By By ERIKA PICKLES / NIles Daily Star
BRIDGMAN - Brandywine and Buchanan met for the third time this season Monday night at Bridgman High School for the start of the Class C District tournament.
The Bucks pulled of an 86-42 win over the Bobcats, but Buchanan coach Reid McBeth said not to let the score fool you.
Jimmy Washington got the first district game rolling for Buchanan, but Billy McDonald nailed a three for the Bobcats to put them up one point and give them their only lead of the night. The Bucks held the Bobcats to only seven points in the first quarter. The Bucks scored the next 11 points in a row with four from Washington, four from Jared Rusher and PJ Pollack got his first of two threes on the night.
The Bobcats got their last four points from Alex Newman and Matt Beaver and ended the first down 26-7.
Brandywine just barely doubled its score in the second quarter pulling off 12 points. Beaver, Newman, McDonald, Caleb Frazier, and Bill Bussey all contributed to the Bobcats' score.
Gordon Bryant scored the first basket for the Bucks and Marquis Hall, who was brought up from JV, got his first basket early in the second.
Buchanan received its second pair of threes from senior Kyle Tracey, who nailed 2-of-4 three pointers in the second quarter. Tony Robinson, Jason Koontz and Eric Cole also got their first baskets in the second. The Bucks had a 50-19 advantage going into halftime.
The Bobcats had another low scoring quarter only pulling off eight points to open up the second half of play. Frazier, a freshman who was brought up from JV for the Bobcats, scored six of Brandywine's eight points. The other two came from Beaver.
A running clock started toward the end of the third when Buchanan went ahead of the Bobcats by 40 points.
Bryant and Washington both added six points each to Buchanan's score in the third. Hall, Kyles and Robinson added two and Tracey added one to give the Bucks a 69-27 lead heading into the fourth.
Brandywine scored 15 points in the fourth, the most it had scored in any of the quarters.Adam Prescott nailed two three pointers for the Bobcats and Tracey hit two threes as well for the Bucks.
Frazier, Newman, Justin Ely and Zach Bennett, who fouled out late in the fourth, were the last Bobcats to score in the quarter. Pollack, Rusher and Hall all contributed to the final points of Buchanan's 86-42 victory to advance them in the district tournament.
"We just didn't shoot the ball well again. Rebounding we thought was going to be an issue obviously. It's going to be an issue with anyone they play. We had some sophomores and a freshman that did really well for us tonight. We're a young team and I think we really have improved on some things towards the end of the season," Sidenbender added.
Frazier lead the Bobcats with 10 points. Newman had seven and Wieger and Beaver both had six for Brandywine.
The Bucks were lead by Tracey and Washington who both had 14. Rusher added 12 and Bryant had 10 for Buchanan.
Brandywine ends its season with a 1-20 record. The Bucks now stand at 19-2.
Buchanan will face Eau Claire on Wednesday night for the second game of districts. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Bridgman High School.
Buchanan……..86
Brandywine…..42
Buchanan 26 50 69 86
Brandywine 7 19 27 42
Buchanan (86) Jeff Kyles 2 2-1 5, D'Vaughn Frazier 0 1 0-0 3, Brian Shannon 1 0-0 2, Kyle Tracey 0 4 4-2 14, Jordan Lee 0 0-0 0, Tony Robinson 1 1 4-2 7, Nate Brewer 0 2-0 0, PJ Pollack 0 2 4-3 9, Taylor Johnson 0 0-0 0, Gordon Bryant 5 0-0 10, Jared Rusher 5 3-2 12, Jimmy Washington 6 4-2 14, Eric Cole 1 0-0 2, Jason Kuntz 1 0-0 2, Marquise Hall 3 0-0 6.
Brandywine (41) Alex Newman 2 7-3 7, Matt Wieger 0 1 0-0 3, Adam Prescott 0 2 0-0 6, Zach Bennett 1 0-0 2, Justin Ely 1 1-0 2, Bill Bussey 1 0-0 2, Kyle Low 0 0-0 0, Billy McDonald 0 1 4-1 4, Matt Beaver 3 0-0 6, Caleb Frazier 3 1 2-1 10.