Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Dawson Vallerga in action for the Tigers at Eureka on Thursday night.

By Ray Hamill — Two days after a disappointing loss at McKinleyville, the Arcata Tigers got a much-needed win in Big 5 boys basketball on Thursday night to keep their championship hopes alive.

The Tigers traveled to Eureka and won 44-33 in front of a packed gym, handing the Loggers their first conference loss.

Both teams are now 2-1 in the Big 5 and just one win behind leaders McKinleyville (3-0) in what is shaping up to be an exciting three-horse race for the title.

“It was a good bounce back for us and obviously a win we needed,” Arcata head coach Kellen Maynard said. “You can’t take anybody lightly in league this year. It’s unbelievable, the level playing field.”

Junior center Dayquan Dunn was the difference maker in a tight game that was tied late in the third quarter before the Tigers pulled away in the final period.

Dunn continually caused the Loggers problems in the paint all night and finished with a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 20 rebounds.

“Dayquan was our focus this game,” Maynard said. “We thought we had an advantage inside and we wanted to feed him as much as possible.”

The Tigers started the stronger of the two teams and held Eureka to just two points in the opening quarter.

They led 20-10 at halftime, but the Loggers battled back after the interval and went on a 10-0 run late in the third to pull even.

However, the fourth quarter belonged to the visitors, who held their hosts scoreless for the opening five minutes of the period and quickly open up a nine-point advantage.

After that there was no way back for the Eureka boys.

“We knew it was a must win for us,” Maynard said. 

Junior Michael Jewell once again was key for the Loggers and scored a team-high 10 points, as he continues to inspire his teammates.

“I continue to be impressed by Michael Jewell’s energy, effort and leadership,” Eureka assistant coach Andrew DeHart said. “Whenever we need a big play or settling in, we know we can count on him.”

Julian Goodman added six points in the loss and was a big factor in the third-quarter rally, while Nelson Botzler-Washington chipped in five points while guarding the impressive Dunn.

“Nelson had a big task in the paint tonight and did a great job on the boards,” said DeHart, who added “Arcata did a great job executing their defensive game plan. They were relentless on that end from the start.”

The Loggers, however, made a game of it with after coming out the stronger of the two teams in the second half.

“We talked at halftime about coming out strong and winning the third,” DeHart said. “Julian Goodman had all six of his points and our guards did a good job of turning offense into offense in the third, which got us back into the ball game.

“But we just couldn’t break that lead to start the fourth.”

The Tigers were playing without two starters — reigning Big 5 MVP Luke Moxon and all-league selection Kalani Butor — but in their absence their teammates responded in perfect fashion to Tuesday’s disappointment.

“We had a great practice yesterday,” Maynard said.

“We’re still struggling to find our offensive identity right now. We’re trying to make adjustments on the fly and trying to find a way to put all our guys in a position to succeed.

“We’ve got to have a next-man-up mentality.”

Arcata’s Dawson Vallerga epitomized that mentality with a strong performance against a dangerous Eureka offense.

“He didn’t score a whole lot tonight, but he’s come so far as a defender,” Maynard said of the junior guard. “He did a great job on (Eureka’s Elijah) Estrada tonight.”

The Tigers improved to 9-9 overall, while Eureka dropped to 12-7, and both teams know it will be a dogfight for the remainder of conference play.

“We know every night in this league will be a tough matchup,” DeHart added. “Our kids are excited to get back at it tomorrow to prepare for another big one Tuesday.”

Next up, the Tigers will travel for a non-league game at Rancho Cotate on Saturday while the Loggers will try to get back to winning ways when they host league leaders McKinleyville in a huge showdown on Tuesday.