By Chad W. Smith
The Dodge County High Squaws basketball team traveled to Thomasville, on Wednesday, March 3 to take on the Lady Bulldogs (24-3) in the sweet sixteen round of the AA state playoffs.
The first quarter ended in an 11-11 tie as all five starters for the Squaws scored a basket. Dodge led by as many as eight points at 26-18 at the 4:20 mark of the second quarter and led 32-27 at halftime. Kadayasha Jones led Dodge with seven points including a three-pointer in the second. Nisha Walker followed with six and Tahitia Butler had five.
The Squaws extended their lead over Thomasville to 52-39 with 2:47 left in the third quarter by outscoring the Lady Bulldogs 20-12 to that point.
Thomasville scored nine unanswered points to close out the quarter and Dodge held a 52-48 lead. Nisha Walker led Dodge with 10 of her game high 18 points in the quarter including two three-pointers. Thomasville took the lead at 54-52 with 6:19 left in the game and never relinquished it as they held the Squaws to four points in the final quarter while scoring 14. Michelle Mitchell had all four points in the quarter for the Squaws.
Final scoring for the Squaws was: Nisha Walker, 18 points; Michelle Mitchell, 13 points; Kadayasha Jones, nine points; Tahitia Butler, eight points; Yaleisa Burns, four points; Jaye Hilliard, two points.
The Squaws finish their season at 24-5. The Squaws lose two important seniors in Tahitia Butler and Nisha Walker. Butler and Walker both scored over 1000 points in their four year careers for the Squaws. In their four years, the Squaws record was 93-24 that includes two region championships, a region runner-up, three trips to the sweet sixteen and a state playoff appearance all four years.
