By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - After falling behind 12-4 in the first period of Tuesday evenings game, the Brandywine varsity basketball team rallied to grab a 66-57 win over Edwardsburg in Lakeland Conference action.
When the Bobcats and the Eddies met back on Jan. 20, the outcome was in favor of Edwardsburg, 47-32.
The win now ties Brandywine with Edwardsburg in the LAC standings as both teams have a 2-10 conference record.
Brandywine head coach Nate Knapp helped get his team get moving in the right direction after the end of the first.
But that hole was filled right back up when Brandywine tied the Eddies entering halftime.
With 41 seconds on the clock, junior Billy McDonald nailed a three-pointer to tie the game at 24.
Edwardsburg's Alex Antoniu added two points to the score to put the Eddies back in control, but a last second three-point attempt by Matt Wieger put him on the free throw line for three free shots.
Wieger went 2-for-3 to post the tie heading into the second half.
Determined to get a conference win, the Bobcats proved the second half belonged to them.
D.J. Elrod put on a huge performace for Brandywine in the third, opening the period with a bucket and bombing a three pointer for a 31-28 lead.
Elrod went on to score the next six points for Brandywine, while the Eddies got two baskets from Tony Hayes and a three from Nate Harness.
With the game tied at 35, Adam Prescott made a bucket and was fouled, making his free throw.
Prescott then caused an Edwardsburg turnover when he stole the ball and passed it to teammate Bill Bussey for a bucket, giving Brandywine a five point lead, 40-35.
The Bobcats were able to carry that lead until the end of the third, heading into the final quarter with a 42-39 advantage.
Edwardsburg was able to tie the Bobcats at 44 in the first minute of the fourth when Zak Bollenbacher and Hayes added a combined five points to the Eddies' score.
However, a bucket and a three-pointer from senior Matt Beaver put the Bobcats in the lead for good with six minutes to play.
Ryan Hartman, Beaver, Kyle Low and Bussey all came through for the Bobcats on the free throw line in the final two minutes of the game, to post the winning score.
Knapp credited the play of Low, who missed quite a few games in the beginning of the season due to surgery.
One of Brandywine's key players, Chris Casey, watched his team from the bench Tuesday due to knee problems.
Leading scorers for the Bobcats were Elrod with 17 points, Prescott with 15, Beaver with 12, Bussey with six and McDonald and Low each with five.
The Eddies were led by Hayes with 23 points, Hancock with 11 and David Daniels with eight.