A calculated offensive style by Buchanan kept the Bucks close to Lakeshore for the first half of the MHSAA Class B Buchanan district boys basketball tournament opener.

But the Lancers were able to slowly pull away in the second half on the way to a 47-27 victory Monday night.

Lakeshore (14-7) moved on to the semfinals at 5 p.m. Wednesday against Berrien Springs (8-11) and Buchanan (10-11) finished the 2015-16 season.

With Buchanan playing keep away and trying to limit offensive possessions, the Lancers led 5-3 and 15-11 at the first two quarter stops.

“We were trying to be deliberate and take the air out of the ball,” Bucks coach Reid McBeth said of the strategy his smaller Bucks employed against the tall and talented Lancers. “When you do that, you can’t give up free baskets for sure. They didn’t have to do any work at all.”

McBeth noted that both of Lakeshore’s first-quarter baskets came off Buchanan turnovers.

“We were out-manned,” McBeth said. “The kids worked hard and did what we asked them to do.”

The Bucks coach said he was proud of the way starters Donte Phillips, Dalton Riddle, Jarrett Thomas, Tim McCaffrey and Andrew McGuirt and reserve Rae Griffin held their own against a Lakeshore squad featuring 6-foot-11 Braden Burke and 6-7 Max Gaishin.

Buchanan wound up shooting 33 percent from the floor (9-of-27), but started out at 6-of-20 in the first three periods.

“We played really good team defense,” Lancers coach Sean Schroeder said. “We made a couple mistakes on (McGuirt) that allowed them to get into the game in the second quarter.

“Once they stopped stalling, they couldn’t run their offense very effectively.”

McGuirt sank two of his three 3-pointers in the second quarter on the way to leading Buchanan with 12 points. McCaffrey tallied six, including four in the fourth quarter.

Lakeshore was paced by Logan Steffes with 12 points (including three 3-pointers), Gibson Archer with nine as well as Gaishin and Colin Brushwyler with six each.

The other district semifinal saw Benton Harbor top Coloma 82-32. The Tigers (15-5) play Dowagiac (17-3) in Wednesday’s second semifinal. The championship is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, March 11. Coloma wound up 5-16.

 

LAKESHORE 47, BUCHANAN 27

At Buchanan

LAKESHORE 47

Braden Burke 0 2-4 2, Max Gaishin 1 4-4 6, Jake Bushu 1 1-2 3, Gibson Archer 3 2-4 9, Logan Steffes 4 1-2 12, Luke Meyer 0 0-0 0, Colin Brushwyler 1 4-6 6, Alex Warman 1 0-0 2, Shane Clapp 1 0-0 3, Ryan Remus 0 0-0 0, Ryan Gaunder 1 0-0 2, Trevor Bundy 1 0-0 2, Andy Lake 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 14 14-20 47.

BUCHANAN 27

Donte Phillips 1 0-0 2, Dalton Riddle 1 0-0 2, Jarrett Thomas 1 0-3 3, Andrew McGuirt 3 3-3 12, Tim McCaffrey 2 1-4 6, Chad Adkerson 0 0-3 0, Rae Griffin 1 0-0 2, Kyle Leazenby 0 0-0 0, Ahmad Thompson 0 0-0 0, Austin Taylor 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 9 4-7 27.

 

Lakeshore      5          15       27       47 

Buchanan       3          11       15       27

3-point baskets: Lakeshore 5 (Steffes 3, Archer, Clapp), Buchanan 5 (McGuirt 3, Thomas, McCaffrey). Total fouls (fouled out): Lakeshore 15 (none), Buchanan 25 (Thomas). Shooting: Lakeshore 14-of-31 for 45-percent, Buchanan 9-of-27 for 33-percent. Rebounding: Lakeshore 22 (Gaishin 8, Burke 4), Buchanan 18 (McCaffrey 5). Turnovers: Lakeshore 8, Buchanan 18. Varsity records: Lakeshore 14-7, Buchanan 10-11 (final). Varsity records: Benton Harbor 15-5, Coloma 5-16.