Dayton Boys Basketball Defeat Brearley

The Dayton Bulldogs took down the Brearley Bears Tuesday night in Kenilworth, 46-33. With the victory, the Bulldogs have improved to 9-3.

The first quarter started off slow, with neither team able to score for the first minute and a half, until Matt Padlo of Brearley hit a three-pointer to put the first points on the board. After two more from Brearley, Kareem Jackson scored the first two for Saton, followed by a steal, breakaway, and lay-up from Justin Grant to make the score 5-4 Bears with 4:00 remaining in the first quarter.

Near the end of the first quarter, Aaron Williams, one of the Bulldog team leaders, took a nasty spill, landing on his hip and remaining on the ground for awhile. As he walked off, he could be seen squeezing his right hand and grimacing. Ronnie Herman came in and sunk both foul throws that Williams would have shot to tie the game at seven.

"It was a hard fall I took," said Williams. "But I've taken falls before."

By the end of the first quarter, Herman had scored seven points total in just a few minutes, with two foul throws, a three-pointer and a two-pointer, leading the game for either team.

"I got some open looks and knocked them down," said Herman.

The first quarter ended, and the Bulldogs had turned a 5-0 deficit into a 14-7 lead.  

Herman hit another three in the second quarter, bringing Dayton up 19-9 with 4:20 left in the half. By the end of the quarter, the Bulldogs outscored the Bears 8-4, bringing their lead to 22-11 at half. Herman led scoring for either team, with 10.

Williams came back from his injury after halftime in top form, scoring 11 points total in the second half, more than anyone on either team. Jackson scored 10 in the second half, and eighteen in the game, leading the Bulldogs in scoring.

But the Bears played tough in the second half as well, and in the third quarter it appeared as if they may mount a comeback. Nick Fields of Brearley sunk two three-pointers and hit a foul throw in the first half of the quarter.

With 2:26 left in the third an 11 point lead had dropped to six for Dayton and the score was 30-24, but by the end of the third the Bulldogs regained some ground after four unanswered points from Williams.

Going into the fourth quarter, Dayton led 34-24, and halfway through the fourth they still held a ten point lead.

Fred Davis' biggest play for Dayton came with 3:30 left in the game. While many of the other players on both teams seemed to be slowing down as it became apparent that the Bulldogs would win, Davis kept hustling, at one point chasing down a Brearley player on a breakaway and making a towering shot-block.

Dayton started the season 2-2, but has won seven of their last eight to go 9-3 so far in the season.

"If we keep playing good and play as a team, we can beat anyone," said Jackson.

The Bulldogs will face Oratory prep (7-6) on Thursday at Jonathan Dayton High School, 7 p.m.