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WAITSBURG–A second-quarter scoring burst by the Fighting Irish and a third-quarter scoring let-down by Dayton-Waitsburg spelled a 63-40 league loss here last Saturday.
DW ventured to Walla Walla Valley Academy Tuesday falling 67-32 (additional results to be reported next week) and then will host White Swan for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff on Saturday, January 11 as home games in the season's second half shift to Waitsburg. Dayton-Waitsburg visits Columbia on January 14 for another Eastern Washington Athletic Conference matchup, game time 7:30 p.m.
In Waitsburg January 4, the Irish got more looks at the bucket and took advantage of their height to dominate.
"We shot a lot better than we had in earlier games," commented Head Coach Roy Ramirez, but DeSales was just hitting their shots. "They got a lot more shots...they shot twenty more times.
"Our guys were in position to get rebounds," he said, "but their height really affected us." The Irish were able to pick rebounds over DW rebounders' backs, Ramirez said.
"We played pretty good for most of the game," he continued, "but there were a few spots where we didn't play quite as good and they started shooting the ball well.
Dayton-Waitsburg's Colton VanBlaricom was the team's scoring leader with 11, and Dylan Bledsoe chipped in eight. Sharpshooter Mason Finney scored seven. "Mason Finney had some good looks, they just didn't fall for him," Ramirez said.
DeSales's Tim Worden scored a game-high 15 with Andrew Lyford pumping in 12 for the Irish.
The Irish were giving and sharing with Worden and Miedeima popping in a pair of buckets each and Lyford and Lesko scoring to total 12. But DW was hot too, Finney draining a trey and scoring a basket, and Dylan Bledsoe swishing a pair of three pointers to trail the Irish 12-11 after eight minutes.
In the second quarter, Monte Pettichord drained a three and Bledsoe and Tayven Seney found the range to score 10 for Dayton-Waitsburg, but a pair of treys by DeSales's Fruci and buckes by Worden, Miedeima and Holtzinger gave the Irish a 30-21 lead at the break.
DeSales continued with good scoring in the second half while DW struggled with just six points on baskets by Josiah White, Finney and VanBlaricom for six points and the game going out of reach.
The Irish's five-trey third quarter was devastating, but Ramirez praised DW defenders for contesting most of the three-point shots. "They just made some good shots," he said.
DeSales 63, Dayton-Waitsburg 40 (1/4)
DW 11 10 6 13-40
DeS 12 18 17 16-63
Dayton-Waitsburg (40) Colton VanBlaricom 11, Shawn Evans 2, Josiah White 2, Mason Finney 7, Monte Pettichord 3, Seamus House 2, Dylan Bledsoe 8, Tayven Seney 5. Free throws: 2/5-40%. FG(2): 13/30-43%. FG(3): 3/10-30%.
DeSales (63) Jack Lesko 9, Joe Baffing 5, Koy Fruci 6, Andrew Lyford 9, Bobby Holtzinger 12, Matt Miedeima 7, Tim Worden 15. Free throws: 4/10-40%. FG(2): 17/41-41%. FG(3): 8/21-38%.
