Dogs Struggle To De-Claw Bears

WALLA WALLA - The Dayton Lady Bulldogs fought tooth-and-nail for a trip to the big show, but were overpowered by the fast and furious Brewster Bears, 71-37, last Saturday night to end their season with a 9-15 record.

Dayton's McKayla Bickelhaupt was first to light the board with her infamous pull up jumper from the top of the key. The Bulldogs were able to hold off the Bears for the next 2 minutes until the Bears' hot hands stole the ball away from the Bulldogs to lay it up at the other end for the Bears' first bucket.

The Bears' man- to- man defensive pressure had the Bulldogs fighting to work the ball inside to their strong post players Shelby Smith and Nicole Lambert. But the quick hands of the Bears were picking off the Bulldogs left and right and the Bears converted those turnovers into 10 unanswered points. Dayton's Smith worked her mojo for a fighting postbank shot for the Bulldogs next basket, but the Bears answered with a basket of their own to leave the Dogs trailing, 4-14, with 2:40 left in the first.

The Bears turned up their defensive pressure with a full court press making it even tougher for the Bulldogs to move the ball.

The Bears put up 10 more unanswered points in the remainder of the first quarter leaving the Bulldogs down, 4-24.

The Bulldogs put some of their own defensive pressure on the Bears with a quick swipe from Bickelhaupt that she drove down the court and dumped to Lexi Ramirez underneath for a Bulldog bucket leaving the Dogs down, 10-32.

The Bears went on a 12-0 run until the Bulldogs scored again with a Smith bucket from down low. Bulldog Samantha Harting answered that with a steal that she took coast to coast for two to end the first half with the Dogs trailing, 14-44. The Bears were first to score coming out of the locker room, but Lambert answered with a Bulldog basket.

The Bears attempted to answer, but Smith's quick feet and hot hands blocked that shot and Bickelhaupt drove out of the huddle with the ball and found Smith breaking to the basket.

Smith missed her layup, which the Bears rebounded and put up at their end for three. But Bickelhaupt showed her stuff with a three-pointer of her own to beat the shot clock buzzer leaving the Dogs down, 19-49.

The Bears brought back their press but left Smith all alone underneath for another Bulldog basket. The Bulldogs' defense created three consecutive Bear turnovers with steals from Malia Frame, Courtney Fuller and Jessica Tate. But, the Bulldogs were unable to convert at the other end and the Dogs were down, 23-57, going in to the final quarter. The Bulldogs came out biting in the fourth with Tate breaking away with a defensive rebound that she pumped out to Ramirez who took it all the way for two.

Ramirez grabbed a defensive rebound busting her way through defenders for a layup for two. Lambert answered her for another Bulldog basket, and Bickelhaupt got her hands on another Bear shot attempt and drew a foul on the Bears while scrambling for the ball.

The Bulldogs showed their heart continuing to give it all they had with a basket from Harting from underneath and one from Lambert. Fuller ended the Bulldog scoring with a pull up shot from inside the key to leave the Bulldogs with a final score of 37-71.

"These girls have the hearts of champions," said head coach Clayton Strong of his Lady Bulldogs.

Dayton vs. Brewster 37-71

Day 4 10 9 14 - 37