Lady Dawgs fall just short of state tournament

By ARIEL STAHLER
Gazette & News sports writer

Following a big win over Bristol in the Division IV regional semifinal, Dalton High School’s varsity girls basketball team’s bid for a spot at the state tournament fell short after a tough loss to Buckeye Central in the regional final. Dalton finished with an overall record of 17-11.

The Lady Dawgs took down Bristol 50-38 in the regional semifinal March 3 at Perry High School. Dalton held Bristol to only four points in the first quarter and the Lady Dawgs were ahead 29-15 at halftime.

Bristol started to close the gap in the second half, but Dalton went on a run in the fourth quarter to keep the game out of reach. Dalton did not make its first 3-point shot until the fourth quarter when Addesa Miller sank the triple. Ella Lunsford led the Lady Dawgs with 26 points. Miller added nine points. Sarah Witmer contributed six points and Kylee Johnson had three points.

Dalton needed a win over Buckeye Central in the regional final March 5 to reach the state tournament, but the Buckettes were too much for the Lady Dawgs to overcome, as they won 48-32. The Lady Dawgs started the game keeping pace with Buckeye Central, but they slowly started to lose steam. Dalton was only down 20-18 at halftime, but Buckeye Central came out hot to start the second half and they held the Lady Dawgs to only four points in the third quarter. It was all Buckeye Central in the second half of the game, despite the best efforts of Dalton to keep up. Dalton’s head coach Katie Miller said even though things did not go Dalton’s way in the regional final, it did not overshadow the accomplishments of the season.

Read the complete story in the March 9, 2022 edition.