Posted Monday January 26, 2009

HERMISTON - The Hermiston Bulldogs hosted the Summit Storm on Saturday, January 24, 2009. The final score had the Storm winning by 10 but the game was closer than that even thought Summit led at the end of every period.

The teams exchanged the lead the throughout the first period. The Storm scored first but Hermiston came back scoring twice to take a 4-2 lead. Luis Ortiz hit a shot from the field then three foul shots in two trips to the line helping give the Dawgs a 7-6 lead. Summit hit a shot with five seconds to go to take the lead 10-9. Then they picked up a free throw to end the period with a 11-9 lead.

Summit stretched the lead to five in the first minute and a half of the second period. That's when Bradley Irwin hit two freethrows for the Dawgs to close to 11-14. Then Irwin was successful from the line again about thirty seconds later after hitting a shot. That tied it up 14 all. Then Irwin hit a trey to give Hermiston the three point lead, 17-14. Then Hermiston went cold for nearly two minutes allowing Summit to take a 20-17 lead. Jonathan Kayembe made a shot bringing Hermiston to within one 19-20. Then Hermiston went cold for the final three minutes of the half while Summit hit a shot to take a 22-19 lead. Summit spent the last two and a half minutes in ball control mode running down the clock.

Both teams scored early in the third period. At the six minute mark Cody Meeks of Hermiston was given a technical foul and ejected from the game. After the technical free throws Summit led by seven, 30-23. Hermiston's players could have slumped but they came back, closing to within one, 29 to 30. Then the Dawgs crept ahead 33-32 at the two minute mark. Summit went back into ball control mode and maintained the lead through the end of the period, 37-35.

The Dawgs tied up the score 37 all at 7:29 of the fourth. The teams exchanged leads with Hermiston taking a 40-39 lead at 6:04. That was the last time Hermiston led as they went scoreless for about five minutes while Summit scored ten points. Hermiston picked up their second technical foul at the 1:50 mark with Summit hitting two of three foul shots. Hermiston came back with Mitch Thompson hitting a jumper give Hermiston 42 with about 50 seconds to go in the game. By that point the Storm were comfortably ahead. Summit scored two more points on a couple of intentional fouls to take the 52-42 final for the win.

Photos by Terry Aichele