By By TOM NYHUIS / Niles Daily Star
BRIDGMAN - Heading into Tuesday night's Lakeland Conference basketball game at Bridgman, the Buchanan Bucks knew they would have their hands full against the Bees. Bridgman entered the game with a 9-0 record and ranked fifth in the latest Class C state poll.
After a defensive battle by both teams, the Bees came out on top 49-31.
The Bucks, 6-6, 4-3 LAC, stuck close with the Bees for nearly the entire first half trailing 19-16 with 2:39 to play before heading in for the break. That was until the final 43 seconds when the Bees scored six unanswered points. Zac Nemitz scored with 43 seconds to play and Buchanan couldn't answer the bucket on their next time down the floor. With five seconds to play the Bucks were whistled for a foul as Nemitz launched a 3-point bomb from the left sideline. He hit 2-of-3. A Buck turnover on the inbounds play put the ball back in the Bees hands with 3.8 seconds remaining. Once again Buchanan was whistled with a foul as time ran off the clock, again it was on a shot from behind the arc and Dan Ponegalek converted on 2-of-3 to take a 25-16 lead at the half.
Buchanan coach Reid McBeth was not pleased with the calls that sent the Bees to the line in the final seconds.
Buchanan could not mount an attack to make any kind of run at the Bees in the second half as they watched the Bees pull away. Bridgman led at the end of three quarters by 15, 39-24.
Each team took care of the ball as Bridgman finished with only six turnovers in the game while the Bucks limited their miscues to 11. The big differance was rebounding. The undersized Bucks were out muscled on the boards 33-27 many coming off the offensive glass for the Bees who shot 18-55 for the night. Buchanan was limited to just three offensive boards in the second half. Dan Kunde and Nick Sweet each pulled down 10 rebounds.
Jeff Kyles led the Bucks with a game high 14 points, Marquis Hall added nine. Bridgman had three with double figures, Kunde with 12, Ponegalek and Nemitz each added 10 with Sweet finishing with nine.
In junior varsity action Bridgman set the jr. Bucks down 64-37. Derek Anglero scored 11 for the Bucks and Zach Copeland had 25 for the Bees.