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Cashion avenges loss to #1 Dale
VANCE RANEY launches a 3-pointer during Cashion’s first showdown with Dale this season, which was a loss. On Monday, Raney knocked down four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in Monday’s win over the Pirates. [Photo by Brad Stone/www.bestone.shootproof.
The brutal stretch to close Cashion’s season has resulted in perhaps the Wildcats’ biggest win of the year…to date.
Cashion knocked off No. 1 Dale 54-39 at home Monday in yet another of a string of massive 2A showdowns for the Wildcats.
The victory snapped an 18-game win streak for Dale, which included the Pirates’ 48-34 win over the Wildcats on the very same court on Jan. 22.
“We just guarded a lot better and contained the dribble better this time,” said Cashion coach John Hardaway.
“And we shot it a lot better.”
The Wildcats were 7 of 16 from 3-point range and shot 42 percent overall.
Vance Raney made four of those 3-pointers as part of his 14 points.
Meanwhile, the Cashion defense did its best to contain Dayton Forsythe and the rest of the Pirate offense.
It was a struggle in the first quarter as Dale took a 16-15 lead, but the Pirates managed just 10 points over the next 16 minutes.
That allowed Cashion to build up a 16-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Dale couldn’t cut into it. The Wildcats were aided by a 13-for-13 performance at the free throw line.
Forsythe scored 21 points for Dale, but the rest of the team shot 24 percent for the game, including 9 percent (1 of 11) from 3-point range.
“It also helps we’ve got Jonah back,” said Hardaway.
He’s referencing Jonah Jenkins, Cashion’s starting point guard who missed the first matchup between the two with an injured shoulder.
Jenkins led Cashion with 15 points and added four rebounds in this matchup.
Austin Frazier chipped in 13 and joined Landon LaGasse in pulling down seven rebounds.
LaGasse scored nine points.
The win came four days after Cashion knocked off No. 4 Morrison 64-55 at home.
Morrison knocked down nine 3-point-ers, but had no answer for LaGasse and Frazier inside.
Frazier scored 19 points while LaGasse poured in 15. The two were a combined 13 of 19 from two-point range.
Raney was 3 of 6 from beyond the arc and scored 14 while Jenkins added nine.
Cashion, ranked third in 2A, was 17-5 after the Dale win.
The Wildcats concluded their regular season Tuesday at home against No. 8 Watonga (after press time) in a game that will decide the Three Rivers Conference regular season title.
Cashion girls split with Dale, Morrison
A hot start by No. 3 Dale was too much for Cashion to overcome.
The Lady Pirates jumped out to a 19-point first quarter lead Monday and rode the momentum to a 65-48 win in Cashion.
Mikayla Rutland scored 15 points to lead four Lady Pirates in double figures.
Dale was able to build its lead to 42-15 at halftime.
Cashion scored 33 points in the second half and got three players in double figures.
Lauren Lamb and Brook Shelly scored 12 apiece.
Megan Shafer added 11.
It was Cashion that got off to the big start in last Thursday’s 57-42 home win against Morrison.
The Lady Wildcats were up 16-5 after a quarter.
They led by 14 at halftime, but saw most of that disappear with Morrison’s 18-7 run in the third quarter.
Cashion closed out with a 20-8 spurt to pull away.
Lamb poured in 23 points to lead all scorers.
Shelly added 16 and Shafer 11.
Cashion entered its final game Tuesday (after press time) with a 12-10 record.