Going into halftime, the Niles girls basketball trailed 23-20 and had momentum in its Class A district game Monday against Lakeshore.

But thoughts of winning for the first time this year against the Lancers quickly vanished for the Vikings as Lakeshore pulled away in the second half and posted a 50-37 win.

“Coming out in the second half we got it down to three and then we committed two quick turnovers to start the second half and (Lakeshore) came down and scored buckets,” said Niles coach Phil D’Amico, whose team fell to Lakeshore, 53-47, and 59-37 during the regular season. “I thought that was our opportunity. We talked (at halftime) about coming out and winning the first five minutes (in the second half) and we didn’t do it.”

Niles, which finishes at 12-9, missed nine of its 10 shots in the third quarter and turned the ball over seven times in the third.

Two free throws from Taylor Wagner with 1:23 left in the third gave Lakeshore a 36-24 lead after three quarters.

“Shooting woes plagued us all year and a little bit again tonight,” D’Amico said. “There’s a lot of things we’ve got to work on in the offseason.”

Lakeshore’s lead grew to 43-29 with 3:19 left in the game before Niles rallied to pull within 43-37 with 2:13 left in the game. The comeback attempt ended there as the Lancers (18-3) advance into the district semifinals on Wednesday against Kalamazoo Central at St. Joseph High School.

“We started spreading the floor and attacking the basket,” D’Amico said. “I thought that brought us back, along with the (defensive) pressure. You’ve got to play that way for 32 minutes to beat that team and we just didn’t do it tonight.”

Elyse Zimmerman scored 14 points to lead Niles. Jazmin Brann grabbed 15 rebounds to go with her seven points.

Brann was injured late in the game didn’t return.

“She got an elbow to the lip and the tooth came right through the lip,” D’Amico said.

Carley Dubbert scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Lancers. Morgan Kaiser added 12 points and Wagner contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds.

D’Amico hopes to see better results from the program next year.

“I certainly hoped for more,” D’Amico said about this season. “There’s adjustments I need to make as a coach. Hopefully, next season we’ll be better prepared for the teams and situations like tonight,” D’Amico said.

 

LAKESHORE 50, NILES 37

Lakeshore 50

Sarah Dubbert 4, Taylor Wagner 11, Carley Dubbert 14, Lindsay Ebeling 5, Morgan Kaiser 12, Morgan Shewmaker 4. TOTALS: 15 16-24 50

Niles 37

Antonia Palmer 4, Maya Brookins 2, Jazmin Brann 7, Emily Gaines 2, Elyse Zimmerman 14, Kylee Myer 6, Jaiden Rolan 2, Ashli Bryant 0, Tegan Bays 0, Jaycee Myer 0, Lajan Mitchell 0. TOTALS: 14 8-12 37

 

Lakeshore      19       23       36       50

Niles                9          20       24       37

3-point baskets: Lakeshore 4 (S. Dubbert, C. Dubbert, Kaiser, Ebeling), Niles 1 (Zimmerman). Total fouls (fouled out): Lakeshore 16 (none), Niles 21 (Brookins). Shooting: Lakeshore 15-of-47 for 32-percent, Niles 14-of-43 for 32-percent. Rebounding: Lakeshore 32 (Wagner 12), Niles 28 (Brann 15). Turnovers: Lakeshore 13, Niles 18. Varsity records: Lakeshore 18-3, Niles 12-9