.
The win over Butler moves the Conqs to 28-4 on the season which is the second most wins in a season in program history.
The three-point basket spearheaded a strong start to the day for the Conqs as the first five Dodge City baskets on the day were three-pointers and the Conqs started the game leading 15-7 nearly six minutes into the contest. Late in the first quarter on a
Tayah Morgan layup, the Conqs took an early double-figure lead at 20-10 and took the lead into the second stanza.
Shorna Preston would net a layup with six and a half minutes left in the first half and the Conqs owned their largest lead at 24-13. The Conqs took a 30-22 advantage into halftime and in the second half would continually hold off Butler working to the lead to double figures again. The lead would work to as high as 16 for the Conqs and Butler would not get any closer than six points as the Conqs secured a 67-58 victory.
Conqs would share the ball well with 18 assists on 24 made field goals including 10 three-pointers, while defensively the Conqs held Butler to just 29.7% shooting marking the 12th time this season a team has shot less than 30% in a game against the Conqs.
Shorna Preston notched her 18th double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Layla-J Cameron added a double-double with 14 points on 5-10 shooting while dishing out 10 assists.
Mia Jordan added 13 points on 6-8 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds.
The Conqs will vie for the Region 6 Championships and an automatic bid to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament on Saturday, March 15th at 3:00 pm in Hays, Kansas at Fort Hays State University against #20 Coffeyville.
