The Dogs controlled the tempo of the game in the first quarter, holding the Mainstreeters to three points and taking a 4-3 lead.
But the Mainstreeters broke loose in the second, scoring 20 points and outscoring the Bulldogs by 12. Sauk Centre outscored the Bulldogs by ten points in the second half and won 56-35.
The Bulldogs were woeful from the field, shooting only 28 percent to Sauk Centre's 51 percent. The Dogs didn't make half of their free throw attempts, shooting only 46 percent.
Aaron Lang was Paynesville's high scorer. The junior came off the bench to put down nine points and grab two boards. T.J. Schultz also had a good game with eight points and six rebounds.
The Bulldogs are still looking for their second win of the season. They won their opening game, but have lost 12 in a row since.
They hosted New London-Spicer last night. They play at state-rated Long Prairie-Grey Eagle on Thursday. Next Tuesday, Jan. 6, they host Litchfield.
The junior varsity starts at 6:15 p.m. for each game with the varsity following.
| Sauk Centre-- | 3 | 20 | 19 | 14 | - 56 |
| Paynesville-- | 4 | 8 | 11 | 12 | - 35 |
Dassel-Cokato 57
Paynesville 47
On Thursday night, the Dogs traveled to face the Chargers of Dassel-Cokato.
Once again, poor shooting cost the Dogs the game. The Bulldogs shot a poor 38 percent, while the Chargers shot well with 58 percent.
The Chargers built a ten-point lead in the first half and held on to win 57-47.
The Bulldogs were looking forward to the return of sophomore guard Kevin Mehr, who was ineligible for the first half of the season. Mehr played well, scoring seven points and making the first shot of his varsity career - a three pointer that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
Juniors Wes Lieser and Jonnie Schefers led Paynesville with eight points apiece. Eight players scored for the Dogs. Lang led the team with seven rebounds.
| Paynesville-- | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | - 47 |
| Dassel-Cokato-- | 15 | 19 | 12 | 11 | - 57 |
Cathedral 82
Paynesville 57
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, the Bulldogs took on the running and gunning Crusaders from St. Cloud Cathedral.
The Bulldogs knew they had to control the tempo to have any chance of winning, and did well in the first quarter, holding the Crusaders to 12 points. But the Crusaders scored more than 20 in the other three quarters and pulled away with an 82-57 victory.
Shortly before the game, it was discovered that senior captain post J.T. Koehn was suffering from iron deficiency and would be unable to play for at least a week. This was troubling news to the team, but they stayed positive and looked to other players to fill the void.
After the first quarter the Dogs trailed by only two (12-10), but the Crusaders busted it open in the second by scoring 22 points to the Dogs' eight.
Paynesville outscored the Crusaders 24-21 in the third, but the Crusaders finished with a 27-point fourth quarter.
Junior Wes Lieser led the Dogs with 12 points, while junior Andrew Jones and freshman Adam Kampsen added ten.
This was a career high for Kampsen.
Louis led the team with seven assists.
| Cathedral-- | 12 | 22 | 21 | 27 | - 82 |
| Paynesville-- | 10 | 8 | 24 | 15 | - 57 |