Coach Snodgrass earns win against former team, Dodge City, 45-28
Story Credit: Brett Marshall/GCHS Athletics
[SOUNDCLOUD PLAYER HERE]
There was an underlying sense of anticipation leading up to Tuesday night’s Western Athletic Conference rivalry game between the Garden City Lady Buffaloes and the Lady Red Demons of Dodge City.
With the first of the double round-robin schedule on the road for the Lady Buffs, they were going back to Boot Hill with first-year coach Kelley Snodgrass, who had previously coached the Red Demons for the 13 prior seasons.
For sure, the rivalry intensity was upped a few degrees.
And that’s how the game played out as Snodgrass watched her Lady Buffs put the clamps on the Demons’ offense that led to a 45-28 victory at The Fieldhouse.
“I felt like our defense fought hard all night,” Snodgrass said. “There was a lot of emotion. A lot of familiar faces, but when the ball goes up, you have to put that aside and coach your team. We had a lot of defensive intensity.”
Tuesday’s triumph improved the Lady Buffs overall record to 10-7 and they are now 2-2 in the WAC. Dodge City, meanwhile, dropped to 7-9 overall and 0-2 in the WAC.
“If you look at the shooting, I think a lot of that was due to tired legs,” Snodgrass said. “We’ve played a lot of games (4) in a short period of time (6 days). Plus the long trip home (from Topeka on Saturday).”
Junior guard ThayLee Powers was the early ignition starter for the Buffs, scoring the team’s first five points that included a 3-pointer that helped them open up a 9-2 lead after a low-scoring first quarter.
The Buffs’ offense warmed up some in the second quarter, outscoring the Demons 15-5 as four different players scored to put the Buffs up 24-7 going into the locker room at halftime.
Both teams struggled at times offensively and in shooting when the third quarter began and the Buffs finished with a 13-12 edge that made it 37-19 going to the fourth quarter. Mia Hannagan had 9 of those points all coming from 3-point baskets.
That would prove to be the biggest lead for the Buffs and Dodge could never close the gap under 14 points, 39-25, with 2:06 remaining.
Hannagan, who missed her first five shots from behind the arc, finished with 15 points, all on the deep 3’s. She was the only double-digit scorer for the Buffs, who also got 9 points from Powers and Tegan Snodgrass. Powers got all of her points in the first half.
Emily Gutierrez and Piper Mellinger paced the Demons with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Statistically, it was a wintry night for both teams shooting as the Buffs went 16-of-45 (35.6) from the field to Dodge City’s 10-of-48 (20.8 percent). It was worse from 3-point range, the Buffs finishing 7-of-31 (22.6 percent) and the Demons 3-of-15 (20 percent).
Dodge City dominated the rebounding category, winning 43 to 30, grabbing 15 offensive boards to 5 for the Buffs and 28 defensive rebounds to 25 for Garden. Dodge’s Emma Bell led all rebounders with 12.
“There were a lot of missed chances and it’s something we work on every day and is a continual emphasis,” Snodgrass said. “Our backside rotation on defense was really solid all night.”
The Buffs forced the Demons into 20 turnovers (16 in the first half) while committing only 11 miscues. The Buffs had 14 assists (Powers with 5 led the way) to 9 for the Demons. The Buffs had 11 steals to 4 for the Demons.
The Lady Buffs will be idle until Feb. 13 when they travel to Great Bend and then will be at home on Feb. 14 against Woodward, Okla.
“We’ve got 10 days to rest up and work on things,” Snodgrass said. “It will be good for us so we can be ready for the last few weeks of the regular season.”
———
Western Athletic Conference
Game 4
At Dodge City High School
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026
GARDEN CITY 45, DODGE CITY 28
Garden City (45) — Powers 4-11 0-0 9, Hannagan 5-14 0-0 15, Meng 1-2 3-6 5, Korf 1-10 1-2 3, Snodgrass 3-6 2-4 9, Brown 1-1 0-0 2, S. Doll 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 16-45 6-12 45.
Dodge City (28) — Bell 0-3 1-2 1, Smith 0-3 0-0 0, Gutierrez 5-14 0-0 13, Piper Mellinger 4-12 2-2 10, Culwell 1-10 1-2 3, Taylor 0-5 1-2 1, Bogner 0-1 0-0 0, . Totals 10-48 5-8 28.
Garden City (10-7/2-2)…9…15…13…8…–…45
Dodge City (7-9/0-2)…2…5…12…9…–…28
3-point goals—Garden City 7-31 (Powers 1-6, Hannagan 5-14, Snodgrass 1-2); Dodge City 3-15 (Gutierrez 3-7, Taylor 0-2, Smith 0-1, Culwell 0-2, Mellinger 0-2, Bogner 0-1). Rebounds–Garden City 25 (Meng 7); Dodge City 30 (Bell 12). Assists–Garden City 14 (Powers 5); Dodge City 9 (Bogner 4). Steals–Garden City 11 (Snodgrass 3); Dodge City 4 (Smith 2). Fouls—Garden City 14, Dodge City 12. Fouled out–Garden City (S. Doll).
