For the second straight game, the Dowagiac boys basketball team has scored more than 30 points in a quarter.

The Chieftains did it last Friday night in a 76-44 victory over host Otsego.

Tuesday night, Dowagiac hosted Plainwell for its home opener and the Chieftains exploded for 32 points in the third quarter to turn a 32-32 halftime deadlock into an 80-48 blowout of the Trojans.

Plainwell, which entered the game with an 0-2 overall record and 0-1 mark in the Wolverine Conference, hit eight 3-pointers in the first half to keep pace with Dowagiac, which came into the contest at 2-0 overall record and a 1-0 mark in league play.

Chieftain head coach Danum Hunt said he made some halftime adjustments on defense to take away the 3-point shot. Those changes sparked the offense, which took advantage of numerous Trojan turnovers.

“I knew those guys (Plainwell) could shoot just from the little scouting report that I got,” he said. “Our strategy in the second half was to come out and make them work a little harder end-to-end to kill the legs so they wouldn’t be able to shoot. We extended our trap a little too far in the first half, so we pulled the trap off and we out and tried to play solid defense and not give them the open look.

“It started to create turnovers and that led to easy buckets.”

Harry Reed, Leroy Lewis and Brandon Winchester-Jones were the beneficiaries of most of those easy baskets and that trio of seniors combined for 27 of Dowagiac’s 32 third quarter points.

The Trojans were never able to recover from the third quarter and ended up scoring just 16 points in the second half, while the Chieftains finished with 48 second half points.

Winchester-Jones led Dowagiac and all scorers with 24 points. The senior point guard has now scored 63 points (21 ppg.) through three games.

Reed and Lewis both ended the night with 15 points. DeYonte Sullivan added 13 points.

Luke Morrell, who hit four of Plainwell’s nine 3-pointers, finished with 18 points. Ben Gibson added 11.

Dowagiac will host Sturgis in another Wolverine Conference contest to wrap up the 2015 portion of the Chieftains’ schedule Thursday night.

 

DOWAGIAC 80, PLAINWELL 48

At Dowagiac

PLAINWELL 48

Luc Almedo 0, Ben Gibson 11, Luke Morrell 18, Trevor Millard 0, Carson Spratt 8, Ben Meddock 0, Garrett George 0, Matt Miller 0, Triston Rogers 7, Evan Finch 0, Tyler Burt 4, Aaron Cox 0. TOTALS: 18 3-5 48

DOWAGIAC 80

Marcus Winchester-Jones 0, Harry Reed 15, DeYonte Sullivan 13, Brandon Winchester-Jones 24, Zach Davis 0, Leroy Lewis 15, Josh Lamphere 0, Adrien Bucha Moore 0, Bernard Gaston 1, Keoante Blackamore 9, Jamin Hunt 1, Mack Charles 2, Jeffrey Holloman 0. TOTALS: 33 7-17 80

 

Plainwell        15       32       39       48

Dowagiac        17       32       64       80

3-point baskets: Plainwell 9 (Gibson 3, Morrell 4, Spratt, Rogers), Dowagiac 7 (Reed 4, Sullivan, B. Winchester-Jones 2). Total fouls (fouled out): Plainwell 16 (none), Dowagiac 13 (none). Varsity records: Plainwell 0-3, 0-2 Wolverine; Dowasgiac 3-0, 2-0 Wolverine