Dogs Bite Cards By 3

DAYTON -- The WP Cardinals and Dayton Bulldogs duked it out once again last Friday night, battling point-forpoint in an old-fashioned rival basketball game.

The Cardinals hit nine threepoint buckets in Friday's game, but missed one when it really counted giving the Bulldogs a 53-50 victory over the Cardinals.

The Bulldogs brought down the opening tip and it was game on from there. It was quickly established that this was going to be a fast-paced, run-the-floor kind of game.

The Cardinals were first to light the board when Zach Bartlow hit back-to-back free throws after he was fouled by Hayden Fullerton while driving to the hoop.

Bulldog post Kroft Sunderland quickly answered with a two-foot bank shot.

WP's Justin Zuger took back the WP lead with a bucket of his own, but the Cardinals soon found themselves in hot water when Bartlow was called for his second foul on Dayton's Joey Schlachter.

"Zach getting into foul trouble so early was a nightmare," said WP head coach TJ Scott. "Not being able to keep him out on the floor hurt us."

Schlachter went one for two from the line and the Cardinals took the rebound the length of the floor for a bucket from Dustin Wooderchak.

Fullerton was fouled while driving inside, but still nailed down two points for the Bulldogs going two for two from the line to tie the game at six.

It was a fast-break duel for the teams until Colton Bickelhaupt ended it with a Bulldog bucket and the Dogs took the lead, 8-6.

WP's Dalton Estes answered with a jump shot for two, but Dayton's brick house Sunderland hit a turnaround jumper from the baseline.

The Cardinals missed their next shot and it was Sunderland from the baseline again for a 12-8 Bulldog lead.

WP's Sterling Eastman put his touch on the ball sending one in from the three-point line with 1:27 left in the first, but Bickelhaupt came right back to put two more on the board for the Dogs. The Cardinals were down 13-18 at the end of the first quarter.

WP's Dalton Estes nailed a three-point shot and Bartlow drove in for two pulling the Cards within two points of the Bulldogs.

Once again it was Sunderland for two, followed by a quick Garret Turner bucket for a 24-18 Bulldog lead.

WP's Eastman answered with his second three-pointer, but Turner was on fire adding a three-pointer of his own with 3:15 left in the half.

Turner wasn't done. He snatched the ball from the Cards and dumped it off to Bickelhaupt who put it up for two .

The Bulldogs scored again with a Wyatt Frame put back, giving the Bulldogs a 31-21 lead .

Bartlow was off the bench and ready for action driving to the basket for two. Dalton Estes put up his second three-pointer of the night to pull the Cardinals within five points of the Dogs, but Fullerton added two more before the end of the half giving the Bulldogs a 33-26 half time lead.

The Cardinals third-quarter scoring came from two threepoint baskets from Eastman and one from Zuger.

The Bulldogs had a threepoint basket of their own from Bickelhaupt, but it was Turner who scored six of the nine Bulldog points for the third quarter with two free throws and two driving lay-ups.

The Cardinals were down by seven going into the fourth quarter, but three-point shots from Wooderchak and Zuger, combined with back-to-back buckets from Bartlow, pulled the Cards within two points of the Dogs with just less than two minutes left in the game.

Sunderland was fouled down low, but made only one free throw, putting the Dogs up 50-47.

Wooderchak answered with a baseline bucket, but Dayton's Bickelhaupt was fouled with 37 seconds left. He went one for two from the line.

Wooderchak had his shot from the line next, but made only one basket, pulling the Cards within one point.

The Bulldogs worked the ball down the court and called a timeout with 27.3 seconds left.

WP's Dalton Estes fouled Bickelhaupt to stop the clock, but the Cardinals were in the double bonus and Bickelhaupt put both free throws in for a 53- 50 Bulldog lead.

The Cardinals managed to work the ball around getting it to Dalton Estes behind the three-point line, but his shot bounced off the rim into the hands of Fullerton.

Dalton Estes fouled to stop the clock, but Fullerton missed both his free throws.

The Cardinals had just enough time to throw up a long bomb at the buzzer from the Bulldog end of the court, but it did no good. The Bulldogs came out on top, 53-50.

"We didn't shoot as well as we can," said Bulldog head coach Roy Ramirez. "You got to give the WP defense credit. They made us work for it."

"This is going to be a tough season, there are a lot of good teams in the league," said Ramirez.

Four Bulldogs broke into double digits with Sunderland leading with 14 points and seven rebounds.

Turner was right on his heels with 13 points and four rebounds. Fullerton added 10 points and seven rebounds, while Bickelhaupt had 10 points, seven assists and two steals.

"They are a good shooting team'" said WP head coach TJ Scott. "They almost had us buried, but our momentum changed when we got a blocked shot and we were able to get some transition points."

Bartlow managed 10 points and seven rebounds with his limited playing time. Wooderchak and Zuger both added eight points and Estes added six.