Dawson's big night leads SW to victory

A rare after Christmas visit to Minneapolis Southwest as they take on PACT tonight. The place is absolutely dead as there are barely more people in the stands than people involved in the game.

PACT's 6'6 junior center Austin Rink off to a quick start with 7 of the 1st 9 for PACT. 9-7 Panthers at 13:30. Southwest's star center Dominique Dawson (An impoverished man's Sam Dower anyone? He's gotten some lower level looks I'm told) with back to back buckets for Southwest as we go back and forth. 11-9 Southwest at 12:30. Rink with a steal and he goes all the way for a bucket and the foul. We're tied at 15 at 10:44. Southwest tries to pull ahead as they go up 28-23 at 5:20 on a Dawson layin. PACT PG Seth Mathis counters with a 3, but SW gets the lead as far as 6 at the 3:30 mark. But Rink with 4 late points and 2 late blocks in the half for an 8-2 PACT run to end the half. Tie game at 36 at the break. Dawson with 10 points (5-7 FG) and 11 rebounds. Rink with 16 points on 6-11 with 2 rebounds and 2 blocks. Mathis with 10 points and 6 boards.

The teams trade buckets to open the half and then Dawson goes off. A putback for 2, 2 lefty dunks (Time PACT) and then a nice catch on the break for a 2 handed flush. 49-43 SW and PACT needs another timeout at 13:46. Dawson isn't done as he adds on a layup after the timeout for an 8 point lead. SW on an 11-3 run and Dawson with 13 straight points for the Lakers. The Panthers right back as Rink nails a 3 and then sets a high screen that gets Mathis a triple to cut the lead to 2. Rink then finds Paul Nelson on a textbook backcut for a layup and we're tied at 53 with 9:50 left. That's a 10-2 PACT run over 3:40. Dawson with a putback and then another putback for an And 1. Rink counters with a 3 point play of his own. Tied at 59 with 7:51 left and SW wants time. Mick Hedberg with a 3 point play for PACT and they're up 62-59. Dawson fouled on the ensuing possession by Rink at 7:21 and Rink has to sit with 4 fouls. Dawson with a dunk at 6:40 on a nice feed from Antonio Wigfall. Mathis counters with a 3 point play for a 67-63 PACT lead with 6:30 left. Wigfall drives and scores with 3:30 left after 2 Rink FTs and we're tied at 69. Timeout Southwest with 2:45 left and the ball. They find Dawson on the inbounds for an easy 2. Michael Clauer counters with 2 for PACT and we're still tied. LeDarius Aaron misses the front end of the bonus, but Dawson snatches the miss and puts it back with 2:15 left. Mathis with an offensive rebound and fouled after a Rink missed 3, but Mathis only makes 1 of 2 with 1:22 left. 73-72 Southwest leads. Wigfall backdoor at 1:10 for a layin via a 1-4 high set. Rink misses again and a tie up with 52.6 left goes to the Lakers. But Mathis steals in the inbounds and is fouled with 42.5 left. He drains both of those. 75-74 Southwest. PACT almost gets a steal on the next possession too, but Elliot Matheiu with a layup with 26 seconds left. Dan Graffunder misses 2 FTs for PACT with 9.3 left and that's their last chance. Southwest wins 79-76.

For PACT, they fall to 8-9. If you believe the QRF, they're in a battle for 3rd with Spectrum in 4A's West Subsection with a head-head matchup in 2 weeks. Austin Rink finishes with 28 points on 10-21 shooting (including 3 triples), 5 rebounds and 3 blocks on my stat sheet. He's very improved from last season. Seth Mathis with 20 and 12.

For Southwest, the story was Dominique Dawson. 25 in the 2nd half. On my sheet he finished with 35 and 18 and 2 blocks. 16-24 from the field as Rink just didn't have the bulk to deal with him. Jon Berry and Antonio Wigfall add 10 points each. This is the Lakers 3rd win of the year and somehow I've managed to see 2 of them. West Lutheran (the other win I saw) and Highland Park are the other 2 wins.