By By JEFF FISHER / Vigilant/Argus
EDWARDSBURG - A last second shot by Kevin Luckey of Cassopolis in overtime gave the visiting Rangers a 72-70 victory over the Eddies in front of a full gymnasium Friday night.
Cassopolis opened the game by hitting back-to-back "threes" to take an early 8-2 lead. The Eddies' Branden Muszynski kept Edwardsburg in it by scoring eight first quarter points to shrink the Rangers' lead to 9-8, but Cassopolis' Ashton Danzy poured in 12 points to give the Rangers a 19-14 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Eddies scored two quick baskets at the beginning of the second quarter to take the lead.
The quarter featured several lead changes. A three-pointer by Doug Shuttleworth gave the Eddies a 30-29 lead with 54.4 seconds to go.
Cassopolis tied the game up at 32-32 as both teams went into the lockerroom.
The Eddies outscored the Rangers 18-13 in the quarter.
Both defenses held their opponents' leading scorers in check throughout the first half.
Luckey of Cassopolis and Nick Roth of Edwardsburg each had five points.
Both teams came out of the lockerroom with a well balanced scoring attack.
The Rangers and Eddies were trading buckets. Edwardsburg went up 43-39 midway through the quarter, but a key three-pointer by Luckey tied the game up 46-46 at the end of the third.
Edwardsburg opened up a 52-48 lead halfway through the final quarter, but the Rangers responded with two "threes" by Danzy to make it a three-point Edwardsburg lead with 15.2 seconds remaining.
Cass quickly called a time out to design a last second play. As the final seconds began to tick down, Luckey fired in a three-pointer to tie the game up at 63-63 and send it into overtime.
Cassopolis maintained a three point lead with two minutes to go in overtime, but the Eddies took the lead 70-68 with 1:04 left.
Eddies committed a quick foul and Cassopolis made the free throws to tie it at 70-70.
Cass regained possession and once again Luckey sank in the game clinching shot to give the Rangers a conference road victory.
Roth of the Eddies, who finally broke out of his scoring slump in the second half, led all scorers with 22 points. Shuttleworth finished with 16, and Anthony Hayes with 10 points.
Ashton Danzy of Cass poured in 20 points, while Luckey finished with 18 points and Neal Bullocks, who provided Cassopolis with solid offensive and defensive rebounding, added 10 points.
Cassopolis improves to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the league, while the Eddies fall to 4-8 and 1-5.
These two teams will meet again Feb. 22 in Cassopolis.
In earlier action, the Eddies junior varsity. team defeated the Rangers 50-47.