The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON - Dayton's boys basketball team emerged from its home Christmas tournament with two losses, but the way those losses came about couldn't have been more dif- ferent. The Bulldogs dropped their Thursday opener to La- Crosee-Washtucna, 51-19, and their Saturday finale with Wahkiakum, 54-53.

Wahkiakum was no push- over. The fourth place team from last year's state 2B tour- nament, who defeated sixth place Dayton on trophy day, returned seven members of its tournament team to face the Bulldogs Saturday including 6-foot 3-inch point guard Shane Souvenir, and 6-foot 5-inch post Eli McElroy.

The Dogs fought hard out of the gate, but fell behind 19-9 anyway. Guard Lars Blix ac- counted for 12 of the Mules' 19 including three 3-pointers in the opening stretch. Dayton trailed 19-11 at the end of one quarter.

Dayton coach Roy Ramirez called timeout trailing 24-17 in the second. Whatever he said connected with senior guard Isaiah Lambert who connected on 3-of-3 three 3-pointers after the timeout - the last coming with 35 seconds remaining to bring Dayton within one, 29-28.

Dayton's surge continued through the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Bull- dogs scored the first 11 points of the second half to build a double-digit lead of their own, 39-29. Dayton would also hold a 10-point advantage a minute later 41-31 with 2:49 to go in the quarter. But after two Wah- kiakum free throws by Steven Doumit closed the gap to 41- 33, the Mules employed a full court press which succeeded in disrupting Dayton's half court offense.

The press sparked a 13-3 run that put the Mules back on top 46-44 with six minutes remaining. Dayton regained the lead, 51-49, with 2:18 to go thanks to a Wyatt Frame baseline drive and lay-in. But Blix's final 3-pointer from the left corner followed by a Souvenir inside deuce, put the Mules in front again 54-51 with 1:13 left.

Frame failed on the front end of a 1-and-1 with 1:04 to go, but stole the ball back on the next possession. Frame took the rock end-to-end but missed a contested lay-up with 46 seconds left. Dayton fouled Souvenir with 17.5 seconds to go. The junior missed the front of his 1-and-1, giving Dayton another chance. Frame attacked the bucket for two out of a timeout, but the play took too long in developing, leaving the Dogs with just four seconds on the clock and still down by one. Dayton fouled with three ticks left. Blix missed his 1-and-1, and Dayton rebounded. Lam- bert led the Dogs in the first half, scoring all but four of his team high 19 before the break.

The Dogs would like to forget Thursday's game with undefeated LaCrosse-Wash- tucna. Dayton managed just four points in the first half, and trailed 22-4 at the second period break. The Bulldogs faired little better in the third and fourth quarters as the TigerCats outscored Dayton 29-15 in the second half.

Zach Waggoner was the only Bulldog in double figures with 12 points. L-W's Darcy Stamper and Justin Wargo notched 15 and 12 points re- spectively.

Dayton is off until Friday when they travel to Lewiston to take on the Bengals of LHS. The Bulldogs are two up, nine down on the year.