Dayton Remains Top Dog In League

WALLA WALLA -- The Dayton Bulldogs kept their perfect season alive with a 60-36 victory over the DeSales Fighting Irish last Saturday night.

The Irish took the tipoff, but missed three-consecutive shots before Bulldog Kroft Sunderland started off the scoring from down low .

The Irish put up three unanswered baskets while the Bulldog defense tried to find their groove.

The Bulldogs scored again with just less than 4 minutes left when Hayden Fullerton tossed up his first three pointer of the night. Garret Turner tied things up at six when he hit a free throw after drawing an Irish foul while driving to the hoop.

The Dogs came right back at the Irish with a Turner fast-break dish off to Colton Bickelhaupt for two and a basket from Fullerton for a 10-6 Bulldog lead.

The Bulldogs added two more when Turner pulled up in the key for two, but the Irish sank a trey with just seconds left in the first to narrow the Bulldog lead, 12-11, after one quarter.

Although the Bulldogs outscored the Irish, 12-8, in the second quarter, they were making uncharacteristic turnovers and just didn't seem to have that Bulldog spark that they've been running the floor with all season.

Joey Schlachter got things started for the Bulldogs with an opening bucket, but traveling violations and poor passing kept the Dogs scoreless for minutes.

It was Sunderland who broke the ice with a forceful rebound and fast-break dish out to Bickelhaupt, who took the ball all the way for two in traditional Bulldog fashion.

The Bulldogs stumbled through three more turnovers before Wyatt Frame added two more with his own put back for a 20-17 Bulldog lead.

Frame then broke away and went the distance for two, but the Irish answered with a basket with just 22 seconds left in the half.

Bickelhaupt answered that with a Bulldog bucket, then turned around and stole the ball from the Irish, but couldn't get to the hoop before the buzzer. The Bulldogs took a 24-19 halftime lead.

"Our defensive pressure in the first half wasn't what I'd like to see," said Dayton head coach Roy Ramirez. "But we came out in the second half and turned it up a little bit."

Turn it up is exactly what the Bulldogs did.

They held the Irish to just seven points in the third quarter while Sunderland went to business down low, ripping down rebounds and putting up buckets, scoring 10 points for the Dogs in the third on the way to a 45-26 lead going into the final quarter.

The Bulldogs continued to put the game away in the fourth with baskets from Sunderland, Frame and Turner.

It was a sweet Bulldog ending as the Dogs spent the final seconds holding onto the ball and an undefeated record with a 60-36 victory.

Turner was top dog of the night with 14 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

Sunderland was right in there with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.

Fullerton threw up 12 points and Frame was the fourth Bulldog to hit double digits with 11 points.

Schlachter brought down nine rebounds, swiped the ball twice and had one blocked Irish shot.

The Bulldogs next step towards a perfect season will be to shut down Tri-City Prep next Friday night in Pasco.

Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Dayton vs. Desales

61-36

Day 12 12DeS 11 8Turner 14

Sunderland 14

Fullerton 12

Frame 11

Bickelhaupt 7

Schlachter 4