The Cardinal Huskies (15-9) held tough through the first half, but Dalton senior Braylon Wenger’s 40-point performance proved to be too much to handle, as the Bulldogs (14-8) took down the Huskies 81-63 for the sectional championship.
Cardinal junior Troy Domen outpaced Wenger in first half scoring 18 to 16, but foul trouble limited him to just three points in the second half. Both stars traded baskets throughout the the opening half, leading to a 36-36 tie at the half.
Dalton came out of the break with intensity, forcing turnovers and out-scoring the Huskies 24-15, leading 60-51 heading into the fourth. Wenger had his biggest quarter of the game with 15 points, putting him at 31 through three.
Photo by Devin Lowe
Unfortunately for Cardinal, it was more of the same in the fourth as the Bulldogs kept the pressure turned up and the Huskies shots just didn’t fall. A dunk from Braylon Wenger midway through the quarter was an exclamation point as Dalton pulled away for an 81-63 victory.
Domen led Cardinal in scoring with 21 points and senior Jake Bean chipped in 13 along with five rebounds. Wenger’s 40 led the Bulldogs and senior Jack Steiner added 12 points and six rebounds. Dalton got a big performance off the bench from junior big man Grayson Lehman who scored 9 points to go along with five rebounds.
Up next for the Bulldogs is a trip to Struthers to take on Lowellville (21-2) Tuesday night at 7 pm in the district semifinals.
Key to the Game
There was nobody that was going to stop Braylon Wenger from getting his Friday night. After suffering a serious head injury in a preseason scrimmage, the Dalton senior has been on a mission this season. Not only did he finish with 40 points, he also added eight rebounds and five steals, truly an all-around performance. When Wenger gets hot, the Bulldogs are a very tough team to beat.
Top Performers
Cardinal Huskies
Troy Domen: 21 points 8-14 FG 1 rebound 1 steal
Jake Bean: 13 points 5 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal
Ethan Detweiler: 11 points 5 assists 1 rebound 2 steals
Dalton Bulldogs
Braylon Wenger: 40 points 8 rebounds 2 assists 5 steals 1 block
Jack Steiner: 12 points 6 rebounds 3 assists 1 steal
Grayson Lehman: 9 points 5 rebounds 1 assist
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL | |
| Cardinal | 17 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 63 |
| Dalton | 16 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 81 |
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