By ERIKA PICKLES
Dowagiac Daily News

When the shortest girl on the team stands just under 5-foot-7, you know it’s going to be a tough night.

That was the case for the Dowagiac varsity basketball team Friday night as they fell to visiting Three Rivers, 59-41 in Wolverine Conference action.

Wildcat players Morgan Stuut and Amy Newell each had 18 points in the game to help improve Three Rivers’ record to 5-2 overall. The Chieftains, who were led by Torie Lowe with 15 points, fell to 2-3.

Dowagiac trailed 20-9 after the first period and, although the Chiefs held the Wildcats to just six points in the quarter, they entered halftime down 26-16.

Dowagiac head coach Dick O’Day told his players before the start of the second half that they had to keep Three Rivers away from basket as much as possible.

“We know that’s where their strength is, so make them play an outside game,” he told his squad.

Despite their efforts, the Chieftains could not stop the power play of Newell, who scored 10 points alone in the third for the WIldcats. Three Rivers held a 40-29 advantage at the buzzer.

Halfway through the fourth, Dowagiac’s squad put on a comeback attempt, cutting the lead to 13 with just under five minutes to play.

Kaisha Martin and Correshia Rodgers contributed baskets early in the quarter and Dowagiac’s defense held the Wilcats to six for over almost three minutes in the fourth. However, an 11-0 run by the Wildcats with under two minutes to play put the game out of reach for the Chieftains.

Dowagiac is back in action on Tuesday when it hosts Otsego.

DOWAGIAC 41
Cierra Mattix 0 0-0 0, Correshia Rodgers 2 3-2 6, Marcie Ennesser 1 0-0 2, Torie Lowe 3 1 6-6 15, Kaisha Martin 2 5-3 7, Andrea Bradshaw 1 0-0 2, Krista Green 0 0-0 0, Britnee Allerton 1 4-3 5, Breneesha Jones 1 0-0 2, Bobbie Payne 0 0-0 0, Cassie Stone 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12 1 18-14 41
THREE RIVERS 59
Carley Cottingham 0 0-0 0, Morgan Stuut 4 3 2-1 18, Paige Herbert 0 0-0 0, Catherine Friel 0 0-0 0, Amy Newell 9 1-0 19, Bre Karle 0 2-0 0, Perri Weiderman 3 2-2 8, Monica Schroll 4 0-0 8, Jessica Matthews 2 1 0-0 7, Rachel Plankenhorn 0 0-0 0, Bryanna Kutz 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22 4 7-3 59

Dowagiac 9 16 29 41
Three Rivers 20 26 40 59
3-point goals: Dowagiac 1 (Lowe), Three Rivers 4 (Stuut 3, Matthews 1). Fouled out: None. Records: Dowagiac 2-3, Three Rivers 5-2