By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN -- Coming off a loss to Lakeland Conference foe Bridgman on Tuesday was no problem for the Buchanan varsity basketball team Thursday night.
The Bucks cruised to a 53-34 win over Edwardsburg which improved their record to 12-7 overall and 9-4 in the league with one game, at Brandywine, left on the regular season schedule.
Buchanan, which hosts the Class C District Tournament beginning Monday, Nov. 17, scored the final seven points of the first quarter to take an 11-4 lead and then stretched it to 29-7 by the end of the first half.
The Eddies (2-17, 0-13) outscored Buchanan 14-7 in the third quarter but lost track of Bucks' leading scorer Ashlee Layher too many times in the second half. Layher scored 18 of her game-high 26 points after halftime.
Layher scored all of Buchanan's points in the third quarter and the first 11 of the fourth quarter.
Layher was Buchanan's only double-digit scorer but Ali Bender added nine points and Dee Dee Thompson scored six.
Jessica Shotwell led the Eddies with nine points while Jessica Neagu added eight.
The Buchanan junior varsity basketball team beat Edwardsburg 38-27. Jessica Dickinson led the Bucks with 13 points and Holly Dunivan added 11.
Buchanan travels to Brandywine Thursday before opening District play against River Valley on Monday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m.
Bridgman and Eau Claire square off on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m.
Brandywine awaits the winner of the Buchanan-River Valley game for a semifinal game on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m.
The championship game is set for Friday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m.
Edwardsburg will take part in the Class B District Tournament at Vicksburg High School.
Buchanan………53
Edwardsburg….34
Buchanan: Dee Dee Thompson 1 4-6 6, Ashlee Layher 10 0-0 26, Sheena Bradshaw 2 0-0 4, Holly Tibbs 1 2-2 4, Ali Bender 1 7-7 9, Michelle Johnson 0 2-2 2, Lindsey Ross 0 0-0 0, Lindsay Colip 1 0-0 2, Katie Backus 0 0-2 0, Stacy Borr 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 15-19 53
Edwardsburg: Jessica Shotwell 4 1-1 9, Jessica Neagu 3 0-0 8, Joanna Martino 0 2-4 2, Meghan Sweeney 0 0-0 0, Shana Stoops 1 0-0 2, Shelley Roberts 1 0-0 3, Megan Moyer 1 0-0 2, Susanna Martino 1 0-0 2, Kerri Wood 2 0-0 4, Sarah Lange 0 0-0 0, Julie Harness 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 3-7 34
Buchanan 11 18 7 17--53
Edwardsburg 4 3 14 13--34
3-point shooting: Buchanan 6 (Layher 6), Edwardsburg 3 (Neagu 2, Roberts). Team fouls (fouled out): Buchanan 8 (none), Edwardsburg 18 (none). Team records: Buchanan 12-7 (9-4 Lakeland), Edwardsburg 2-17 (0-13)