Lady Bulldogs end their 2017 season with loss to Lady Tigers

DECATUR — For senior Cameron Shaffer, the Feb. 13 basketball game marked the end of her four-year high school career with the Decatur Lady Bulldogs. But it was not quite the end she hoped for as the Lady Bulldogs lost the contest at the hand of the Lady Tigers in the first round of the 1A District 1 tournament at Lead Hill.

Joining the Lady Bulldogs for this matchup were freshmen members of the junior high team which included Abby Tilley, Deysi Rubi, Destiny Mejia, Kaylee Morales and Paige Barrett. This marked their very first entry into the senior high basketball ranks.

As was the case all season, the Lady Bulldogs managed to keep the game close until the second half. Decatur faltered midway through the third quarter, allowing the Lady Tigers to build on their lead and eventually take the victory, 52-33, eliminating the Lady Bulldogs from the district tournament.

The Lady Bulldogs ended their 2016-17 season with a 4-19 overall and 2-6 record in district play, a much better finish than last season.

Cameron Shaffer finished with an impressive 18 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double, one of few the Lady Bulldogs achieved this season.

Along with Shaffer, Paige Vann, one of the driving forces behind the four Lady Bulldog victories this season, scored six points during the Decatur-Lead Hill contest. Vann, along with Desi Meek, is in line to lead the Lady Bulldogs next season.

Another impressive showing for the Lady Bulldogs was freshman Kaylee Morales, who played her first game on the senior team. She hit four points and had three steals against stronger and more experienced players. She will prove to be a valuable asset in the next three seasons.

For Coach Jeff Melton, in his second year with the Lady Bulldogs, and his assistant, Ashley Riggles, finding the right combination of game plans presented unique challenges.

“This season was a tough season for the girls,” Melton said. “We came in with very high expectations of where we wanted to be and what we wanted to achieve, and it didn’t turn out the way that we had hoped it would. We ran into a lot of adversity, which every team needs to go through on the road to success, and we learned a lot of lessons along the way.”

For many of the Lady Bulldog athletes, this season began last summer with two hours of drills and running plays. The extra time these girls spent at Peterson Gym, not only during the summer but also some Saturdays and breaks, aided in the development of the Decatur program for this season and for future teams over the next several years.

“I am proud of how the girls are progressing, not only as members of a rising basketball program, but as young women,” said Melton. “The excitement building around this program is a tribute to how hard these girls have been working, and we finally have the younger generations looking forward to becoming a part of this program as well. Good things are coming for Lady Bulldog basketball.”