Merkel boys sneak past Clyde 41-40, Lady Badgers roll over Bulldogs 51-27

CLYDE – Merkel and Clyde traded punch for punch Friday before the game’s last play decided the outcome.

Leading by three points with 6 seconds remaining, the Badgers forced a missed 3-pointer in the corner. Clyde’s Landon Yates leapt and scooped an offensive rebound in the crowded paint and laid it in for two points.

The problem? Time expired as the ball went through the net, and the Bulldogs still trailed. Merkel had escaped with a 41-40 win, improving to 17-6 overall and 4-1 in District 6-3A.

Knowing the situation, the Badgers had the perimeter on lockdown.

“Make them dribble and don’t let them shoot the three,” Merkel coach B.C. Lee said. “If they have to go by us, go by us. If you’re going to give up a shot, make sure it’s a two.”

As for Yates’ putback, Clyde coach Marc Case thought there was contact and Yates should’ve had a chance at a game-tying free-throw attempt.

“It looked to me like he got hit in the arm, but it didn’t get called,” Case said.

Early on, the game was back and forth before Merkel ended the first half on a run. The Badgers ended the second quarter on a 14-1 run, going to halftime with a 30-18 lead.

The Bulldogs, however, responded well after the break. They started the second half on a run, eventually tying the game at 35..

“They’re tough kids,” Case said. “It just says a lot about how tenacious they are.”

While Clyde started the second half well, Merkel did not.

The Badgers didn’t make a field goal in the third quarter, scoring just two points on free throws. The drought allowed Clyde to claw back before tying the game.

Still, Merkel’s players stayed positive and didn’t panic.

“They compete for me,” Lee said. “I just told them, ‘Hey, trust the process.’ Finally we ended up getting some buckets in the fourth quarter to keep us afloat.”

Merkel’s Kooper Darby led the scoring column with 18 points, while Jarrett Fulfer added 12. Conner Hawk led the Bulldogs with 14 points.

At 4-1, Merkel is tied for first in district with Jim Ned and Wall. The Badgers face San Angelo Grape Creek at home Tuesday.

Clyde is 15-11, 2-3. Friday’s loss marked the Bulldogs’ third in a row and their second one-point loss in the past 10 days.

“More than anything, I hurt for them,” Case said. “It really stings.”

DISTRICT 6-3A BOYS

Merkel 41, Clyde 40

Merkel ... 11 ... 19 ... 2 ... 9 — 41

Clyde ... 8 ... 10 ... 7 ... 15 — 40

Merkel (17-6) – Kooper Darby 6 2-3 18, Jarrett Fulfer 4 0-0 8, Maddox O'Malley 3 1-1 7, Joey Zink 2 0-0 5, Ryder Hoyle 0 2-2 2, Reid Hoyle 0 2-2 2, Bryson Buckley 0 0-0 0, Drew Gilbreath 0 0-0 0, Elijah Salas 0 0-0 0, Colby Hadley 0 0-0 0, Taylor Knutson 0 0-0 0, Jack Travis 0 0-0.

Clyde (15-11) – Conner Hawk 4 4-4 14, Blake Carr 2 3-5 8, Landon Yates 2 4-6 8, Evan Laughlin 3 1-1 7, Wyatt Cox 1 0-0 2, Jarrett Jeffers 0 1-2 1, Axton Fish 0 0-2 0, Austin Hawk 0 0-0 0, Austin Berry 0 0-0 0, Jack Huff 0 0-0 0, Creede Jamison 0 0-0 0, Seth Lee 0 0-0 0.

Merkel girls cruise past Clyde

The girls game wasn’t as competitive.

Merkel sailed to a 51-27 win to improve to 16-11 overall and 6-1 in league play.

Both teams struggled to make shots early, as Merkel led 3-2 after four minutes. A 3-pointer from Avery Holloway sparked the Badgers’ offense, and they ended the quarter on a 8-0 run.

The Badgers started to gel in transition at the end of the quarter, scoring baskets after defensive stops.

“Our effort on defense put us in control of the game by the end of the first quarter,” Merkel head coach Laura Lange said.

Merkel built on its lead in the second quarter, thanks largely to Alyssa O’Malley. The senior point guard scored 13 points in the quarter, sending the Badgers to halftime with a 27-6 lead.

After halftime, Merkel changed from a full-court press to half-court defense, and Clyde took advantage. The Bulldogs opened the third quarter on an 8-1 run.

But soon enough, Merkel got back into its rhythm. The Badgers forced turnover after turnover at the end of the third quarter to pull away from the Bulldogs for good.

“Clyde did a really good job on the boards and we really had to battle in the paint on every shot,” Lange said. “Once we stopped Clyde’s initial run in the third quarter, we were able to maintain control of the game by giving ourselves good scoring opportunities on each possession.”

As a team, Merkel forced 25 turnovers. Of the Badgers’ 51 points, 20 came off turnovers.

O’Malley led the Badgers with 15 points, while Liz Underwood led Clyde with seven points.

Halfway through the district season, the Badgers are one game out of first place in District 6-3A. They aren’t taking anything for granted.

“Before the game, we talked about the importance of finishing out the first half of district play 6-1,” Lange said. “We play with a sense of urgency defensively because we know how important each game is for our playoff seeding.”

DISTRICT 6-3A GIRLS

Merkel 51, Clyde 27

Merkel ... 11 ... 16 ... 8 ... 16 — 51

Clyde ... 2 ... 4 ... 10 ... 11 — 27

Merkel (16-11) – Alyssa O'Malley 7 0-0 15, Avery Holloway 3 0-0 8, Kyleigh Mauldin 2 2-2 8, Anisia Delgado 1 3-4 5, Jada O'Kelly 2 1-1 5, Sydnee Gilbreath 2 1-2 5, Micah Holloway 1 0-0 2, Sydnee Barnes 0 0-0 0, Jaycee Tumlinson 0 0-0 0.

Clyde (7-9) – Liz Underwood 3 1-2 7, Avery Hafner 1 4-4 6, Payton Phillips 2 0-0 5, Chloe Ukle 2 0-2 4, Dacey Tucker 1 1-2 3, Grace Hutton 1 0-0 2, Morgan Mauldin 0 0-0 0, Lyla Tenaglia

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Merkel Badgers sweep Clyde Bulldogs on road