The Niles boys basketball team finished off what has to be perceived as a momentum shift in its season as the Vikings took down the visiting Dowagiac Chieftains 78-45, for their second win in as many days Saturday afternoon.

The Vikings (2-5) put on dominating display of basketball prowess on their home hardwood. Niles used a smothering defensive effort, balanced offensive attack and 8-of-15 shooting from beyond the arc to bewilder and bury an out-of-sort Chieftains (4-5) squad.

“That was not Dowagiac basketball,” a visibly flustered Chieftain coach Danum Hunt said. “We didn’t come out ready to play. Niles sensed it and to their credit they capitalized on it and made us pay.”

Dowagiac had a huge problem slowing down Vikings’ senior standout Tate Brawley in particular, as he torched the Chieftains for 29 points in the contest. Gabriel Stokes and Gavin Rasler each added 12 and 11 points respectively.

Kyle Solloway was the only Chieftains to reach double-digits in scoring as he finished with 15 points.

Niles never trailed once throughout the contest and outscored the Chieftains 38-17 over the course of the final two quarters.

“We really came out and did what we needed to do today,” an elated Viking Ccoach Todd Pawielski said. “Gabe and Gavin really came up big for us the way they always do and Tate showed us again why he is one of the best players in the area and certainly in the conference.”

Pawielski and his team have had a tumultuous experience at the onset of this season; starting out 0-5 with every loss coming by single-digit margins.

However, the winds of fortune seem to finally be favoring the Vikings’ ship, as they rallied from 20-plus points down Friday night in Portage Central for their first win, before following it up with Saturday’s victory over Dowagiac.

“It’s a step in the right direction. There is a lot of ball left to play, but we moving forward,” Pawielski said.

 

Niles 78, Dowagiac 45

NILES 78

Tate Brawley 29, Gabriel Stokes 12, Gavin Rasler 11, Donte Murphy 7, Jeremy Wortham 8, Connor Glick 4, Samuel Rodts 3, Ray Glenn 2, Jalen Alexander 2. TOTALS: 30 11-22 78

DOWAGIAC 45

Kyle Solloway 15, Keoante Blackamore 6, Brandon Winchester-Jones 6, Leroy Lewis 4, Trace Hatcher 3, Daquan Brooks 3, Tevin Fowlkes 3, Bryce Dodd 2, Harry Reed 2 Victor Halcomb 1.
TOTALS: 16 10-25 45

 

Niles                        27            40            62            78

Dowagiac              17             28            33            45

3-point baskets: Dowagiac 3 (Solloway 2, Hatcher), Niles 8 (Brawley 4, Stokes 2, Murphy, Rodts). Total fouls (fouled out): Dowagiac 16 (none), Niles 20 (Glenn). Varsity records: Dowagiac 4-5, Niles 2-5