The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Winter sports officially started this past week as the Dayton-Waitsburg girls opened up their basketball season with three games.

They fell to St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse 59-28, to College Place 64-35, and 50-30 to Mac-Hi in their first home games of the season at the Dayton gymnasium.

While things did not start off optimistically with three losses, the team came away with valuable lessons that will become instilled in them as the season progresses.

“They now understand that they have to work hard for four quarters and to play 32 minutes,” said first-year Head Coach Tamira Culley. “Every possession is important.”

Part of this revelation came at halftime of the game at College Place last Thursday. Down 31-17 at the break against a taller, more experienced squad that had pressed the entire time, Cully gave some tips that she hopes will last the rest of the season and pay later dividends.

“At halftime I told them all they have to do is sprint and to not get out-worked,” she said. “I told them they have to want it more. The girls found out what it means to work hard. They settled down, got better and moved the ball around.”

One of those who had a big night for Dayton-Waitsburg was junior forward Sadie Seney. She led the team with 15 points and six rebounds.

“She played really well, I’m really proud of her,” Culley said. “She matched up really well with (College Place’s) Shea Kasenga.”

In Thursday’s match-up, the team showed they are ready for teams who are going to press them and that positive things are coming.

“We attacked the basket and got some baskets off the press (breakers),” Cully said. “The success really made them feel good.”

Sophomore forward Megan Forney did well off the bench. Culley said Forney stepped in and got some rebounds and worked hard under the basket when they needed it against the Hawks.

Against Mac-Hi on Saturday the play was reversed, as Dayton-Waitsburg came out focused and with a lot of intensity in the first half but faltered in the second half. After falling behind 7-0, the girls went on a 10-0 run. A 3-point shot by Mac-Hi’s Courtney Breeding gave the Pioneers a brief lead before a 3-point play by Dayton-Waitsburg Kirsten Miller and two free throws by Kira Boggs returned the lead to 17-11.

However, a 7-0 run at the end of the first half would give the Pioneers the lead for good at 22-20. While the girls showed a lot of heart and hustle on Saturday, too many turnovers in the fourth quarter, and hitting 6-for-23 from the free throw line, prevented them from making a comeback. It did however show promise for the future.

“The girls were aggressive and focused to start, and came out well against the press,” Cully said. “But then they (Mac-Hi) picked up their intensity and we didn’t match it. We got out-worked and out-hustled. The momentum swayed and we couldn’t get it back. We need to rebound the ball and shoot the ball more if we want to win.”

Cully also said the team is making progress and will continue to do so if they keep it simple and the girls do the things they have been taught. She also wants them to play looser.

“The things we need to work on are not as serious as they have in their heads,” she said. “I want to see these girls play more free, not so scared like in the first half (against College Place), more like the second half, take it to the other team.”

Next up for the girls is Finley at home Friday Dec. 13 at 6 p.m.

Mac-Hi 50, Dayton-Waitsburg 30

MAC-HI (50) – Angel 14, Garcia 12, Olivia 9, Breeding 4, Rhoads 3, Brown 3, Leber 2, Uribe-Garcia 2, Ellis 1.

DAYTON-WAITSBURG (30) – Seney 10, Miller 9, Forney 4, Boggs 3, Benavides 3, Laughery 1.

Mac-Hi 11 11 14 14 -- 50

DW 13 7 7 3 -- 30

3-pt – M 5 (Angel 2, Breeding 2, Brown), DW 2 (Seney 2). Total Fouls – M 23, DW 20. Fouled out – DW (Seney).

College Place 64, Dayton-Waitsburg 35

DAYTON-WAITSBURG (35) – Seney 15, Boggs 5, Brincken 4, Forney 3, Miller 2, Laughery 2, Larsen 2, Cully 2.

COLLEGE PLACE (64) – Thompson 16, Meliah 10, Kasenga 9, Leavell 6, Long 5, Foertsch 5, Neil 4, Weaver 4, Rodriguez 4, Camp 1.

DW 2 12 10 11 -- 35

CP 17 14 24 9 -- 64

3-pt – DW 2 (Seney, Boggs), CP 2 (Long, Kasenga). Total Fouls – DW 11, CP 17. Fouled out – CP (Thompson).

St.John-Endicott/LaCrosse 59, Dayton-Waitsburg 28

DAYTON-WAITSBURG (28) – Forney 6, Laughery 6, Culley 6, Seney 5, Brincken 4, Miller 1.

ST.JOHN-ENDICOTT/LaCROSSE (59) – B. Bailey 16, Kjack 11, Curtis-Brewer 9, Z. Bailey 8, Holt 6, Tollett 6, Brown 2.

DW 6 8 6 8 -- 28

SJEL 15 19 15 9 -- 59

3-pt – DW 2 (Brincken, Culley), SJEL 2 (B. Bailey, Kjack).