MULES BEAT COMETS WITH 2ND HALF KICK

With leading scorer Kyle Burkhalter chained to the bench with four fouls early in the second half, Naselle was no match for a veteran squad from Cathlamet, falling to the Wahkiakum Mules 77-42 at Lyle Patterson Gymnasium Saturday night.

The Comets were withing shooting range at halftime, trailing 37-30, but Burkhalter picked up his third foul in the third quarter as the Mules outscored the Comets 13-5 to take a 50-35 lead. Within one minute of returning to the game, Burkhalter was on the bench again with four fouls as the Mules ran away, outscoring Naselle 27-7 in the fourth period.

Toby David led four Mules players in double figures with 18 points. Ty Briscoe and Travis Bain had 14 points each and senior post Romeo Savant, who sat out football season with a heart ailment, added 12 for the Wahkiakum.

"They are just deep," said Naselle head coach Brian Macy, whose Comets dropped their second straight game after wins in their first two games of the season. "They are just an impressive team. We are not far off, we just need to get more consistent."

Burkhalter led the Comets with 14 points and Casey Heagy scored 10 points for the second consecutive game.

Naselle opens Pacific 2B League play at North Beach Thursday night.

WAHKIAKUM 18 19 13 27--77
Briscoe 14, Rongey 2, McClain 2, Benson, Tr. Bain 14, Hamman 5, Olsen 3, Deaton 3, David 18, Gerlach 2, Ty. Bain 2, Savant 12.
NASELLE 10 20 5 7--42
Sultemeier, Griss 4, K. Burkhalter 14, A. Burkhalter 5, Smith 8, Heagy 10, Martin 1, Ray, Hines, See, Erickson.
FIELD GOALS-NAS: 10-40-25%
3-PT FG'S-NAS: 1-11-9%
FREE THROWS-NAS: 21-31-68%
REBOUNDS-NAS: 30, WAH: 26
TURNOVERS-NAS: 17