Lady Bobcats Scratch Out A Win In The Dragons’ Lair!

On a cold January evening at Argos High School, things heated up quickly in the gymnasium, as the Oregon-Davis Lady Bobcats (14-3) and Argos Lady Dragons (10-7) met in regular season action.

The two teams did not disappoint as the fireworks started early, with the two teams combining for 31 points in the first quarter. Much of the opening stanza would see the pressure defense of both teams resulting in points at the other end. When the buzzer sounded, the Lady Bobcats would hold a five point lead, as they edged out the Lady Dragons 18-13 in the first quarter.

The Lady ‘Cats would begin to stretch things out in the second quarter, as their defense continued to build momentum, which combined with the scoring power of Katelyn Sauer, Madi Hudspeth, Mercedes Rhodes, and Jayden Worthington, would prove to be overwhelming in the second quarter. O-D would ultimately outscore Argos 17-6 in the second quarter, to help propel the Lady Bobcats to a 35-19 halftime lead. At the half, Rhodes would lead all scorers with 11 points. Macy Morris was solid in the scoring column for the Lady Dragons, as she led her team with 6 in the first half.

The Lady Dragons would emerge from the locker with a completely new level of intensity, that was scarcely seen in the first half. Much like Popeye after downing a can of spinach, the Lady Dragons were energetic, and ready to flex their muscles on their home court. Behind great the great Senior leadership of Morgan Dunlap who, after only scoring 2 points in the first half, would put up 8 of her team-high 10 points in the final two quarters. On the defensive end, it would be Senior Kagnie Hoffman who would help create more possessions for the Lady Dragons, as she had would lead Argos with three steals in the game. When the Buzzer sounded at the end of the third quarter, Argos had outscored Oregon-Davis 15-10, cutting the deficit to just 11 points heading into the final quarter of play. Argos would continue their second half surge in the fourth quarter, applying strong pressure defensively, while attacking the basket on offense.

As things continued to get closer, Oregon-Davis Junior star Mercedes Rhodes would go back on the attack. Much like Clark Kent stepping out of a phone booth, with a mighty “S” on his chest, Rhodes would take flight, demanding the ball and soaring towards the basket. She would put up a game-high 26 points in the effort, while scoring 15 of her team’s 20 second half points on her way to being named the Ashley Derrickson/Five Star Player of the Game on WKVI. In addition to her scoring, Rhodes was also able to pull down 9 rebounds in the winning effort.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Bobcats were able to do just enough to walk away with their 14th win of the season, while, despite outscoring Oregon-Davis 28-20 in the second half, the effort would not be enough for Argos, as they suffered their 7th loss of the season.

The two teams will not be losing sight of each other anytime soon, as the Teachers Credit Union Bi-County Tournament will be getting underway on January 21st. The Lady Bobcats will be taking on John Glenn at the Bobcat Den in the first round, while Argos will be back at home against New Prairie. The two teams are also both participants in Sectional 50, which will be played at Culver Community High School.

Game Statistics

Scoring:

Oregon-Davis (55): Katelyn Sauer-13, Madi Hudspeth-9, Mercedes Rhodes-26, Jayden Worthington-7

Argos (47): Emily LaFree-4, Kagnie Hoffman-9, Madi Van Der Weele-10, Morgan Dunlap-8, Elizabeth Edmonds-8, Macy Morris-8

Rebounding:

Oregon-Davis (36): Elizabeth Johnson-4, Katelyn Sauer-5, Madi Hudspeth-7, Mercedes Rhodes-9, Jayden Worthington-11, Kylee Saylor-2

Argos (29): Emily LaFree-3, Kagnie Hoffman-5, Madi Van Der Weele-6, Morgan Dunlap-5, Elizabeth Edmonds-8, Macy Morris-2

Steals:

Oregon-Davis (10): Katelyn Sauer-6, Madi Hudspeth-3, Jayden Worthington-1

Argos (8): Emily LaFree-1, Kagnie Hoffman-3, Madi Van Der Weele-2, Morgan Dunlap-1, Elizabeth Edmonds-1

*Statistics Provided By Kankakee Valley Broadcasting Staff. These Are Not Official Game Statistics*