DOWAGIAC — Niles coach Patrick Touhey was a bit concerned about his team coming out flat Tuesday night as the Vikings were fresh from a big win over previously undefeated Detroit Mumford and were facing an undermanned Dowagiac squad.

He need not have worried as behind the play of guard Maureen Craig the Vikings rolled off 33 of the first 34 points scored in the contest on their way to a 59-22 victory over the Chieftains.

Craig established a new school record for 3-pointers by an individual as she canned eight triples, including five in the opening half when the Vikings took a 38-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Niles (6-3) also established a new school record for 3-pointers made by a team as it finished with 12. Craig broke Brandi Radde’s mark of seven set in 2005, while the old team mark of 10 was set earlier this season against Strugis.

“The biggest concern I had tonight was us being flat,” Touhey said. “When you come and hits shots like that, move the ball like that and play the kind of defense with our movement. To me, that was a big lesson for us to say irregardless of who we are playing, we need to be focused and take care of business. So tonight our kids took a big step that way.”

The Vikings broke the game open in the first five minutes, grabbing a 12-0 lead on a trio of 3-pointers by Craig and a pair of regular baskets.

Dowagiac would avert the first quarter shutout with 3:53 to play in the period on a free throw by Katie Lorenz.

Things didn’t get much better for the Chieftains in the second quarter, although they did manage to finally score a basket with 3:57 to play in the first half when Michala Froehlich scored to make it 33-4.

By halftime, Craig had five 3-pointers and 19 of the Vikings’ 38 points.

Niles leading scorer Nichole Sly canned a 3-pointer early in the third quarter for her only points of the night, while Craig continued to light it up from the outside with three more triples.

Her second 3-pointer of the third quarter tied the individual record at seven and the team mark at 10. Her final 3-pointer of the game broke both the individual and team marks as well as put Niles up by 40 points to establish a running clock for the remainder of the contest.

Trailing 53-10 entering the fourth quarter, Dowagiac found some offensive life in the form of Lorenz, who hit three consecutive 3-pointers.

But in the end the Chieftains were no match for the Vikings.

“It’s difficult to get good shots when we’re having trouble even getting into our offense,” Dowagiac coach Emily McLoughlin said. “We had some people a little out of position and I didn’t think we could go man against them. Zone didn’t look much better.”

Dowagiac played without two starters, leading scorer Kaisha Martin and Regina Kennedy. Both were suspended for the Niles game for disciplinary reasons.

Craig finished the night with a game-high 28 points. She was the lone Viking to reach double digits. Taylor Glick came off the bench and netted seven, while Alexis McIntee added six.

Lorenz led Dowagiac with 10.

NILES 59

Starr Ford 0 0-0 0; Alexis McIntee 3 0-0 6; Savannah Wolnik 1 1-4 4; Brittani Glenn 1 1-1 3; Brooke Wilson 0 1-2 1; Maureen Craig 10 0-0 28; Nichole Sly 1 0-0 3; Whitney Ellis 0 0-0 0; Taylor Glick 2 2-3 7; Lexie Arnold 1 0-2 3; Michelle Briand 2 0-0 4. TOTALS: 21 5-12 59

DOWAGIAC 22

Jessica Martin 1 0-0 3; Katie Lorenz 3 1-2 10; Kelsie Primley 1 0-0 2; Michala Froehlich 1 0-0 2; Haley Pegan 1 1-2 3; Bobbie Payne 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 8 2-4 22

Niles 26 38 53 59

Dowagiac 1 6 10 22

3-pointers: Niles 12 (Wolnik, Craig 8, Sly, Glick, Arnold) Dowagiac 4 (Martin, Lorenz 3). Total fouls: Niles 10, Dowagiac 10. Fouled out: None. Varsity record: Niles 6-3, Dowagiac 2-3