A quick start to both halves led the host Dowagiac boys basketball team to an easy 98-73 non-conference win over Cassopolis Tuesday night.

The Chieftains (1-0) scored 30 points in the first and 33 points in the third quarters to turn away the Rangers (0-1).

“The first and third quarters we played pretty solid,” Dowagiac coach Danum Hunt said. “But we were inconsistent tonight. If we can become consistent and put it together for 32 minutes, I think we’ll be a pretty good team.”

Hunt was not so pleased with the second and fourth quarters.

“We got selfish on offense,” he said. “When we’re in rhythm and in the flow of the offense, we’re pretty good at it. But when we got selfish, we got stagnant in our offense.”

Junior Harry Reed got things going early for the Chieftains, scoring 20 of his game-high 31 points in the opening quarter, which included five 3-pointers. Reed finished the night 9-of-11 from beyond the arc.

“He’s a great shooter,” Hunt said of Reed. “He’s worked the entire offseason on his shot. I expect him to do big things this year shooting the ball.”

Dowagiac grabbed a 30-19 lead after the first quarter, which it extended to 42-29 by halftime.

The Chieftains outscored the Rangers 33-25 in the third quarter to open up a 75-54 advantage heading to the fourth.

Cassopols tried to get back into the game, cutting Dowagiac’s lead down to single digits midway through the quarter, but another Chieftain run put the game away late.

Beside Reed, Dowagiac got 22 points from Brandon Winchester-Jones and 12 points from Leroy Lewis.

The Chieftains shot 52 percent from the field, but were just 10-of-21 from the free throw line.

The Rangers were led by Brandon Glover’s 22 points. Bryce Saxton added 21 and Noah Woods 11.

Cassopolis shot 41 percent from the field, but were 9-of-20 from the free throw line.

The two teams combined for 52 turnovers.

Dowagiac heads to Coloma to open up its Wolverine Conference West Division schedule Friday night. Tip-off is set for approximately 7:15 p.m.

The Rangers are at Bronson Thursday night to open up their BCS Athletic Conference schedule. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

 

DOWAGIAC 98, CASSOPOLIS 73

CASSOPOLIS 73

Shane Los 0 0-0 0, Dion Gatson 3 1-5 7, Noah Woods 4 2-3 11, Bryce Saxton 9 1-3 21, Brandon Glover 10 1-4 22, Alex Emerson 2 3-3 7, Matthew Pittman 0 1-2 1, Malik Ballard 1 0-0 2, Nick Murphy 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 30 9-20 73

DOWAGIAC 98

Keoante Blackamore 2 2-4 6, Leroy Lewis 5 2-6 12, Harry Reed 11 0-0 31, Bryce 3 1-3 8, Brandon Winchester-Jones 10 1-3 22, DaQuan Brooks 2 1-2 6, DeYonte Sullivan 1 0-0 3, Tevin Fowlkes 2 2-2 7, Josh Lamphere 1 1-1 3. TOTALS 37 10-21 98

 

Cassopolis      19       29       54       73

Dowagiac        30       42       75       98

 

3-point baskets: Cassopolis 4 (Saxton 2, Glover 1, Woods 1), Dowagiac 14 (Reed 9, Dodd 1, Winchester-Jones 1, Brooks 1, Fowlkes 1, Sullivan 1). Total fouls: Cassopolis 18, Dowagiac 15. J.V. score: Dowagiac 70, Cassopolis 25. Varsity records: Cassopolis 0-1, Dowagiac 1-0