By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - The Niles varsity basketball team knocked off a comfortable win against visiting Coldwater Friday night for its last home game of the season.
The Vikings not only shot 58 percent for the night, but every member of the team played and scored as well.
Coldwater was never able to come within reach of the Vikings, who held a huge lead the entire game.
Nick Etzcorn, Tom Robson, Scott Quaye, Nate Parks, Paul Wregglesworth and Ben Hansen all contributed points to Niles' 24-7 first quarter lead.
Hansen started the second quarter hitting 1-of-2 free throws and Coldwater was able to add four to its score on the next two plays. Lavette Walker scored two buckets in a row for the Vikings and Brandon Thomas got his first basket 3:13 into the quarter to bring the score to 31-15. Andrew Foster also got his first basket late in the second to help the Vikings take a 40-19 lead going into halftime.
An alley-oop from Robson to Etzcorn started out the second half for the Vikings. Niles scored the next seven points in a row and didn't allow the Cardinals to get their first basket until the 4:34 mark.
Pete Brandstatter added his first two points of the game to give Niles a 25-point lead halfway through the third. Wregglesworth ended the quarter by scoring six points in a row for Niles, all of them within the last minute of the third.
The Vikings had a 59-26 lead entering the final quarter.
Thomas opened up the fourth with a quick two points, but Coldwater quickly added two of its own. Quaye knocked down another basket to give Niles a 63-30 lead within the first two minutes of the quarter.
Nate Orr was fouled on an attempt to steal the ball from Derek McFarland. McFarland was charged with the foul and a technical which put Foster on the line for Niles. He made 1-of-2 free throws to give the Vikings a 37-point lead.
With 2:07 left in the quarter, Orr nailed a three-pointer, his first basket of the night, which put all of Niles' team in the books and gave them a 74-37 lead. Thomas scored back-to-back buckets for Niles and Walker scored the last basket to give Niles the 80-41 win.
Thomas had 18 points for Niles. Quaye, Robson, Wreggelsworth and Walker all added 10 for the vikings.
Joe Habert led Coldwater with nine and Chase Snyder had eight.
The Niles JV team also picked up a 68-48 win over the Cardinals for its last game of the season. Dan Rodts had 15 points for Niles. Matt Peters had 10 and Chauncey Williams had eight.
Logan Matthews had 15 for Coldwater. Aaron Piotrowski had 10 and Zach Mills had eight.
Niles faces Lakeshore for the first game of the Class B Districts Monday night at Dowagiac Union High School. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
Niles…………..80
Coldwater……41
Niles (80) Nate Orr 0 1 0-0 3, Scott Quaye 4 2-2 10, Tom Robson 1 2 2-3 10, Ben Hansen 2 1-2 5, Nate Parks 1 0-0 2, Paul Wreggelsworth 4 2-2 10, Brandon Thomas 6 2 0-0 18, Nick Etzcorn 3 1-2 7, Pete Brandstatter 1 0-0 2, Lavette' Walker 5 0-1 10, Andrew Foster 1 1-2 3.
Coldwater (41) Corey Post 1 0-0 2, Sean Springstead 1 0-0 2, Chase Snyder 3 2-2 8, Derek McFarland 2 2-2 6, Chris Wood 1 1 0-0 5, Eric Agar 0 0-0 0, Daniel Stempien 0 0-0 0, Ryan Gleeson 0 3-6 3, Brandon White 2 0-0 4, Joe Habert 2 5-6 9, Tim Hepker 1 0-0 2, Jordan Wendorf 0 0-0 0.
Niles 24 40 59 80
Coldwater 7 19 26 41