Union-Bulletin

COLFAX - The third time wasn't the charm for the Dayton Bulldogs here Saturday in Southeast 2B District girls loser-out playoff action. DeSales completed a season sweep of the Bulldogs in emphatic fashion with a 60-39 victory.

Caitlin Duncan led the way for the Irish with a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double. Erin Giusti added 14, most coming on 8-off-11 free-throw shooting.

Kayla Dedloff, playing in her last Bulldog basketball game, also registered a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

DeSales jumped out early to an 18-8 lead, thanks greatly to Dayton's seven first-quarter turnovers and poor shooting - amazing given Dayton outrebounded the Irish 12-7 in the first quarter including seven offensive rebounds.

The lead remained at or near 10 points for most of the rest of the game, until DeSales pulled away in the final four minutes.

DeSales scored only four field goals in the second half, but made up the difference by making 18-of-24 free-throw attempts.

Dayton fouled 30 times on the game, but no Bulldogs fouled out.

"When you get in the losers' bracket, the key is your girls have got to be ready to step up and make plays," DeSales coach Tim Duncan said. "We did. We posted up Caitlin (Duncan) every chance we got in the second half, and I thought Erin (Giusti) did a great job taking it to the hole."

"Turnovers were a killer for us," Dayton coach Scott Hudson said, "And the thing that really hurts is the majority of them were unforced. You can't do that and stay in a game.

"When you get to the foul line, you've got to put the ball in the hole. We didn't do that. We shot horrible. We didn't shoot well from the field either," he said.

The loss ends Dayton's season and the careers of the only two upper-classmen for the Bulldogs - Nicole Lockard and Kayla Dedloff. "I told Kayla and Nicole that their handprints are going to be on this team for the next two or three years. They helped a lot in getting these girls to mature," Hudson said.

With the win, DeSales advances in the losers' bracket to face the loser of Monday's game between Tekoa-Oakesdale and Liberty Christian. DeSales' next game is Wednesday at Whitman College at 3 p.m.

"The bottom line is execution against either team we face," Duncan said. "We've got to execute and play very good defense. If we can do that, we'll be fine."

DAYTON (39) - Smith 2 0-1 4, Miller 0 0-0 0, Bickelhaupt 3 3-5 10, Lambert 2 0-1 4, Tate 1 0-0 2, Trump 0 0-0 0, Lockard 0 0-0 0, Varney 4 1-2 9, Dedloff 4 1-6 10. Totals 16 5-15 39.

DESALES (60) - Konen 0 2-2 2, Higgins 2 4-8 9, Acock 0 2-4 2, Duncan 8 7-8 26, Giusti 3 8-11 14, Blanc 0 0-0 0, Majerus 0 0-0 0, Zander 2 3-4 7, Ferrel 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 28-37 60.

Dayton 8 12 10 9 - 39

DeSales 18 15 7 20 - 60

3-point goals - Day 2 (Bickelhaupt, Dedloff), DeS 4 (Duncan 3, Higgins). Total fouls - Day 26, DeS 18. Fouled out - DeS (Majerus). Technical fouls - none. Rebounds - Day 36 (Dedloff 16), DeS 29 (Duncan 10). Turnovers - DeS 24, Day 30.