Point guard Baylee Lowder posted 22 points during Grantsville’s 55-48 win over the Judge Memorial Bulldogs on Feb. 23.
Avery Allred dribbles around two Judge Memorial defenders during the 3A Girls Basketball Championship semifinals.
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Loading...On Thursday night, the Grantsville Cowboys girls basketball team looked to extend their playoff run in their matchup against the Judge Memorial Bulldogs. In the first meeting of the season, the number-one-seeded Cowboys were pitted against a Bulldogs team that had narrowly defeated its opponent a week prior.
In the first quarter, Grantsville struggled with hitting their shots at the onset but were able to keep the score close by pressuring Judge Memorial defensively on the other end of the court. Despite their inability to score in the early moments, the Cowboys’ hustle to loose balls and fast-pace play kept the Bulldogs from making any kind of run.
Contributing to the low-scoring first was a series of missed three-point opportunities, although Judge Memorial’s missed shots on their own end kept the game close. Both teams headed into the second quarter tied at 10 points apiece.
Carrying over the smothering defense into the second, Grantsville began to find its groove and started putting points on the board. Thanks to a strong 12-point half by point guard Mckenzie Allen, who finished the game with 22, the Cowboys matched their defensive pressure on the offensive side of the court and took a 23-18 lead into halftime.
Judge Memorial began the third quarter with little room to work with and Grantsville’s pressure forced multiple Bulldogs turnovers and missed shots. Although the Cowboys’ defense prohibited any significant offense, poor free-throw shooting on their own end kept the game close and resulted in only a 36-33 lead as both teams went into the final frame.
Grantsville turned the tide in the fourth, as they posted points off repeated turnovers by Judge Memorial and began pulling away. A productive quarter by Bailey Lowder enabled the Cowboys to extend the team’s lead with 11 total points.
As the game wound down to the final three minutes, the Bulldogs were able to make a short run and pull within striking distance and chip into Grantsville’s lead. However, their own struggles at the free-throw line — in addition to the Cowboys capitalizing on their own chances at the charity stripe — hindered their ability to get over the hump.
When the final buzzer sounded, Grantsville came away with a 55-48 victory and advanced to the semifinals to face the Carbon High Dinos. Tipoff is at 4:10 today and can be viewed on https://teamhive.live/
