Third ranked Squaws clinch sub-region with wins over Bleckley and Vidalia

Dodge County News, January 28, 2009

By Chad W. Smith

The third ranked Dodge County High School Squaws basketball team clinched the first place spot in Sub-region 3B –AA with three wins last week. Although the Squaws still have two sub-region games left, they can finish no lower than first in the sub-region. Their sub-region record stands at 8-0 and they are 18-2 overall. The Squaws will take the first place seed into the Region 3AA tournament which is scheduled the week of February 16-21 at Southeast Bulloch High School. The Squaws defeated Bleckley County 54-33 on Tuesday, January 21 and then traveled to Vidalia on Friday, January 23 and defeated first and fourth ranked (according to which poll you look at) Vidalia 58-39. Dodge then hosted Southeast Bulloch on Saturday, January 24 and defeated the Lady Yellow Jackets 70-41.

On Tuesday against the Lady Royals of Bleckley County, the Squaws held at 10-6 first quarter lead and were led by Nisha Walker with four points in the quarter. Dodge outscored Bleckley 15-10 in the second quarter led by Michelle Mitchell who had eight points and Kemiya Harrell added five points. Yaleisa Burns scored 10 points in the third quarter to help the Squaws to 40-24 lead. Tahitia Butler and Harrell each scored five points in the final quarter as Dodge outscored the Lady Royals 14-9 and the Squaws took the sub region victory 54-33. Final scoring for the Squaws against Bleckley County was: Kemiya Harrell, 14 points; Michelle Mitchell, 12 points; Yaleisa Burns, 10 points; Nisha Walker, eight points; Tahitia Butler, seven points; Janna Anderson , three points; Staci Ross, one point.

The Squaws led 13-9 after one quarter against the Vidalia Lady Indians on Friday night. Nisha Walker led in the quarter with five points and Janna Anderson added one of her five three-pointers on the night. Dodge outscored Vidalia 17-16 in the second quarter to lead 30-25 at the half. Walker led in the second again with five points and Anderson added another three-pointer. Anderson hit two more three-pointers in the third quarter and Walker added four points to extend the Squaws lead to 41-31 after three quarter. Dodge broke things open in the fourth quarter as they outscored Vidalia 17-8 led by Tahitia Butler with eight points, Yaleisa Burns with four points and Anderson added her final three-pointer. Final scoring for the Squaws against Vidalia was: Janna Anderson, 15 points; Nisha Walker, 14 points; Tahitia Butler, 12 points; Michelle Mitchell, seven points; Kemiya Harrell, five points; Yaleisa Burns, four points.

Dodge took a 25-12 first quarter against Southeast Bulloch on Saturday behind Michelle Mitchell’s 10 and Tahitia Butler’s eight first quarter points. Janna Anderson hit two of her three three-pointers in the second quarter as the Squaws extended their lead to 39-22 over the Lady Jackets at the half. Nisha Walker helped Dodge to 53-28 third quarter by scoring eight points in the quarter. Walker put in seven more points in the final quarter as Dodge cruised to 70-41 win over the Lady Jackets. Final scoring for the Squaws against Southeast Bulloch was: Nisha Walker, 17 points; Michelle Mitchell, 16 points; Tahitia Butler, 11 points; Kemiya Harrell, 11 points; Janna Anderson, nine points; Yaleisa Burns, two points; Staci Ross, two points; Jaye Hilliard, two points.

The Squaws were scheduled to travel to East Laurens on Tuesday, January 27 for a 6:00 p.m. game and also travel to Dublin on Friday, January 30 for a 7:00 p.m. game.