{"id":30126,"date":"2023-12-19T02:23:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T09:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/dove-creek-girls-rein-in-nucla-mustangs-54-24\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:12:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:12:13","slug":"dove-creek-girls-rein-in-nucla-mustangs-54-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/dove-creek-girls-rein-in-nucla-mustangs-54-24\/","title":{"rendered":"Dove Creek girls rein in Nucla Mustangs, 54-24"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dove
Dove Creek's Kylie Gatlin (34) snatches a rebound away from Nucla's Shay Snyder Saturday during the girls' championship game of the 2023 Bulldog Classic. (Joel Priest\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Trailing by 10 points after the opening eight minutes Saturday night, the Nucla Lady Mustangs then played the sort of quarter that any team would want against vaunted Dove Creek.<\/p>\n

They unfortunately didn\u2019t take full advantage.<\/p>\n

Realizing the only thing more indefensible than DCHS senior Kylie Gatlin, whose first eight points powered the Bulldogs to an intimidating 18-8 lead in the 2023 Bulldog Classic\u2019s girls\u2019 championship game, was the most indefensible play on any basketball court, NHS quickly became reliant on free throws to remain in contention.<\/p>\n

Able to do enough work on the offensive end to land Dove Creek regulars Ralynn Hickman and Taylor Hampton both in foul trouble (the junior guard and sophomore center\/forward were each assessed three personals) before halftime, Nucla went to the charity stripe 14 times during the second stanza, and made just four obstruction-less attempts.<\/p>\n

\"Dove
Dove Creek's Kylie Gatlin (34) snatches a rebound away from Nucla's Shay Snyder Saturday during the girls' championship game of the 2023 Bulldog Classic. (Joel Priest\/Special to The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Bringing the visiting team back to 24-16, junior guard Cadence Shaw sank both of her tries with 1:16 left until halftime and the less-daunting eight-point margin held into intermission. And thanks to baskets by Shaw and senior guard Keiran Bray, offsetting two Hampton close-range hoops, Nucla was still just eight points back with 5:44 left in the third quarter.<\/p>\n

And the Bulldogs knew that was too close.<\/p>\n

Having attempted just four FTs during the first half, Dove Creek began wearing NHS down and went 5-of-8 from the foul line in the third \u2013 helping the home side surge into the fourth and final quarter on a game-breaking 15-2 run, keyed by old-fashioned three-point plays by senior Halee Beanland (1:56 left, increasing DCHS\u2019 lead to 38-22) and sophomore Hadley Hatfield (0:17 left). With a 19-6 overall scoring edge during the third, the Lady Bulldogs then outscored the Lady Mustangs 11-2 in the fourth, and kept the tourney title in town with a 54-24 conquest.<\/p>\n

\u201cNucla, they\u2019ve come a long ways. They\u2019re going to be good; they\u2019re young, they move the ball well, they play good D, and they just stay after it,\u201d said DCHS head coach Julie Kibel. \u201cWe got in foul trouble \u2026 in man (defense) and they started closing in, so we worked on a 1-3-1 zone \u2013 and got to practice it a lot tonight! So that really helped us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really needed this,\u201d she said, \u201cbecause we\u2019ve kind of limped along all season. It\u2019s nice to have everybody back \u2013 except Allex (Williams, sophomore), she\u2019s still out for a while \u2013 and I like how we made adjustments in the game. Reading the floor, seeing the floor and doing what they know how to do \u2013 the girls were just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gatlin totaled 17 points to pace all players, and Hampton ended up with 12. Finishing with four fouls, as did Hampton, Hickman still managed nine points and senior Kalie Gatlin recorded seven. Hatfield scored all her six during the second half, and Beanland ended up with her three points. From the stripe, Dove Creek (6-2 overall, 0-0 2A\/1A San Juan Basin) ended up 8-of-14; Nucla finished 6-of-21.<\/p>\n

Bray totaled 11 points and Shaw six for NHS (4-4 overall, 0-0 SJBL). Freshman Shay Snyder booked four points and freshman Lantry Galley \u2013 who, like Snyder and junior Kendra McCluer (0 points, 0-6 FT), ended up with four fouls \u2013 chipped in three.<\/p>\n

With the year-ending holidays fast approaching, Dove Creek will pause from play until traveling to Nucla on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. Zandon Bray\u2019s Lady Mustangs, meanwhile, will welcome 3A Cedaredge on the 9th to restart their \u201923-24 campaign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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