For the second consecutive game, Dowagiac needed a little luck and overtime to remain undefeated.

The Chieftains, who beat Niles 61-59 in overtime Tuesday night, edged visiting Edwardsburg 61-55 in a key Wolverine Conference South Division contest.

Both the Vikings on Tuesday and the Eddies Friday night missed last-second put-backs allowing Dowagiac to escape unscathed.

But during the second and third quarters Friday night against Edwardsburg, Dowagiac coach Danum Hunt had seen enough of his starters struggling physically and mentally.

Hunt replaced the starting five with reserves, who not only keep the Chieftains in the game, actually outscored the starters (17-12) through the first three quarters.

“The starters came out flat,” Hunt said. “There was no energy. There was no intensity. They were somewhere else. Our underclassmen were hungry to play. They came in and brought the energy and intensity and played solid defense. They kept us competitive until the starters could get where they needed to be mentally and come out and close.”

With fresh legs and a sense of urgency, the Dowagiac starters returned to start the fourth quarter and rallied from a 36-29 deficit to tie the game at 47-47 at the end of regulation on a DeYonte Sullivan layup with 32 seconds remaining.

Like Niles, Edwardsburg had several chances to upset the Chieftains.

In the closing seconds Ben Robertson, Adam Kozinski and Chase Tarwacki all had a chance to score the winning basket. Kozinski’s 3-pointer was off the mark and Tarwacki’s put-back attempt was short in the final 3.2 seconds of regulation.

“We got what we wanted,” Edwardsburg coach Steve Wright said about the final seconds of regulation. “The ball just didn’t go in the hoop. It’s just the way it works. But the kids left it all out there in the overtime. They really battled.”

Senior point guard Brandon Winchester-Jones, who scored nine of his 18 points in the final eight minutes, sparked Dowagiac’s comeback effort.

Winchester-Jones, who hit the biggest shot of the night against the Vikings Tuesday, scored five of the Chieftains’ 14 points in the extra session.

“Jones is so quick off the dribble that we had some trouble with him at the end,” Edwardsburg coach Steve Wright said. “Credit him.”

Dowagiac (7-0, 2-0 Wolverine South) also got 12 points from Leroy Lewis, who hit 4-of-8 free throws in overtime. Sullivan finished with nine points and five rebounds.

Edwardsburg, which played without starter Dante Razzano who is recovering from a dislocated elbow, was led by Kozinski’s 13 points. Jon Albrecht added 11 and Tarwacki 10. Tarwacki also had 11 of the Eddies’ 41 rebounds.

The Eddies are now 4-2 overall and 0-2 in the Wolverine South.

 

DOWAGIAC 61, EDWARDSBURG 55 (OT)

At Dowagiac

EDWARDSBURG 55

Adam Kozinski 4 3-6 13, Ben Robertson 1 0-0 3, Zach Plummer 0 0-0 0, Chase Tarwacki 4 2-4 10, Jon Albrecht 2 6-9 11, Dylan Layher 2 1-1 5, Nate Brown 3 0-0 6, Kev’on Taylor 1 0-0 2, Cameron Ekanayake 0 0-0 0, A.J. Rosebush 2 0-0 5. TOTALS: 19 12-20 55.

DOWAGIAC 61

Leroy Lewis 1 6-12 8, DeYonte Sullivan 4 1-3 9, Keoante Blackamore 2 1-4 5, Harry Reed 0 4-4 4, Brandon Winchester-Jones 8 1-3 18, Jamin Hunt 2 2-5 6, Adrien Bucha-Moore 2 0-0 4, Marcus Winchester-Jones 0 0-0 0, Mack Charles 1 2-2 4, Jeffery Holloman 1 1-2 3, Josh Lamphere 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 21 18-35 61.

 

Edwardsburg                        8          19       36       47       55

Dowagiac                                8          18       29       47       61

3-point baskets: Edwardsburg 5 (Kozinski 2, Rosebush 1, Albrecht 1, Robertson 1), Dowagiac 1 (B. Winchester-Jones 1). Total fouls (fouled out): Edwardsburg 28 (Robertson, Brown, Tarwacki), Dowagiac 22 (B. Winchester-Jones, Bucha-Moore). Varsity records: Dowagiac 7-0, 2-0 Wolverine South; Edwardsburg 4-2, 0-2 Wolverine South.