By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
BUCHANAN - Same scene, different team.
Even with four players out due to illness, injury and personal reasons, the Buchanan basketball team defeated Eau Claire in a non-conference game Tuesday night 73-46.
The win takes the Bucks to 14-1 overall. They stand fourth in the latest Michigan High School Associated Press poll.
Gordon Bryant opened up the first quarter by scoring the first five of the Bucks' 25 points.
D'Vaughn Frazier scored another two on the next play to give Buchanan a quick 7-0 lead.
Eau Claire's Derrick Grady scored the first basket for the Beavers, but Frazier answered with another two to take the score to 9-2. Jeff Kyles went 2-for-2 on the line and Bryant again scored on the next play.
The Beavers finally picked up another basket from Patrick Patterson to bring the score to 13-4. Tony Robinson made a basket on an alley-oop pass from Frazier 4:32 into the quarter and Robinson scored again on the next play bringing the score to 17-4.
Jimmy Washington, Kyles, Bryant and Frazier all added points to the Bucks' score for the remander of the first.
Buchanan had a 25-11 lead heading into the second.
Bryant started out the second quarter for the Bucks scoring an easy basket, but Patterson quickly added two for the Beavers. Jason Ott scored the first three-pointer for Eau Claire bringing the score to 27-16. Washington scored the next five points for the Bucks taking them to a 16-point lead halfway through the quarter.
Robinson, Bryant and Washington all contributed points to the Bucks' 42-21 score going into halftime.
Eau Claire was able to outscore the Bucks in the third 16-15.
Grady scored the first basket for the Beavers, but Wasington added two points for Buchanan on the next play. Brian Shannon made his first basket of the night 2:27 into the third. Shannon, who usually starts for the Bucks, didn't recieve much playing time due to an illness the day before.
Ott scored another three-pointer for Eau Claire to bring the score to 54-31. Hazen Harner was called with a technical foul by intentionally hitting Bryant when he went up for a lay-up. Bryant hit 1-of-2 free throws to make the score 55-33. Shannon scored the last basket of the third for the Bucks giving them the 57-37 lead going into the final quarter.
Bryant opened up the last quarter with a three-pointer. Taylor Johnson and Jared Rusher both scored their first baskets of the night for Buchanan to keep them up by 27 points with 3:15 left in the quarter.
Shannon and Robinson also scored for Buchanan in the fourth. Kyles had six points for the quarter and made the last bucket for the Bucks to give them the 73-46 win.
Eau Claire travels to New Buffalo Friday night for a Red Arrow Conference match-up. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m.
Buchanan travels to Three Oaks Friday night to take on River Valley for a conference game. Tip off is set for 7:30 p.m.
Buchanan's JV team picked up a win against Eau Claire 54-42. Marquis Hall lead the way for the Bucks with 16 points. Damien Bryant had 13 and Matt Sebasty had 10.
Chad Meolin had nine points for Eau Claire. John Huddleston, Tommy Line berry and David Gould all had seven for the Beavers.
Buchanan………..73
Eau Claire……….46
Buchanan 25 42 57 73
Eau Claire 11 21 37 46
Rebounds
Buchanan 51
Eau Claire 42
Buchanan (73) Jeff Kyles 4 2-2 10, D'Vaughn Frazier 3 0-0 6, Brian Shannon 2 2-1 5, Tony Robinson 4 0-0 8, Taylor Johnson 1 2-0 2, Gordon Bryant 7 3 5-3 26, Jared Rusher 1 0-0 2, Jimmy Washington 6 6-2 14, Jason Kuntz 0 0-0 0.
Eau Claire (46) Ryan Schlipp 0 0-0 0, Hazen Harner 0 1 3-2 5, Patrick Patterson 6 5-3 15, Jason Ott 0 3 2-2 11, Mason Moore 0 2-2 2, Brice Wolff 0 0-0 0, Nick Von Koeing 3 0-0 6, Derrick Grady 3 3-1 7.
Three Pointers: Bryant (B) 3, Ott (EC) 3, Harner (EC) 1, Patterson (EC) 1