By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
After taking a 15-point third quarter lead Thursday at Battle Creek Central, Niles thought they could relax.
The found out quickly that they were wrong.
The Bearcats went on a 12-0 run in the period to pull within three points, making a potential Niles' blowout a hard-fought battle. The Vikings were able to hang on in the fourth quarter for a 49-39 victory.
The Vikings were led by Sarah Dreher's 21 points on nine field goals. Dreher added 13 rebounds to complete the double-double. She finishes the regular season as the Vikings' leading scorer, averaging 18.6 points per game.
The two teams played to an 11-11 tie after the first period. The Vikings got going in the second quarter and took an 11-point lead into halftime.
Central closed the gap to three at the end of the third before Niles outscored the Bearcats 15-8 in the final period to win the game.
Amber Peters was Niles' second leading scorer with 15 points. She also had six assists and two steals. Brandie Radde added nine points, and Megan Scammeheorn and Melissa Olsen each had two points to complete the scoring for the Vikings.
No Bearcat was able to reach double figures. Central hit just 9-of-20 free throws in the game, compared to Niles' 8-of-13.
With the victory, the Vikings finish the season with a 17-2 record, second best in the SMAC behind Marshall at 18-1. Niles won the West Division with a 7-1 record.
Battle Creek Central, the top team in the Big 16's Central Division, finishes its regular season at 14-5.
Niles faces Berrien Springs in the first round of its district tournament Monday at Dowagiac. The game is set to tip off at 6 p.m. The Vikings are looking to win their eighth straight district title.
Arnold said having a tough game before next week's playoffs should be advantageous for the Vikings.
Niles………………………….56
Battle Creek Central……31
Niles (49) - Ashley Pingel 0 0-0 0, Amber Peters 6 3-5 15, Meghan Scameheorn 1 0-0 2, Brandie Radde 3 2-2 9, Sarah Dreher 9 3-6 21, Stephanee Schrader 0 0-0 0, Jessica Shinsky 0 0-0 0, Kate Whittaker 0 0-0 0, Becca Teske 0 0-0 0, Melissa Olsen 1 0-0 2, Amanda Pingel 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 8-13 49.
BC Central (39) - Seria Mullen 0 2-6 2, Stephanie Smith 0 0-0 0, Brittany Gibson 0 2-4 2, Sherry Newton 1 0-0 3, Maegan Pulley 3 0-0 6, Jamie Cotton 3 2-2 8, Erika King 1 0-0 2, Shalaha Hubbard 3 0-2 7, Jocelyn Powell 3 3-6 9. Totals: 14 9-20 39.
NHS 11 28 34 49 - 49
BCC 11 17 31 39 - 39
3-point shooting - Niles 1 (Radde); BC Central 2 (Newton, Hubbard). Fouls (fouled out) - Niles 14 (none); BC Central 16 (none). Records - Niles 17-2; BC Central 14-5.