Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

COLTON–The Lady Bulldogs picked up the pace in the second half against the Colton Lady Wildcats but not enough to counter the high-scoring Cat players and their ten three pointers in the 66-21 loss here last Saturday.

The Lady Bulldogs faced Grape Division foe Touchet last Tuesday in non league play, falling 32-25. The team wraps the December schedule with a road trip to Rosalia Friday before breaking for the Christmas holiday. They resume the season January 5 at Garfield-Palouse.

Colton's defense stymied the Lady Dawgs for a 16-0 first-quarter score. "Dayton started out slow in the first half," commented Head Coach Jorie Aukerman. "Colton was shooting well.

"We came out a bit stronger in the second half, took more shots and scored better in the third quarter but would not be able to make up for the first half," she said.

Aukerman praised the Lady Bulldogs' defense for holding the Wildcats to 10 points in the third quarter.

The Lady Wildcats focused on preventing 5-8 freshman Peyton Benavides, who usually scores well on the inside game. Colton held Benavides to two points.

Teagan Culley, scoring eight, and Marissa Tupling, with seven, were Dayton high scorers.

Against Walla Walla Valley Academy on December 12, the Lady Knights spread scoring around to nine members of the roster, led by Nell Dodds with 13, Maddy Irving with eight and Jasmyn Heredia with seven.

WWVA took a 12-4 lead in the first quarter and then clamped down on Dayton's offense, allowing only two points in the second quarter to finish the first half ahead 26-6.

"Our shots were just not falling," Aukerman said.

In the second half, Dayton's man defense and pressure made a difference, Aukerman said. The Lady Bulldogs were outscored 10-9 in the third quarter.

"Dayton won the second half with great effort and ball pressure, 21-15," Aukerman noted. "Once we got in the flow of driving the ball and passing it into the posts, more options started to happen.

"Peyton Benavides was posting up strong and our girls continued to get her the ball," Aukerman said.

Then the Lady Knights went on a tear with 17 points in the fourth quarter to finish well ahead 66-21.

-Chronicle photo

Marissa Tupling (5) scored seven points in Dayton's contest against Colton and she made five against Walla Walla Valley Academy, where she here pushes the ball upcourt in action from that game last week.

Colton 66, Dayton 21 (12-16)

Day 0 6 9 6-21

Col 16 23 10 17-66

Dayton (21) Teagan Culley 8, Marissa Tupling 7, Jaelyn Chapman 4, Peyton Benavides 2. Free throws: 5/10-50%. FG(2): 8/34-24%. FG(3): 0/9-0%.

Colton (66) Leah Musson 4, Rori Weber 17, Ada Kerr 2, Kyndra Stout 26, Ella Nollmeyer 15, Clair Moehrle 2. Free throws: 10/12-83%. FG(2):13/24-54%. FG(3): 10/40-25%.

WWVA 41, Dayton 27 (12-12)

Day 4 2 6 15-27

WWVA 12 14 8 7-41

Dayton (27) Kamryn Tupling 7, Marissa Tupling 5, Lila Hutchens 2, Peyton Benavides 13. Free throws: 3/8-38%. FG(2): 9/34-26%. FG(3): 2/7-29%.

WWVA (41) Brianna Thomas 2, Brooklyn Stuart 2, Gabrielle Huxel 2, Abigail Mitra 2, Maddy Irving 8, Danika Larson 2, Jasmyn Heredia 7, Nell Dodds 13, Ruvimbo Taruwinga 3. Free throws: 6/8-75%. FG(2): 13/43-30%. FG(3): 3/15-20%.