Dora Lady Falcons are working hard through tough stretch of schedule
Photo by Karla Smith Dora’s Montgomery Mitchell shoots against Gainesville defender Emma Donley during Monday night’s homecourt battle. Mitchell scored 12 points in the game
The Dora Lady Falcons are continuing to show growth as they navigate a challenging stretch of their schedule, standing at 6-7 on the season following a recent pair of tough losses.
Dora dropped a hard-fought contest to Class 2 state No. 3-ranked Norwood on Thursday, Jan. 8, before falling to the Gainesville Lady Bulldogs in a 48-47 nailbiter on Monday, Jan. 12. Despite the setbacks, head coach Scott Womack sees steady improvement from his squad.
“We are getting better on defense and trying to become more consistent on the offensive end,” Womack said. “The girls continue to work hard with a good attitude and are willing to learn, so I see improvement each day.”
The Lady Falcons’ season has been defined by close games and a demanding schedule. On Dec. 15, Dora fell on the road to Alton, 43-32, with Montgomery Mitchell leading the way with 12 points, followed by Kinley Luna with nine and Ellie Ullom with eight.
Four days later, Dora suffered a heartbreaking 48-43 home loss to Couch on Dec. 19. The Lady Falcons led for much of the game before Couch pulled away in the final three minutes. Luna paced Dora with 15 points, Mitchell added 12 and Isabelle Martin chipped in eight.
Dora entered the Mountain Grove Holiday Tournament as the No. 8 seed and opened play on Dec. 22 with a 34-27 win over Salem. Mitchell scored 12 points, Luna added 11, and Ullom finished with seven in the victory. The next day, the Lady Falcons ran into top-seeded Willow Springs, falling 52-32 despite 12 points each from Luna and Martin and six from Jamie Harr. Dora closed tournament play on Dec. 26 with a 54-36 loss to Alton, led by Luna’s 14 points and Martin’s nine.
One of Dora’s highlights came on Jan. 5 at home against Plato, when the Lady Falcons rolled to a 55-19 win. Luna delivered a standout performance with 28 points, including three 3-pointers, while Mitchell added 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Ullom anchored the defense with five steals.
Dora hosted Gainesville’s Lady Bulldogs Monday, and it was a battle. The Lady Falcons edged ahead late in the game, but lost the nailbiter, 48-47. Kinsley Luna scored a game-high 25 points, followed by Montgomery Mitchell with 12.
The Dora girls host Fordland Friday, Jan. 16. Next week, they compete at the Thayer winter Classic Jan. 19-24.