Rusty Rae/News-Register##
Willamina’s outstanding point guard, Cohen Haller (14) gets a taste of Dayton’s defense as three Pirate defenders surround Haller. Michael Freeborn (33) and Caleb Primbs (13) are the defensive players for Dayton.
Rusty Rae/News-Register## Willamina’s outstanding point guard, Cohen Haller (14) gets a taste of Dayton’s defense as three Pirate defenders surround Haller. Michael Freeborn (33) and Caleb Primbs (13) are the defensive players for Dayton.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##
Dayton”s Benji Hudson goes for another lay-in as  Cohen Haller defends.
Rusty Rae/News-Register## Dayton”s Benji Hudson goes for another lay-in as Cohen Haller defends.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##
Dayton senior forward Tyler Spinks sails in for a lay-in during the Pirates contest against Willamina Wednesday night. Defending on the play is Willamina’s Kaleb Cruickshank. Spink finished the game with 12 points.
Rusty Rae/News-Register## Dayton senior forward Tyler Spinks sails in for a lay-in during the Pirates contest against Willamina Wednesday night. Defending on the play is Willamina’s Kaleb Cruickshank. Spink finished the game with 12 points.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##
Nick Bettiga tries to score  on the break while  Kaleb Cruickshank puts a body on him.
Rusty Rae/News-Register## Nick Bettiga tries to score on the break while Kaleb Cruickshank puts a body on him.
By Kirby Neumann-Rea • Of the News-Register • 

Pirate boys sail by 'Dogs, 70-37

 

Dayton’s boys basketball team bolted to a 17-4 first quarter lead Wednesday in Willamina’s gym, with junior Michael Freeborn scoring 6 early points, and the Pirates did not look back in their 70-37 victory.

The taller and more experienced Pirates, with senior Tyler Spink and juniors Lucas Ashley and Trae Wall posting up repeatedly, dominated the boards and put a clamping full court pressure in the closing moments of the second quarter to take a 27-point halftime lead.

Dayton’s experience and size advantages took firm root by halftime, with the Pirates returning to their strictly-enforced back-court press combined with swarming half-court traps. The plan to limit Willamina point guard Cohen Haller’s mobility and shot chances paid off, Dayton coach Ron Hop noted.

“Our deal was to try to double Cohen as much as we could, he’s what makes them go. We did a good job of that. He didn’t get off many shots,” Hop said. Haller was held to four points from the floor, though the sophomore floor leader was everywhere, crashing the boards with sophomores Kaleb Cruikshank and Dylan Graham against the bigger Pirates.

“That was our game plan, and I think we executed it well. We were able to keep it in check the first half and that’s what kind of set the tone for the rest of the game,” Hop said.

“We haven’t pressed in 20 years I’ve been here,” he said. “We’d do it in spots, after free throws in past teams but we usually are not as deep as we are now. We’ve got a lot of kids who can play. I figured let’s get the tempo up and get them tired and take the legs out of some of these teams in the third and fourth quarter.” In a balanced score sheet by the Pirates, Spink led with 12, Freeborn and Ashley 11 apiece, Nick Bettiga 10, Caleb Primbs 9, Wall 6, and Benji Hudson 5.

“As a team we moved the ball well, we boxed out well, and our transition of turnovers to points was really substantial for the game, it helped us push it,” Freeborn said. “When we all play, as coach says, ‘with one heart beat,’ we all really connect and play together. It’s the best basketball you could ask for.”

Both teams started slowly, with Dayton creating an 8-2 lead early with its back-court pressure and a perimeter wall that kept the Bulldogs from penetrating the lane. Willamina stayed in contact early but Dayton dominated the second quarter, 25-19.

Dayton upped the pressure, with three quick turnovers combined with active interior dishes and cuts for scores. Prettiest was a deft Ashley dime dropped to Freeborn. Moments later Ashley was hammered on the block and converted the free throw to make it 34-13.

Sophomore Adam Atherton’s trey for Willamina and moves to the hoop by Haller and Cruikshank kept the Dayton defense hopping, and other bright spots included Graham’s quick jumper off a teammate’s out-of-bounds save to make it 25-11. Then Ashley scored inside and Freeborn outside on consecutive possessions, while framing a shifty score directly at Lucas by Cruikshank, who led the Bulldogs with 11 points. Haller had 9, sophomore Saxon Stockwell added eight including two three-pointers, and Graham, Atherton and Jacob Hadley contributed baskets.

Willamina’s will to stay competive had a hallmark in Haller cleaning up a wild exchange with a ball fake and scooping drive to the hoop to make it 35-17.

Spink’s calm three-pointer a moment later for Dayton kept things in perspective, at 38-17. 

Both teams scrapped from end to end. Seconds before the end of the second quarter, Haller and Dayton’s Benji Hudson grappled on the floor for a loose ball, with Hudson winning the possession. The opponents jumped up and exchanged high fives.

Wall picked up two quick scores on the block, one on a fast-break spinning skip pass from Spink, who moments before halftime would score again on the block to make it 46-19 at the halftime buzzer.

Willamina sustained its energy in the third to close the gap to 58-31, though a ragged fourth quarter for both teams saw a series of steals or errant passes leading to runouts and failed layups, with Willamina unable to convert any of a series of Dayton turnovers.

“I thought in the second half we had better energy, you’re down that much and they didn’t quit,” Willamina coach Cliff Toney said. “The only thing you can control in basketball is effort. You can’t control basketball, basketball is basketball, effort is the one thing you can do. I thought it was better in the second half, I think they were the better team, that’s what we’re trying to get to. They’re juniors and seniors and we’re sophomores and freshmen. We need to get better defensively, we need to get more physical, learn it’s a physical game and play that way.

“I think our youth showed in that game, and their physicality showed in that game, and their maturity showed, and that was the difference in the game,” Toney said. “They did some things defensively to slow down our guard (Haller), and they did a very good job of it. And our kids, as young as they were and as many times as I tell them to do something, they didn’t adjust, and that’s youth. Tonight, I hope they learned something.  If we learn from it, it’s a great opportunity. For us it’s about our league and I think we can win our league and if we can take this and make ourselves better tomorrow then that’s the whole plan.”

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