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Lady Bulldogs hang on for key district win over Dresden

Lady Bulldogs hang on for key district win over Dresden
Lady Bulldogs hang on for key district win over Dresden | Gleason High School, Riley Auvenshine, Dresden High School Lady Lions, Lacie Kelley

Out of my way — Gleason’s Riley Auvenshine (right) tries to work through the defense of Lady Lion Lacie Kelley during district action Friday night. Auvenshine scored a game-high 20 points to lead her team to victory.
By Sara Reid
Special to The Press
For the second straight game, the free-throw line became the determining factor in victory for the Dresden Lady Lions, but this time Dresden came up short and fell to the Gleason Lady Bulldogs, 38-37, Friday night in Gleason.
The final game of the night saw the Lions hold back a Bulldog rally and carry a 66-60 win back to Dresden.
The Lady Bulldogs got off to a 5-0 start with Riley Auvenshine hitting from long distance and Taylor Stout following with a layup. Dresden’s Marlee Mason hit a pair of free throws to put the Lady Lions on the board. She converted a three-point play and made a layup to give the Lady Lions a 7-5 lead. Maggie Lowrance tied the contest with a layup, but Mason answered with a layup to put the visitors ahead. A drive to the basket from Stefanie Riggs increased the Dresden lead to four, 11-7, but Auvenshine hit a jump shot and Stout stole the ball and made a layup to tie the game at 11 after one quarter.
Breanna Dubruiel opened the second quarter by hitting 1-of-2 free throws to give Dresden the 12-11 lead, but Gleason took the lead back on a bucket from Sara Hensley. Auvenshine hit another three to increase the Gleason lead to four, 16-12. A pair of free throws from Riggs brought Dresden to within a basket, but Auvenshine converted a three-point play to keep the Lady Bulldogs ahead. Out-scoring Dresden 14-9 in the second frame, Gleason took a 25-20 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, a scoring drought ensued as defense took over for both squads, but Gleason held a 3-2 edge to build a 28-22 lead after three.
Dresden used a 6-0 scoring run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to pull within two points, 30-28, with 6:05 left in the game. A layup from Auvenshine and free throws from Jenna Frazier increased the GHS lead to six. Mason answered with a layup and with 3:11 left, Lacie Kelley hit a 3-pointer to bring Dresden back within one, 34-33. Auvenshine hit a pair of free throws, but with 37.7 seconds left, Glisson hit a layup to again bring Dresden within a point, 36-35. Another Auvenshine trip to the line was successful, but with 11.9 seconds left, the senior stepped out of bounds to give Dresden another opportunity. With 3.9 seconds left before the final buzzer, Riggs was fouled on a 3-pointer. She sank the first two shots, but a timeout was called and when Riggs stepped back to the line, her last shot missed the mark and gave Gleason the one-point win, 38-37.
Auvenshine led Gleason with 20 points. Mason had 13 for Dresden.
In the second contest, the Dresden Lions looked to have matters well in hand after three quarters, but a furious comeback from Gleason in the final quarter fell just short and the Lions came out victorious, 66-60.
Matt McCulley opened the scoring with a free throw and a 3-pointer to give Dresden the 4-0 lead. Preston Frazier answered with a three to make the score 4-3. Austin Evans put back an offensive board for DHS, but Frazier again connected from long distance. The scoring continued to stay close, but a Frazier layup at the end of the quarter gave the home team a 19-16 advantage.
McCulley scored four straight points again in the second quarter to make the score 21-20 in favor of the visitors from the county seat. A basket from Dimarko Jones gave the Lions the lead, but a free throw from Evan Orr tied the score. A layup from Austin Evans gave the Lions a two-point advantage and free throws put the visitors ahead 26-22, but Frazier continued to bring the heat from long distance and hit another 3-pointer to bring Gleason within one. By controlling the offensive boards and out-scoring Gleason 21-13 for the quarter, Dresden took a 37-32 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, the Lions looked to be pulling away. Holding the Bulldogs to just five points, Dresden took a 52-37 advantage after three.
Dresden continued to carry the momentum in the fourth quarter until, with 1:29 left on the clock, a Ben Rollins 3-pointer made the score 65-52 and swung the momentum in the Bulldogs’ favor. A basket and a pair of free throws from Orr cut the deficit to nine, 65-56, and Frazier hit four straight free throws — two from a personal foul and two from a technical foul — to bring the home team within five, 65-60, with 27.1 seconds left. Though the comeback was all but complete, the Lions tacked on a free throw and held on for the 66-60 win.
McCulley led Dresden with 19 points. Frazier scored 23 for the Bulldogs.

Jan. 25 at Gleason
GIRLS
Dresden (37) — Marlee Mason 13, Stefanie Riggs 10, Erica Glisson 8, Lacie Kelley 5, Breanna Dubruiel 1.
Gleason (38) — Riley Auvenshine 20, Jenna Frazier 4, Taylor Stout 4, Sara Hensley 4, Maggie Lowrance 2, Becca Hodges 2, Ashley Coble 2.
3-pointers: Dresden — Kelley; Gleason — Auvenshine (2).
Records: Dresden 14-8 (9-5 District 14-A); Gleason 15-7 (10-5 District 14-A).

BOYS
Dresden (66) — Matt McCulley 19, Tyson Wright 17, Austin Evans 16, Obrien Washington 4, Justin Hatler 3, Dimarko Jones 2, Josh Williams 2, Dwayne Bailey 2, Eric Evans 1.
Gleason (60) — Preston Frazier 23, Ben Summer 13, Evan Orr 8, Ben Rollins 7, Ryan Richardson 4, Jordan Howington 3.
3-pointers — Dresden, McCulley; Gleason, Frazier (4), Rollins.
Records — Dresden 7-15 (3-11 District 14-A); Gleason 3-15 (1-14 District 14-A).