Tiger Cubs clock Bulldogs ahead of matchup with Cougars

The Greencastle Tiger Cubs girls’ basketball team scored the first 21 points of the game and manhandled the Dugger Union Bulldogs in a high school basketball game at McAnally Center on Wednesday night to the tune of 51-11.

The Cubs held the Bulldogs to 10 percent (4-of-40) shooting and pounded the boards for a 49-31 advantage in caroms. The victory improved the Cubs to 8-11 on the season, while Dugger dropped to 2-11.

“In the last two games we started a little bit slow. I told the girls to come out and play our game. We moved the ball, played good defense and played pretty well,” Greencastle head coach Jessica Lenihan said.

Greencastle’s Ali Dobbs got the Cubs off to a great start offensively. The junior guard scored eight points, including two three-pointers, in the first four minutes of the game.

Bailey Brown scored six of her eight first-period points in the final four minutes as the Cubs used an inside-outside combination to put 21 points on the board in the opening quarter.

The Bulldogs struggled to get any offense going as the Cubs held them scoreless as they missed all 11 shots they took. Greencastle led 21-0 heading into the second quarter.

“Ali got us off to quick start with a couple of threes. We all were looking for our shots and being aggressive and moving the ball,” Lenihan said.

Dugger finally got on the board as they opened the scoring in the second quarter with a Sage Stahl bucket, though Greencastle shut the visitors out the rest of the quarter.

Greencastle cooled off a little but still extended the lead to 31-2 at the break as Dobbs and Evie Briones each knocked down a shot from behind the arc.

“We’ve got our two top guards (Dobbs and Briones) out front who are really quick and were getting their hands on balls. Aleeyah (Johnson) really stepped up and was talking and played in the middle some,” Lenihan said of her defense.

Briones hit a trey to start the third quarter, but Jordyn Smith answered for the Bulldogs. Briones and Madi Plew hit another pair of three-pointers and Sarah Simmerman closed the quarter with her own shot from behind the arc to set the score at 43-7 and start the running clock for the fourth quarter.

The final period went quickly with the running clock as the Cubs were able to provide playing time for several players. Greencastle still doubled up the Bulldogs in scoring in the final period as the hosts scored eight points to Dugger’s four and set the final score at 51-11.

Smith led the Bulldogs with seven points. Dobbs had 13 for the Cubs, while Brown had 12 points and 12 rebounds for a double-double.

“We got some things going and were clicking tonight. We need to keep that going this weekend,” Lenihan said.

The Cubs will travel to North Putnam on Friday night to take on county rival North Putnam in a Western Indiana Conference game.

DUGGER UNION (11) – Smith 2-15 1-4 7, Simpson 0-6 0-0 0, Stahl 2-5 0-2 4, Frazee 0-3 0-0 0, Henico 0-6 0-0 0, Brumbarger 0-5 0-0 0, Schaefer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 4-40 FG, 1-6 FT, 11 TP.

GREENCASTLE (51) – Dobbs 5-19 0-0 13, Briones 3-13 0-0 9, Johnson 1-3 0-0 3,

Brown 4-7 4-5 12, Plew 2-6 0-0 5, Rady 0-2 0-0 0, Simmerman 2-6 0-0 5, Williamson 0-0 0-0 0, Hunsinger 1-1 0-0 2, Call 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 19-60 FG, 4-5 FT, 51 TP.

3-point shooting – DU 2-20 (Smith 2-10, Simpson 0-5, Frazee 0-1, Henico 0-2, Brumbarger 0-2), GHS 9-34 (Dobbs 3-10, Briones 3-11, Johson 1-2, Plew 1-4, Call 0-1, Rady 0-2, Simmerman 1-4). Rebounds – DU 31 (Smith 8, Simpson 4, Stahl 7, Frazee 3, Henico 2, Brambarger 2) GHS – 49 (Dobbs 2, Briones 3, Johnson 7, Brown 12, Plew 8, Hunsinger 3, Rady 4, Simmerman 5, Williamson 1) FG Pct. – DU 10.0, GHS 31.7. FT Pct. – DU 16.7, GHS 80.0. Turnovers – DU 20, GHS 13.