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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
ARGOS — Emma Dunlap scored a career-high 17 points, and Bella Stults added 16 to help the host Argos girls basketball team hold off sectional rival Oregon-Davis 46-40 at Phil Weybright Gymnasium Thursday.
Argos led by as many as 12 in the third quarter and won despite scoring only two points in the final 8:45.
Argos also won despite top scorer Lizzy Edmonds being held to two points. Edmonds averages 12 per game but appeared hobbled by an ankle injury late in the second quarter. She did, however, have two key blocked shots in the fourth quarter.
Argos improved to 11-5 and ended a five-game losing streak against the Lady Bobcats. Their previous win over O-D was at the 2018 Bi-County Tournament.
(quote from Jennings)
Madilynn Hudsepth, a 6-1 post player who is Oregon-Davis’ lone senior, scored 17 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked five shots. Mackenna Chessor had 11, all in the first half.
The Lady Bobcats have lost seven straight games, which is their longest losing streak since the 1998-99 season.
Carleigh Miller’s 3-pointer triggered a 9-0 run to start the second quarter and aided Argos to take a 19-12 lead, and they never trailed again.
Dunlap and Stults made up for her absence. Dunlap’s previous career high was 15 against Culver last year, but she had 17 in the first half this time.
Stults’ 17-point game against Culver earlier this year is the only time she has scored more in a game.
Dunlap hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter and added another trey in the second quarter, but she also had three layups in the paint, including one to close out the half.
“I think my 3-point percentage has gotten better, and I’m more comfortable shooting the 3,” Dunlap said. “I think I’ve gotten stronger, and it’s easier for me. … I’ve been practicing a lot outside of practice.”
Said Jennings: “Emma can do that. She can get on a roll. I see her every night in practice, and she can hit that outside shot, she can drive on you, and she can knock down free throws. She can score some points.”
Stults scored eight points in the second quarter, including four points in one possession. She had a steal, drove coast to coast for a basket and was fouled and missed the free throw. Edmonds grabbed the offensive rebound, and Stults made the most of the extra possession and hit a 15-footer to make it 25-16.
Argos clung to a 31-26 lead at halftime, and it was 37-32 after Hudspeth put back her own miss in the third quarter, but Argos went on another 7-0 run. Redinger, who scored all seven of her points in the third quarter, started the run with a 3-pointer, and Stults finished the run with a putback.
Stults’ steal and transition basket after an Edmonds steal and outlet pass with 3:50 left was Argos’ only points in the fourth quarter. Neither team scored in the final 3:13.
Oregon-Davis did not commit a foul in the final 14:53, and Argos’ final free throw attempt came with 3:19 left in the first half.
“The rivalry is still really big,” Dunlap said. “Kind of. Not as big, but we still want to beat them because of the past.”
Meanwhile, the Argos defense held O-D to two field goals as compared to nine turnovers. Argos utilized more of a 1-3-1 zone with Stults stepping into passing lanes.
“She’s long out front,” Jennings said. “I love her out front on top of our zone when we play zone. Man-to-man, I can match her up with one of the best players. She was sick a couple days this week. She missed a couple days of practice, but she bounced back last night. She was huge for us tonight. She came ready to play.”
Oregon-Davis first-year coach Aubrey Lady did not fault her team’s effort but said the fourth-quarter turnovers were unforced.
“Not good, and most of those were all on us,” Lady said. “It didn’t look like they were doing anything crazy to make us do it, which is just experience and understanding that it’s not all about getting it done quick; it’s about getting it done efficiently and making sure that we’re hitting the open person and using our pass fakes. You get five seconds to hold the ball. Handle the ball for that five seconds and get the good pass and not just the pass to get it out of your hands.”
The JV game was canceled due to Oregon-Davis’ lack of numbers.
Argos 46, Oregon-Davis 40
OREGON-DAVIS (40) (4-11)
Elizabeth Johnson 1 0-0 3, Madison Wireman 1 0-0 2, Kylee Saylor 2 0-0 4, Mackenna Chessor 3 3-3 11, Madilynn Hudspeth 7 3-6 17, Reagan Danford 1 0-0 3
TEAM: 15 6-9 40
ARGOS (46) (11-5)
Samantha Redinger 3 0-0 7, Emma Dunlap 7 0-0 17, Sophia Bollenbacher 0 0-0 0, Amanda Fajardo 0 1-2 1, Lizzy Edmonds 1 0-0 2, Bella Stults 8 0-1 16, Allison Zahm 0 0-0 0, Carleigh Miller 1 0-0 3
TEAM: 20 1-3 46
Three-point field goals:
Oregon-Davis 4 (Chessor 2, Danford, Johnson),
Argos 5 (Dunlap 3, Redinger, Miller)
Total fouls: Oregon-Davis 5, Argos 9
Turnovers: Oregon-Davis 21, Argos 13
Score by quarters
Oregon-Davis 12 14 9 5 – 40
Argos 10 21 13 2 – 46
Watch Full Game Here:
