DECATUR -- In their second meeting of the 2017-18 basketball season, the Decatur Bulldog senior boys traveled to St. Paul to take on the Saints in a 1A conference matchup on Jan. 19. This time the Bulldogs were able to pull off a win, breaking a four-game losing streak that included an earlier game between the two teams.

In that first outing -- played Jan. 5 at Peterson Gym in Decatur -- the Bulldogs were expected to win the contest. But the Saints proved otherwise and won by eight, 51-43. But this time around, Decatur was ready for St. Paul.

Decatur took the open tip and immediately put it up for the first two points and control of the game. Both Decatur and St. Paul defenses managed to keep the first-half scoring drives low, with the Bulldogs caulking up 11 total points to the Saints' eight, giving Decatur a three-point edge going into the second half.

Both offenses picked up the pace in the second half, with Decatur outscoring St. Paul 10-6 in the third quarter. The Bulldogs extended their lead to seven. St. Paul tried to get back into the contest by outscoring the Bulldogs, 11-9 in the final quarter. But it was too little for the Saints and the Decatur Bulldogs took their first conference victory, 30-25.

Only one player was in double figures in the game, Decatur's Ryan Ross, with 10 points. Garry Woods had eight, followed by Taylor Haisman with seven, Levi Newman with three and Jimmy Mendoza with two.

The top scorer for St. Paul was Colton Pelfrey, with nine points.

The win put the Bulldogs at 4-14 overall and 1-5 in 1A Northwest Conference play going into the final three weeks of the regular season.

The Decatur Bulldogs will be on the road Jan. 26 to take on the Lead Hill Tigers in a 7 p.m. game in Lead Hill. For a complete list of the remaining Bulldog basketball games, go to decatursd.com/athletics.