DAYTON–The Naselle Comets hung with Dayton-Waitsburg for a couple quarters then the Wolfpack took off, outscoring the visiting team 33-16 in the second half to win 55-31 in the last game before breaking for Christmas.
The team returns to play next Thursday, Dec. 29, at Pomeroy for a non-league matchup. League play follows versus River View on January 6 at home.
The Wolfpack took an 11-6 lead at the end of eight minutes. Midway through the second quarter, Naselle pulled within one point but DW scrapped with the Comets, to hold a 22-15 lead at half.
That margin was bumped to a ten-point lead by a Ryland Kilts three pointer, but Naselle's K. Lindstrom and Jack Strange slashed that to four points with a pair of treys.
But DW didn't freeze, growing their lead back to a 38-25 lead after three.
Naselle had a weak fourth, scoring six to DW's 17.
At Cowiche, Highland didn't have an answer for Spencer Hansen's game-high 18 points, including four treys, and Kilts's 15 points, three shot from the arc. Wolfpack teammates all pitched in, Pettichord and Blake French each adding eight points.
It was a tight first quarter, the score tied 7-7 with :29 to go when Wyaitt Booth drained a three for a 10-7 first-quarter score.
Hansen scored a field goal and a trey to help nudge DW's score away from Highland, the trey making it 19-9 at the 3:16 mark. Kilts nailed a three to keep the difference at 11 points, and Highland stalled, DW leading 28-11 at half.
Highland continued to struggle as the Wolfpack score ticked upward to 48-24 after three quarters and cruised to the 62-30 win.
Down the stretch at TriCities Prep on Dec. 13, Benny Bryan nailed a three pointer with 2:18 to play and a 38-37 Wolfpack lead, followed by a defensive stop and another bucket by Gage Holm to go up 40-37.
But TCP's Bryson Wilde scored to make a one-point game and Kyle Jordan's buzzer beater gave the Jaguars the 41-40 decision.
Dayton-Waitsburg 55, Naselle 31 (12/20)
DW 11 11 16 17-55
Nas 6 9 10 6-31
Naselle (31) Jack Strange 10, Jacob Lindstrom 6, Jacob Pakenen 3, Kolton Lindstrom 12. Free throws: 6/9-67%. FG(2)-8/19-42%. FG(3)-9/21-43%.
DW (55) Spencer Hansen 21, Gage Holm 8, Ryland Kilts 11, Joe Patterson 2, Benny Bryan 2, Monte Pettichord 11. Free throws: 4/7-57%. FG(2)-12/26-46%. FG(3)-9/21-43%.
Rebounds: DW-S. Hansen 6, Holm 4, Kilts 7, Bryan 2, Pettichord 3, Yutze 1, Booth 1.
Dayton-Waitsburg 62, Highland 30 (12/19)
DW 10 18 20 14-62
HI 7 1 13 6-30
DW (62) S. Hansen 18, Kilts 15, Bryan 4, Pettichord 8, Ruben Yutze 1, Blake French 8, Wyaitt Booth 3, Gage Holm 3, Lucas VanHoose 2. Free throws: 5/11-45%. FG(2)-15/32-47%. FG(3)-9/20-45%.
Highland (30) Yahir Castro Lon 1, Jayden Connolly 2, Andrew Clements 5, Jose Perez 9, Sergio Ayala Macias 7, Adrian Ceja-Flores 6. Free throws: 1/3-33%. FG(2)-10.26-38%. FG(3)-3/10-30%.
TriCities Prep 41, DW 40 (12-13)
DW 12 7 6 15-40
TCP 4 16 7 14-41
DW (40) S. Hansen 12, Kilts 11, Bryan 7, Pettichord 8, Holm 2. Free throws: 5/8-63%. FG(2)-10.27-37%. FG(3)-5/19-26%.
TCP (41) B. McClure 4, B. Wilde 5, K. Jordan 5, C. Jordan 14, C. Calderon 9, W. Wilde 4. Free throws: 7/12-58%. FG(2)-11/28-39%. FG(3)-4/20-20%.