MILTON-FREEWATER–Dayton-Waitsburg Head Coach Roy Ramirez is patiently waiting for his patients—correction: players—to all be healthy at the same time, to see how they might do on the basketball court.

Never the less, the Dayton-Waitsburg boys have put in impressive showings, especially at a Mac-Hi sponsored Christmas Tournament here last weekend.

DW faced Irrigon on Friday, losing 59-52, and then placed Stanfield Saturday, getting edged 53-52.

“We’ve had a lot of kids out sick,” Ramirez said, pointing out that a December 20 league game against Liberty Christian was canceled due to sickness-reduced player numbers. The game will be rescheduled.

Relapses also are bedeviling Dayton-Waitsburg, Ramirez said. “When a couple kids get better, then a couple more get sick. Then, when they are well enough to play, the others get sick again,” he said.

Against Irrigon, Mason Finney led all with 24 points, balancing points between the three-point arc and the free-throw line. But Finney’s count couldn’t counter four Irrigon players in double digits, led by Ruben Moreno with 18.

DW trailed at times by as much as 15 points and fought hard to come back, Ramirez said.

“Defensively, we didn’t do what we needed to do,” he said. “But we kept digging and got it back to single digits.”

Irrigon jumped to a 10-point first quarter lead then the lid went on as DW outscored them 11-4 in the second quarter to draw within three, 26-23 at half time.

In the third quarter, the tables turned and Irrigon punched the difference to 43-29 before a 23-point DW fourth quarter pulled the local boys within six as time expired.

Versus Stanfield on Saturday, DW missed the win by a single point as Finney’s last-second shot rimmed off, giving Stanfield the 53-52 win.

“We shot the ball a little better,” Ramirez said. “And defensively, we were a lot better than the night before.

Dylan Bledsoe shot a game-high 16 points and Colton VanBlaricom pumped in 12 to lead DW scorers in the 53-52 loss to the Tigers.

DW and Stanfield battled to a near draw, the Tigers leading 9-8 after the first quarter. DW broke away with 15 in the second stanza while Stanfield managed 11, DW holding a 23-20 half time lead.

The outcome depended on the fourth quarter as both teams scored 15 in the third, and DW’s 18-14 outscoring of Stanfield in the fourth was just shy of the tie or win.

Stanfield 53, Dayton-Waitsburg 52

DW 8 15 15 14-52

STN 9 11 15 18-53

Dayton-Waitsburg (52) Colton VanBlaricom 12, Shawn Evans 5, Mason Finney 7, Wyatt Costello 11, Dylan Bledsoe 16, Tayven Seney 1. Free throws: 11/23-48%. FG(2): 11/35-31%. FG(3): 6/15-40%.

Stanfield (53) Ricky Carrillo 7, Josue Hernandez 6, Keagen Brown 4, Sam Kerns 2, Ryan Elizares 4, Mario Sanchez 13, Rafael Orozco 12. Free throws: 16/28-57%. FG(2): 13/37-35%. FG(3): 2/8-25%.

Irrigon 59, Dayton-Waitsburg 52

DW 12 11 6 23-52

Irr 22 4 17 16-59

Dayton-Waitsburg (52) Colton VanBlaricom 6, Shawn Evans 5, Mason Finney 24, Wyatt Costello 6, Dylan Bledsoe 5, Tayven Seney 4, Keon Lindley 2. Free throws: 10/17-59%. FG(2): 18/54-33%. FG(3): 2/11-18%.

Irrigon (59) Ryan Hussey 2, John Cardens 12, Felipe Flores 16, Ruben Moreno 18, Omar Madrigal 10, A. Madrigal 1. Free throws: 19/30-63%. FG(2): 11/23-48%. FG(3): 6/17-35%.