Newcastle Lady Dogies Fall to Buffalo in Regional Tournament Opener

(This story was prepared by NLJ Publisher Bob Bonnar with the assistance of artificial intelligence.)

The Newcastle Lady Dogies faced a tough challenge in the opening round of the 3A East Regional Women’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday morning, falling to the Buffalo Bison 63-28.

The early morning tipoff at 9 a.m. saw the third-seeded Bison take control after a competitive first quarter and steadily pull away as the game progressed. The Lady Dogies, the tournament’s sixth seed, started strong, trailing just 11-9 after the first period, but struggled to keep pace as Buffalo’s defense tightened and their offense found rhythm.

Buffalo’s Kamry Davis set the tone early, scoring 11 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter. She was dominant from the free-throw line, finishing an impressive 12-for-14. Karly Davis added 26 points for the Bison, including two three-pointers and a perfect 4-for-4 showing at the charity stripe. Anna Mock contributed eight points, all coming in the second half, as Buffalo maintained their lead.

Newcastle’s offense sputtered in the second quarter, managing just two points, which allowed Buffalo to extend their lead to 25-11 at halftime. The Lady Dogies found more scoring in the third quarter, putting up 16 points behind the shooting of Adalyn Olsen, who led the team with nine points, and Kyndal VonEye, who hit two three-pointers in the second half. Brooklyn Benshoof also connected from beyond the arc, but despite their efforts, Newcastle was unable to mount a comeback.

Free throw shooting was a struggle for Newcastle, with only Christine Swentesky finding success at the line, going 3-for-4—all in the fourth quarter. The rest of the team combined for just 1-for-3.

By the final quarter, Buffalo’s defense locked in, holding Newcastle scoreless and sealing a decisive 63-28 victory. The Lady Dogies will now turn their attention to a must-win game against the seventh-seeded Glenrock Herders on Friday at 9 a.m. to keep their state tournament hopes alive. Glenrock is also coming off a first-round loss after falling to second-seeded Torrington 56-30.

Meanwhile, Buffalo advances to face Torrington in the regional semifinals, while top-seeded Douglas and fourth-seeded Wheatland will square off in the other semi-final matchup after both teams cruised to victories in their respective first-round games.

Newcastle will need to regroup quickly as they prepare for Friday’s elimination game. With their season on the line, the Lady Dogies will look to find their offensive rhythm and fight for another chance to extend their postseason run.