A battle between two of the top basketball teams in southwest Michigan turned out to be one-sided as visiting Lakeshore defeated Dowagiac 69-50 in non-conference boys basketball action Tuesday night.

Heading into the contest, Dowagiac coach Danum Hunt was concerned with the Lancers’ height advantage.

As it turned out, it was not Lakeshore’s big men that decided the outcome, but rather it was the Lancers red-hot shooting.

Lakeshore was 25-of-46 from the field (54 percent), including 10-of-16 (62 percent) from beyond the 3-point arc.

While Lakeshore was burning it up from the outside, the Chieftains struggled offensively.

Dowagiac shot 17-of-62 (27) percent from the floor, including 9-of-32 (28 percent) from 3-point range.

The Lancers did use their height advantage when they needed to. Lakeshore outrebounded Dowagiac 39-25.

Behind 4-for-4 3-point shooting by Rubin Conway, Lakeshore took a commanding 24-10 first quarter lead. Conway finished with five triples and a game-high 21 points.

The Lancers, winners of nine straight contests, grabbed a 41-24 halftime advantage.

Dowagiac made one run at Lakeshore as it opened the second half on an 8-0 run to cut the Lancers’ lead to 44-32 following three consecutive steals.

That would be as close as the Chieftains (10-2) would get.

Lakeshore responded by going inside to 6-foot-10 Braden Burke, who finished with a double-double as he scored 13 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and rejected four shots.

Burke is now averaging a double-double for the 12-1 Lancers.

Both teams scored 17 points in the third quarter leaving Dowagiac trailing 58-41 heading to the fourth.

Besides Conway and Burke’s totals, Lakeshore also got 11 points from Logan Steffes and Jimmy Gathright.

Brandon Winchester-Jones led Dowagiac with 20 points. Daquan Brooks added 15 points, while Tevin Fowlkes finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.

 

LAKESHORE 69, DOWAGIAC 50

Lakeshore 69

Ryan Gaunder 0, Trevor Bundy 1, David Upton 9, Logan Steffes 11, Gibson Archer 2, Rubin Conway 21, Jake Bushu 1, Alex Warman 0, Braden Burke 13, Max Gaishan 0, Brady Veine 0, Jake Brewer 0, Jimmy Gathright 11. TOTALS: 25 9-14 69

Dowagiac 58

Daquan Brooks 15, Harry Reed 3, Bryce Dodd 3, Brandon Winchester-Jones 20, DeYonte Sullivan 0, Leroy Lewis 0, Josh Lamphere 0, Damen Sneed 0, Tevin Fowlkes 9, Keoante Blackamore 0. TOTALS: 17 7-10 50

 

Lakeshore      24       41       58       69

Dowagiac        10       24       41       50

3-point baskets: Lakeshore 10 (Steffes 3, Conway 5, Gathright 2), Dowagiac X. Total fouls (fouled out): Lakeshore 14 (none), Dowagiac 15 (none). Shooting: Lakeshore 25-of-46 for 54 percent, Dowagiac 17-of-52 for 27 percent. Rebounding: Lakeshore 39 (Burke 16), Dowagiac 25 (Fowlkes 10). Turnovers: Lakeshore 19, Dowagiac 11. Varsity records: Lakeshore 12-1, Dowagiac 10-2