Eddies win for sixth time in last seven games

Published 6:14 am Sunday, February 28, 2016

Edwardsburg’s Savannah Dixon scored 21 points to lead the Eddies to a win over Allegan Friday night. (Leader photo/AMELIO RODRIGUEZ)

Edwardsburg’s Savannah Dixon scored 21 points to lead the Eddies to a win over Allegan Friday night. (Leader photo/AMELIO RODRIGUEZ)

Looking to rebound from Tuesday night’s loss to visiting St. Joseph, the Edwardsburg girls basketball team hosted Allegan in the last Wolverine Conference crossover game of the season.

Behind the sharpshooting of junior guard Savannah Dixon and the final home game of lone Edwardsburg senior Gabi Fonseca, the Eddies cruised to a 47-37 victory Friday night.

“I was really nervous,” Fonseca said.  “It’s different playing in your final home game.”

The Eddies (13-7) started off with a 4-0 run and never looked back.

Led by their youngsters, Edwardsburg continued to attack the rim.

Increasing its lead to double digits just before halftime on a 11-2 run, Dixon drained her the first of her 3-three pointers. She finished with 21 points on the night.

In the second half, though, Edwardsburg turned the ball over 11 times.

“Our youth showed in the second half tonight,” first-year Edwardsburg coach Jon Pobuda said.  “Every time we got up by double digits we let them back in a little bit. But we will fix it, especially with districts coming up.”

And let them back in they did.

Allegan, on a 9-2 run, was able to cut the lead to six with 1:30 left to play in the game. But turnovers in three consecutive possessions sealed the Tigers’ fate.

Even with the loss in the turnover battle on the night, the Eddies still muscled their way in the home stretch to get a much needed win.

The Eddies have now won six of their last seven games and will play Vicksburg Wednesday at Coldwater in the district semifinals.

“Districts is where the teamwork comes into play,” Fonseca said. “We have the tools to win the District Championship.”

Previously coaching at Decatur, Pobuda looked back on his first year at Edwardsburg.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “There have been some ups and downs. We are young and have a bright future ahead. I’m excited for the future and what it will bring. But we still have districts.”

ALLEGAN 37, EDWARDSBURG47

At Edwardsburg

ALLEGAN 37

Jackie Hurtado 0, Sheala Kocur 0, Leslie Scane 2, Ryleigh Galbreath 0, Lauren Ferris 0, Delanie Nahikian 6, Haylie Curtiss 3, Antonette Ware 11, Kara Bishop 5, CC Cerven 10, Kanesha Statler 0. TOTALS: 15 5-8 37.

EDWARDSBURG 47

Michaela Ritschard 4, Alexa Markel 5, Kaitlyn Zarycki 2, Gabi Fonseca 0, Savannah Dixon 21, Chloe Bartz 0, Hana Dantone 0, Noelle Kraus 4, Hannah Olson 0, Brayden Curtis 11, Samantha Ekanayake 0. TOTALS: 19 5-7 47.

 

Allegan                      4          12       26       37

Edwardsburg           9          22       35       47

3-point baskets: Allegan 2 (Curtiss 1, Cerven 1); Edwardsburg 4 (Dixon 3, Curtis 1). Rebounds: Allegan 22 (Ware 6, Bishop 5, Cerven 4, Nahikian 3, Scane 3, Statler 1); Edwardsburg 23 (Zarycki 6, Ritschard 4, Kraus 4, Markel 3, Dixon 2, Bartz 2, Curtis 1, Fonseca 1). Assists: Allegan 11 (Cerven 6, Scane 2, Ware 2, Curtiss 1); Edwardsburg 15 (Zarycki 3, Kraus 3, Markel 2, Fonseca 2, Dixon 2, Curtis 1, Ritschard 1, Bartz 1). Turnovers: Allegan 18; Edwardsburg 19 Total fouls (fouled out): Allegan 13 (none), Edwardsburg 12 (none). Varsity records: Allegan 8-12; Edwardsburg 13-7.