Colfax Bulldogs derail Dayton on state road

Colfax’s Abbie Miller drives against Kaitlyn Chantry of Dayton. Miller scored 10 points in the first half. For more pictures, see Weekly Pages: March 2.

Colfax girls Saturday defeated top-rated Dayton 57-48 in the state's regional round at Richland High School to lock up one of four quarter-final slots Thursday when the state's 2B Hardwood Classic returns to the Spokane Arena.

The Bulldogs will return to Spokane after placing sixth last year in the final hoop show with another trophy matchup against Toutle Lake at the end of the season.

Colfax was the lone NE team to peg a win in last weekend's regional round. NE champion St. George's lost 49-53 to Kalama in the regional, and NE number-two Davenport lost to Wahkiakum 46-60.

Both of the NE contenders were booked into elimination games Wednesday at the Arena.

Colfax coach Corey Baerlocher notes both the Dragons and Gorillas had to travel to Vancouver last week to play the regional games. Kalama and Wahkiakum had the short travel assignments, and that was probably a factor in the close wins posted by the coast teams.

Baerlocher Tuesday said he expects both St. George's and Davenport will get past the Wednesday tests and show up in the state quarter-final bracket today, Thursday.

A win by Davenport will match them up against Colfax in the quarter-final round today at 5:30 in the Arena.

Ilwaco, a 57-36 regional winner over Raymond, was the other qualifier for the Thursday quarter-final with Colfax, Kalama and Wahkiakum.

The Bulldogs defeated Davenport 68-46 in the lone matchup between the two teams during the league season. Baerlocher noted Davenport evolved into a much tougher team in the last half of the season. The Gorillas rattled St. George's in the district title game after derailing a talented Liberty club in the semi-finals.

Saturday at Richland, Colfax again came out with a roar in the second half for the 57-48 win over Dayton, a team which topped the new WIAA ratings chart for most of the season. Colfax faced Dayton out of the number-eight playoff slot.

The two Bulldog teams tangled full bore over the first two quarters with Colfax taking a three-point lead, 21-18, to the lockers at the half.

Colfax then came out and clobbered Dayton 18-6 in the third quarter to take control. The third quarter blast has become a trait for Colfax as they have advanced down the playoff trail.

Baerlocher declined to say how Colfax seems to shift gears at halftime, although he comes close to admitting he really does not have a formula to recite.

Colfax came out in the third frame with a 10-point run with Carmen Gfeller hitting five quick points. Piper Cai added a threebie, and Colfax had a 31-18 lead before Dayton scored for the first time in the quarter.

Taylor Garcia added a trey, and Gfeller hit three more to put the lead at 39-24 after the quarter.

The lead dropped down to 11 with five minutes left, but Colfax began to pick up the fouls shots while Dayton attempted to pick up possession time.

Colfax finished with a 22-27 mark off the toss line. During the last three minutes, Colfax hit a run of eight straight toss shots with Gfeller dropping six and Cai two.

Baerlocher said one tactic Colfax used for the game was to out-battle Dayton on the perimeter. The D-dogs appeared to be a team which liked to shovel the ball into the paint and pick up scores from short range, and Colfax defenders worked to keep the ball from going to the inside.

Colfax finished with a 44-34 edge on rebounds with Gfeller pulling down 14. Cai had six rebounds and four steals in the game. Jenna Phillips topped Dayton scorers with 21 points.

Dayton's Saturday loss put them up against Mabton, the lone team to top them in league play, in Wednesday's elimination round at Spokane. Winner of that round will play second-rated Wahkiakum in the last quarter-final game, booked for 9 p.m. today.

Colfax is slotted on the top side of the eight-team state bracket, and wins Wednesday by Davenport and St. George's would put all three NE teams in the same bracket.

Colfax 67-Dayton 48: 10/8 11/10 18/6 18/24: Alexia Smith 1 0-0 2, Piper Cai 1 (3pt) 4-4 7, Madi Cox 1 2-2 4, Abbie Miller 3 (2-3pt) 2-4 10, Carmen Gfeller 6 (3pt) 9-9 22, Greta Geier 1 4-6 6, Taylor Garcia 2 (3pt) 1-2 6. Total: 15 22-27 f-25 67. Dayton: Jenna Phillips 6 (3pt) 8-13 21, Sidney Andrews 3 (3pt) 1-1 8, Tatumn Laughery 2 0-0 4, Joslyn Fullertson 2 1-3 5, Shayla Currin 3 4-8 10. Total: 16 14-25 f-22 48.