By By SCOTT NOVAK / Vigilant/Argus
WHITE PIGEON - Finally, a championship.
The Dowagiac varsity basketball team felt that it should have won a pair of games last year at the Sturgis Bank &Trust Holiday Basketball Classic.
The Chieftains took a lead into the fourth quarter of both games only to fall.
On Thursday night, however, the Chieftains (3-2) held off a Cassopolis (2-3) rally to win the championship, 58-49.
In the consolation game, Edwardsburg defeated host White Pigeon, 73-53.
The Chieftains outscored Cassopolis 20-6 in the third quarter to break open the close contest.
The Chieftains led by as many as 11 points, 43-32, with 16 seconds left in the third quarter.
As expected, the Rangers made a charge at the Chieftains, whittling the lead down to one point, 49-48 with 3:05 remaining in the contest.
The lead was just three points with just over a minute to play when Andrew Cuthbert hit a three-pointer with 1:31 to go, giving Dowagiac a 54-48 lead.
Jamie Simpson followed with a three-pointer from the other side of the court with 1:10 to play to extend the Chieftains' lead to 57-48.
Both teams made a free throw in the closing minute to complete the scoring.
Dowagiac's Chris Primley, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, dominated from beginning to end.
Primley finished with 18 points, nine rebounds and a block to lead all scorers.
Dowagiac also got 14 points from Mike DeRose, who along with Simpson, was also named to the All-Tournament team.
Simpson finished with nine points.
Cuthbert added eight points for the Chieftains.
The win avenged a season opening 47-33 loss to the Rangers.
Cassopolis was led by Young's 14 points. Will Loux finished with eight points and Paul Curtis five points.
Curtis was named to the All-Tournament team as well.
Edwardsburg…73
White Pigeon…53
In the consolation game, Edwardsburg's Tony Hayes scored a game-high 31 points to lead the Eddies to the 20-point victory.
The Eddies outscored White Pigeon 40-22 in the second half to break open the close contest.
The Eddies (2-2) led 17-16 after one period of play and 33-31 at halftime.
Adam Hancock had 15 points for Edwardsburg, which also got 14 points from David Daniels.
Tyler Nichols led White Pigeon with 15 points. Aaron Mast finished with 11 points.
Championship game
CASSOPOLIS 49
Paul Curtis 4 0-1 8, Ryan Anderson 0 0-0 0, Nick Davis 0 0-0 0, John Young 5 3-4 13, P.J. Smith 1 1-2 3, Johnathon Foster 2 0-0 5, Rodney Lewis 1 0-0 3, Will Loux 4 0-0 8, Lonnie Williams 2 0-0 5, Dan Stanage 2 0-2 4. Totals: 21 4-9 49
DOWAGIAC 58
David Stuppy 1 0-0 2, Shawn Irvin 1 0-0 2, Jamie Simpson 3 2-4 9, Oscar Wilson 0 0-0 0, Mike DeRose 6 2-2 14, D.J. Edgerly 1 0-0 2, Chris Primley 8 2-3 18, Jamere Bacon 1 0-0 2, Andrew Cuthbert 3 0-0 8, Amos Clark 0 1-3 1. Totals: 24 7-12 58
Cassopolis 12 26 32 49
Dowagiac 13 23 43 58
Three-point baskets: Curtis (C), Foster (C), Williams (C), Simpson (D), Cuthbert (D) 2. Total fouls: Cassopolis 15, Dowagiac 17. Technical fouls: None. Varsity records: Dowagiac 3-2, Cassopolis 2-3
Consolation game
WHITE PIGEON 53
Michael Severns 4 1-1 9, Cody Alexander 1 1-2 3, Bobby Slack 0 0-0 0, Jim Shoesmith 0 0-0 0, Nick Olsen 1 0-2 2, Tyler Nichols 5 1-4 15, Aaron Mast 4 1-3 11, Blake Erbe 3 2-2 9, Josh Wagner 0 0-0 0, Ian Copenhaver 1 0-0 2, Brian Denny 0 0-0 0, Corey Block 1 0-1 2. Totals: 20 6-13 53
EDWARDSBURG 73
Alex Antonio 1 0-0 2, David Daniels 5 2-4 14, Tony Hayes 14 2-6 31, Pat Huggett 1 0-0 2, Branden Muszynski 0 2-4 2, Adam Hancock 5 2-2 15, Zak Bollenbacher 2 3-5 7, Kevin Stack 0 0-0 0. Totals: 28 12-21 73
White Pigeon 16 31 43 53
Edwardsburg 17 33 53 73
Three-point baskets: Nichols (WP) 4, Mast (WP) 2, Erbe (WP), Hancock (E) 3, Daniels (E) 2. Total fouls: White Pigeon 20, Edwardsburg 15. Fouled out: M. Severns (WP). Varsity records: White Pigeon 1-5, Edwardsburg 2-2