Fighting Ducks Trip Up Dogs In First Final 8 Game

SPOKANE -- The Bulldogs knew the Toutle Lake Fighting Ducks would be tough, but they still had hopes to get around the Western Washington veterans of 19 consecutive arena playoffs .

The first quarter, which ended 12-11 in favor of the Bulldogs, had the feeling of a close game. But the Ducks' notorious forward-defense press succeeded in destabilizing the Dayton offense, allowing Toutle Lake to build a growing lead over the Dogs and never look back.

Dayton's first Final 8 game ended in a 62-51 defeat.

"We didn't play up to our potential," head coach Roy Ramirez said. "We were a little too timid on offense."

Toutle Lake began to build its lead in the second quarter with treys and immediate answers to every Dayton basket. The Ducks' intense defense threw off the Bulldogs' shooting accuracy from the field and shut the door on many layup attempts.

At the halftime buzzer, the Dogs were behind, 31- 20, having kept top scorer Bulldog Garett Turner to just two points. Dayton made just seven of its 22 field goal attempts. Turner said he and his teammates needed to shake off the jitters for their first game in the big bright arena. But even after the team settled its nerves, the Dogs didn't play as well as they could have, the senior said.

Concerned some of his starters might foul out, Ramirez rotated several bench players at the outset of the second half. The Ducks began the half with back-toback layups, prompting the coach to call a timeout and regroup.

A Hayden Fullerton trey just before the shot clock ran out lifted team spirits somewhat, but Dayton could not chip away enough to affect Toutle Lake's margin, which stood at 47-34 at the end of the third quarter.

A Turner field goal got the Dayton home crowd back in the game at the start of the fourth period, but even though the Bulldog star was much more effective from the field during the second half, Toutle Lake kept pushing up its lead with treys. Several offensive efforts -- a breakaway from Fullerton and a layup from Frame -- brought the Dogs within eight points (59-51) half a minute before the buzzer.

A final Dayton trey shot attempt failed and a lastminute foul sent the Ducks to the free throw to end the game, 62-51.

"It felt it could be an even matchup, but they came out and shot better than us," Bulldog Wyatt Frame said about the first Final 8 game.