The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

 DW COMBINE-The Wolfpack basketball team will take on the Lind-Ritzville-Sprague Broncos in the opening round of the State 2B basketball tournament. The loser-out game will take place at noon at Cheney High School on Saturday, February 25. The winner will play at 2:00 p.m. at the Spokane Arena on March 1.

DW played against Mabton in a loser-out game in Granger on Thursday, February 16. In the first quarter, Ryland Kilts and Gage Holm hit three-point shots to tie the game at 6-6. Down 6-12, Spencer Hansen, Kilts, Monte Pettichord, and Benny Bryan hit shots to tie the game at 14-14. Another bucket by Hansen gave the Wolfpack a 16-14 first-quarter lead.

Blake French scored two points to start the second quarter, and Hansen finished the quarter with a three-point shot off the assist of Holm to take a 32-24 halftime lead. Mabton tied the game at 34-34 with about five minutes left to play in the third quarter. Both teams battled, and the quarter ended at 43-43.

French hit another two-point shot to start the fourth quarter before Mabton took a narrow 50-47 advantage. Hansen and Kilts hit shots to tie the game at 51-51. Baskets by Kilts, Hansen, and Pettichord and a free throw by Kilts secured the 58-55 win to advance in tournament play.

Hansen finished the game with 21 points and seven rebounds, Kilts scored 12 points, and Holm scored 10 and rebounded nine. Pettichord contributed seven points. French scored four, Bryan scored two, and Rueben Yutzy and Wyaiit Booth scored on a free throw.

Playing in another loser-out game in Granger, the Wolfpack took on a much taller Cle Elum team and pulled out a 48-42 win on Saturday, February 18-the teamwork on offense and the hustle on defense made for an exciting game to watch. The win gave DW the third-place seed in the State Basketball Tournament.

Bryan scored first for DW in the first and the second quarter and ended the second and third quarters by hitting free throws in the Cle Elum game. He scored 11 points for the Wolfpack in the hard-fought game. Kilts hit two of his 3-point shots in the first quarter and ended the game with 11 points. Holm hit two 3-point shots in the game for six points. Hansen scored 10 points, including hitting 3-point shots in the second and third quarters.

Celebrating his 18th birthday, Pettichord played tough at his point guard position as he was pressured but did not waver in his determination. He scored 10 points and took a couple charges on defense. His clutch free throws at the end of the first and fourth quarters helped secure the win over the Cougars.

The Wolfpack shot well from the free throw line, hitting eight out of ten attempts.

Good luck Wolfpack at the State 2B Basketball Tournament.