Bulldogs Off To Solid Start

KENNEWICK - The Dayton boys lost in their pre-season match against 1A-school Riverview on Tuesday evening, but not by much. The final score was 45-40.

"It was good competi­tion," Bulldogs head coach Roy Ramirez said Tuesday night. "They (the Panthers) are a step up to a whole different league, and that's what we wanted for pre-season."

The Bulldogs started slow and played poorly in the first half, Ramirez said. They were down 11 points at the break. "We just couldn't get anything to fall, and we had too many turnovers," he said. The squad turned around in the second half, however, and came out much stronger yet without ever leading the game, he said. "We got the ball where we wanted, but we just couldn't get out over the top." Ramirez described the game as "tough" and "very physical."

"It was more like a foot­ball game than a basketball game," he said.

The game against Pome­roy last Friday was much the same, Ramirez said. "Our offense wasn't very good, and we didn't shoot free throws very well either." But the team's defense was just good enough to win them the game. The final score against the Pirates was 47-34. "We were a little shaky on our inside shots and need work on our foul shots, but a good game," said Jeff Turner, scorekeeper for the Bulldogs and father of Dayton's All-League player Garett Turner. "Garett made the first bucket of the night and never looked back," Turner said. "Fouls were a critical factor, with Dayton being whistled for 20 fouls and Pomeroy for 22 fouls." No players from Dayton fouled out, but Pomeroy lost two, Mitch Ruchert and Justin Ruark. Ruark was the Pirate's top shooter of the night.

On Dayton's side, Turner led in points with Dain Hen­derson not far behind. The Bulldogs play again Wednesday at home against Tekoa-Oakesdale. Their first league game is Dec. 17 against WP.

Dayton vs. Pomeroy (Dec. 3)

Dayton 11 12 15 9 47

Pomeroy 7 7 10 10 34

Dayton (47) Wyatt Frame 1, Colton Bickelhaupt 7, Dain Henderson 10, Hayden Fuller­ton

8, Seth Jackson 2, Garett Turner 14, Jason Norris 2, Kroft Sunderland 3. Free Throws: 24%

Dayton vs. Riverview (Dec. 7)

Dayton 5 7 10 16 40

Riverview 10 14 8 13 45

Dayton (40) Joey Schlachter 8, Dain Henderson 6, Hayden Fullerton 3, Garett Turner 13, Kroft Sunderland 9.