Wildcats boys basketball goes 0-3 last week

COLTON — The Colton Wildcats boys basketball team went 0-3 last week, narrowly falling to the Highland Huskies of Craigmont, Idaho, 31-28, on Wednesday, Dec. 18, then losing to the St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse (SJEL) Eagles, 67-38, on Friday, Dec. 20, and the Dayton Bulldogs, 52-32, on Saturday, Dec. 21.

Huskies survive

In a close matchup throughout the game, the Highland Huskies gained a three-point victory over the Wildcats on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

The Huskies led, 5-2, to end the first quarter and at halftime it was a one-point game at 13-12 in favor of Highland.

The third quarter is what made the difference as Colton scored three points to Highland’s nine. With the Huskies adding nine points in the fourth and the Wildcats scoring 13, the attempted comeback for Colton fell just short and Highland got the win.

Junior Tanner Baerlocher and sophomore Ivan Michel each scored 13 points for the Wildcats. Baerlocher hit six field goals and went 6-for-11 from the free-throw line. Michel made four field goals, including three 3-pointers and shot 2-for-4 at the line.

Eagles claw Cats

The Wildcats went on to fall to the St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse (SJEL) Eagles, 67-38, on Friday, Dec. 20.

It was another close matchup in the first half with the Eagles taking a 15-14 lead at the end of the first quarter and leading 24-21 at halftime.

In the third quarter, SJEL scored 29 points and held the Wildcats to two points. The teams kept pace with each other in the final quarter with Colton scoring 15 and SJEL scoring 14 for the Eagles win.

Baerlocher and freshman Silas Nollmeyer led the Wildcats with 12 points each. Baerlocher sank five field goals and two free throws. All of Nollmeyer’s points came from four 3-pointers.

Sophomore Hayden Purnell added seven points and Michel scored six points for the Wildcats.

Bulldogs tame Wildcats

The Dayton Bulldogs defeated the Colton Wildcats, 52-32, on Saturday, Dec. 21.

The Bulldogs gained a 12-5 advantage to end the first quarter and led 24-16 at halftime. With Dayton gaining 15 points in the third and Colton adding 10 points in the same quarter, the Bulldogs got the win.

Baerlocher paced the Wildcats with 11 points on five field goals and a free throw. Michel added six points for Colton with sophomore Wyatt Baysinger and freshman Jake Moehrle adding five points each.

Colton has had a handful of close final scores so far this year, having fallen to Genesee by six points, Tekoa-Rosalia by three, Waitsburg by two and now Highland by three.

The Wildcats will next take on 2B opponent Asotin Panthers at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, in Colton.