Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON–Dayton Waitsburg snapped a 23-game losing streak with a tense 54-49 win over Prescott here Tuesday, marking the first win for the Dayton-Waitsburg Boys Basketball Program since the two schools fully combined programs.

And they did it in a most spectacular fashion. Trailing 24-17 at half time, Dayton-Waitsburg's Dylan Bledsoe drained a hat trick of three pointers to kick off the third quarter, with teammates Mason Finney and Colton VanBlaricom adding treys of their own.

The stunned Tigers, who early in the game seemed capable of a runaway with a press-fueled 12-2 lead, mustered just nine points in the third quarter, DW commanding a 42-33 lead going into the fourth.

Dayton-Waitsburg seemed to be in the zone as Monte Pettichord fed a nice assist to Bledsoe for a 44-33 lead.

Then Prescott's Jonathan Cardenas went to work, scoring 11 of the Tigers' next 13 points and cutting the difference to six points with three minutes to play.

DW was coasting through the early minutes of the fourth without its 6-1 junior guard, Finney, who hit the floor in the third quarter and limped off. Finney returned to the maple at 5:11 and quickly matched Cardenas with six points-driving the key, putting back a Shawn Evans miss and pulling up for a 15 footer.

Miguel Ayala hit a bucket to cut the difference to four points, 50-46. In the frenzy to get up court, DW lost possession and Omar Velazco went to the charity stripe on a Bledsoe foul. He missed the one and one and both teams shared possessions and missed shots by Finney and Cardenas.

DW turned the ball over again and Victor Garcia pumped one in, making it a hair-raising two-point ballgame: 50-48.

On Dayton-Waitsburg's next play, forward Tayven Seney put back a miss and was fouled by Cardenas, who left the game with five fouls. But Seney's shots clanked off the rim, Prescott rebounding and hustling upcourt for the tying shot. Garcia set up to shoot a three pointer and was fouled by Finney, his fifth. Garcia missed all three gifters and the score remained 50-48.

In the scramble for the rebound, DW and Tiger rebounders got tangled in a jump ball, possession to Dayton-Waitsburg.

Coach Roy Ramirez called time with 52.7 seconds to play and the inbounds play was a give and go to Seney for two-credit VanBlaricom with the assist.

The Tigers were working the ball to get another basket, but were whistled for traveling.

After Tiger Coach Allyn Griffin called time out, DW worked the ball with 29.8 seconds to go and no shot clock. Velazco fouled VanBlaricom, but he missed the front end of the one-and-one. Again, rebounders grappled for the pumpkin and the jump ball gave the ball to Prescott.

The half-court inbounds pass was intercepted for Seney, who dished to VanBlaricom, who was again fouled by Velazco. Again VanBlaricom missed the front end of the bonus and Prescott jetted to their end, getting the ball to Ayala, who was fouled by Seney.

Ayala split the pair of gifters for a 52-49 score.

Again trying to play keepaway, the ball wound up in a scrum and the possession arrow went DW's way. Ayala fouled Seney on the inbounds, but the senior forward missed both in the double bonus.

Following another tangle and jump ball to Prescott, the Tigers turned the ball over on the inbounds play.

Dayton-Waitsburg called a time out with 4.2 seconds to go, then inbounded the ball. VanBlaricom was fouled and he sank both gifters for the 54-49 final.

"Yeah, they finally got some shots to fall," commented Coach Ramirez. "I think we would've won some of the previous three games if we would've been able to shoot the ball. We came out and we played hard..

During the half time talk, Ramirez said the team got the word. "We challenged them a little bit to come out and play hard and just give it everything they had in that third quarter, and they did and it showed because they got a pretty good lead," he said. "It's the first win. They deserve it. They worked hard."

Ramirez noted that the Tigers were flat in the third quarter but he believes "we just brought a little extra to that second half."

Dayton-Waitsburg 54, Prescott 49

DW 8 9 25 7-54

Prc 16 8 9 16-49

DW (54) Colton VanBlaricom 9, Josiah White 2, Mason Finney 20, Dylan Bledsoe 17, Tayven Seney 6. Free throws: 4/14-29%.

Prescott (49) Omar Velazco 4, Victor Garcia 10, Jonathan Cardenas 19, Miguel Ayala 13, Antonio Hernandez 3. Free throws: 9/16-56%.

Threes: DW-Dylan Bledsoe 3, Mason Finney 2, Colton Vanblaricom. Prescott-Cardenas 2.

Fouled out: DW-Finney. Prescott-Cardenas.

Technical fouls: DW-0. Prescott-1.

Mac-Hi 46, DW 33

The Mac-Hi Pioneers blew to a 32-17 half time lead and held on for a 46-33 non-conference win last Saturday in Dayton.

Mac-Hi 46, DW 33

DW 7 10 4 12-33

MH 13 19 7 7-46

DW (33) VanBlaricom 9, Kitselman 1, White 2, Finney 8, Pettichord 2, Bledsoe 7, Seney 6. Free throws: 9/19-50%. Field goals(2): 8/39-21%. Field goals(3): 2/8-25%.

Mac-Hi (46) Stephens 19, H. Castillo 12, Flores-Garcia 2, Isaac 4, C. Castillo 5, Badilla 2.

College Place H.S. 78, DW 56

-Chronicle photo

Dylan Bledsoe swished a trio of three pointers to spark the team to a 54-49 win.

At College Place, Finney and Seney both scored 10, but the DW defense wasn't able to keep five CP Hawks from scoring in double figures. The Hawks romped with five players scoring in double-digits, with Joel Jameson leading with 18.

CPHS 78, DW 56

DW 9 13 16 10-56

CP 18 20 29 11-78

DW (56) VanBlaricom 6, Kitselman 8, Evans 8, White 2, Finney 10, Costello 6, Bledsoe 6, Seney 10. Free throws: 15/23-65%. Field goals(2): 19/36-53%. Field goals(3): 11/20-55%.

CPHS (78) Case 15, Hamada 10, Hill 10, Shumate 4, Howard 13, Jameson 18, Durand 7. Free throws: 12/16-75%. Field goals(2): 16/33-48%. Field goals(3): 1/8-13%.

St. John-Endicott-LaCrosse won the season opener in St. John 59-48.

The D-Dubs busted out with a 20-8 first-quarter lead, but then the Eagle defense put the kibosh on the DW offense, holding the team to 28 points in the rest of the game.