With the season winding down, both Dowagiac and Buchanan were pointing to Tuesday night’s boys basketball match up as an opportunity to being preparations for the post season.

Dowagiac held on for a 68-60 non-conference victory, but Chieftain head coach Danum Hunt was anything but pleased with his team’s performance.

In the other locker room, Buchanan coach Reid McBeth, although not happy with the loss, was pleased with the way his team played.

“We started the game on a good note, which is the game plan all the time,” Hunt said. “But we lost our intensity. We lost our focus and we didn’t play together. Buchanan kept fighting and stayed in the game and it was almost good enough to pull out a win.”

The Chieftains were saved by a 27-point performance from Harry Reed, which included six 3-pointers. Reed scored 11 of those points in the final quarter.

“We played well, but we lost Reed a few times in key possessions who is a great shooter,” McBeth said. “We lost him on a baseline out of bounds play one time when we had cut the lead to seven. You can’t do that because it only takes a second.

“We just couldn’t get over the hump. We had our chances. They had kids step up and knock some shots down, but I was proud of our effort.”

Dowagiac led 19-10 after one quarter and 32-23 at the half.

The lead remained nine points as the Chieftains and Bucks headed into the final quarter when both teams exploded offensively.

Buchanan outscored Dowagiac 26-25, but was unable to overcome the first quarter deficit.

Besides Reed, Dowagiac got 12 points from Brandon Winchester-Jones.

Christian Catalano led Buchanan with 24 points, which included four 3-pointers, all of which came in the fourth quarter.

 

DOWAGIAC 68, BUCHANAN 60

Buchanan 60

Tim McCaffrey 2; Tyler Flynn 9; Jarrett Thomas 6; Eli Lewis 13; Christian Catalano 24; Dustin Grey 6. TOTALS: 26 3-6 60

Dowagiac 68

Daquan Brooks 6; Harry Reed 27; Bryce Dodd 5; Brandon Winchester-Jones 12; DeYonte Sullivan 2; Tevin Fowlkes 6; Keoante Blackamore 10. TOTALS: 22 13-19 68

 

Buchanan                   10       23       34       60

Dowagiac                    19       32       43       68

3-point baskets: Dowagiac 11 (Brooks 2, Reed 6, Dodd, Winchester-Jones, Fowlkes), Buchanan 5 (Flynn, Catalano 4); Total fouls: Buchanan 18, Dowagiac 9. Varsity records: Buchanan 10-8, Dowagiac 16-2