#1 Dover Dominates #6 Varnum

Varnum figured to be a good measuring stick for Dover.

If the championship game of the Mulhall-Orlando Invitational is any indication, Dover measures quite well.

Class B’s top-ranked team flexed its muscle Saturday night with a 72-43 dismantling of No. 6 Varnum.

“Our girls were definitely ready,” said head coach Matt Peck after his team moved to 15-0 on the season.

A perennial contender in the Class B ranks, Varnum had just one loss entering the night.

The Lady Whippets were able to hang tough for much of the first half, but Dover still staked a 29-22 lead at the break.

The third quarter told the story.

The Lady Longhorns burned the M-O nets for 29 points as they put the game out of reach, 58-34, before it was over.

Karlee Harviston scored 12 points in the quarter and her sister Katelyn added nine more.

Ashley Gamez and Rylee Buck contributed welltimed 3-pointers as Dover continued to flex its collective muscle.

Varnum’s Hailey Mack did her best to keep her team in it.

She scored seven in the third quarter and six more in the fourth.

Mack finished with 25 points, but got little help. No other Lady Whippet scored more than five.

Meanwhile, the Harvistons alone accounted for 50 points.

Katleyn scored 27 as she added nine more points in the fourth, giving her 18 for the second half.

Karlee Harviston poured in 23 points.

Buck made a trio of 3-pointers and scored nine while Gamez scored eight.

The twins “only” accounted for 40 in Friday’s 63-32 victory over Union City in the semifinals.

Karlee led the way with 24 points and Katelyn 18 in that victory.

Dover outscored Union City 18-6 in the second to stake a 33-13 halftime lead. Karlee had 17 by the half.

Gamez added 10 points in that win.

Longhorns Secure Third Place

When the Dover boys scrimmaged Carney way back in October, things did not go well for the Longhorns.

Saturday showed how far the team has progressed in the meantime.

The Longhorns staked claim to third place in the Mulhall-Orlando Invitational with their 46-32 victory against Carney.

“They took it to us pretty good when we scrimmaged them,” said Dover coach Jared Reese. “So we weren’t too sure what to expect.

“We’ll definitely take how this one turned out.”

Dover got its 10th win with its defense.

The Bulldogs couldn’t crack the Longhorn zone, especially in the first half.

The Longhorns held them to 10 points and had clawed out a nine-point lead.

It stayed there entering the fourth when Dover’s own offense picked up steam.

Six different Longhorns scored at least one field goal as they pulled away from Carney, which entered the tournament ranked 19th in Class B.

Jessy Price scored seven of his nine points in that quarter.

The team was led by Lucas Conrady’s 14. The junior had 10 points by halftime.

Casen Buck added 11 points while Nathan Cohee scored eight.

Dover was dealt a 50-36 loss by seventh-ranked Varnum in the semifinals.

The Longhorns never got their offense going, which carried over to the free throw line. They made just 10 of 25 attempts for the game.

Buck scored 20 to lead the Longhorns while Conrady added eight.