On Dec. 2, DeKalb West traveled to Smith County to take on the Braves of Defeated. There, the boys came away with another impressive win, while the girls faultered with a hard loss.
The Lady Bulldogs took to the court first and right away found the hoop was hard to find. The girls only came away with four points in the first quarter, with Lydia Brown and Shelby Clayborn each getting a two-pointer. Defeated would get 22 points in the period and keep DeKalb out of the basket for the next two periods.
The Lady Braves kept up the pressure for the next two quarters, scoring nine points in the second period and 12 points in the third. Defeated’s defense was strong, keeping the Lady Bulldogs scoreless for both periods. Defeated was up 43-4 going into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Bulldogs showed a little more life in the fourth period, with Addison Oakley getting two two-pointers, while Brown and Ashley Reynolds each had one. In the end it was too much for DeKalb to overcome. Defeated came away with the win, 56-12.
Oakley and Brown each went zero for two on free throws, while Savannah Belcher and Clayborn each went zero for one.
The boys played next, and the Bulldogs continued to show their dominance on the court. DeKalb came out meaning business, scoring 13 points in the first period. Damien Dishman scored three two-pointers, while Ethan Martin had a two and a three-pointer. Brady Driver also had a two-point shot. The defense was strong, holding the Braves to only two points.
The second quarter saw Defeated bounce back and make a game of it. The Braves scored 16 points to the Bulldogs’ six, bringing the score to within one at the end of the period.  Paxton Butler, Jacob Frazier, and Jessie Smith each had a two-pointer, but the Braves were close going into the half, 19-18.
The game remained close in the third quarter, with the Bulldogs getting nine points. Driver had two two-point shots, while Smith had a three-pointer. Dishman had a two-pointer. Defeated had five points in the period, keeping within striking distance going into the fourth. DeKalb was up, 28-23.
The fourth period belonged to the offense on both sides. Defeated scored 17 points in the quarter, putting the pressure on the Bulldogs. But, DeKalb held fast, scoring 22 points of their own, with 10 off of free throws. Driver had three two-pointers in the period, while Dishman, Martin, and Butler each had a two-pointer. DWS took the victory, 50-40.
Butler went eight for eight on free throws in the game, while Driver was two for six.
On Dec. 5, DeKalb West was again on the road, again in Smith County, but this time facing Union Heights. Once more the girls had a hard game, while the boys powered their way onto the court.
In the girls’ game, DeKalb fell behind early. The Lady Bulldogs scored five points in the first period, while Union Heights came away with 12. Oakley and Brown each had a two-point shot.
Oakley and Brown repeated in the second period, each getting a two-pointer, but these were the only baskets DWS would have. UH scored eight and held the lead at the half, 20-9.
The Lady Bulldogs only managed four points in the third quarter, both off of Oakley two-pointers, but the defense held UH to only two points, giving them a 22-13 lead into the fourth.
DWS would only find two points in the fourth quarter, both off of free throws. Union Heights sealed their win by scoring 16 points, giving them a 38-15 win. Brown was two for two on free throws, while Oakley went one for one.
The DeKalb West Bulldogs took the court next and started off by putting up some big points. In the first period, DeKalb scored 12 points to Union Heights’ six. Dishman had three two-pointers, while Martin, Butler and Smith each had one two-point shot.
The Bulldogs didn’t stop there, scoring 17 points in the second period. Grayson Redmon had a three-pointer and three two-pointers, while Dishman had two two-point shots. Butler had a three-pointer. The team held UH to only two points in the quarter, going into the half with a 29-8 lead.

Things slowed for the Bulldogs in the third period, with the team only coming away with four points. Driver had the only basket in the quarter with a two-point shot. Union Heights scored seven, narrowing the score, 33-15.
DWS scored ten points to finish the game, with Dishman, Butler and Driver each getting a two-pointer. UH scored 13, but it was not enough. The Bulldogs won, 43-29.
Driver went three for four on free throws, while Jacob Frazier was two for two. Dishman was one for three, Smith was one for two, and Butler was zero for one.