DOWAGIAC — A short-handed Benton Harbor squad could not keep up with the Dowagiac girls basketball team in the Chieftains’ 50-28 non-conference victory Monday night.

The Chieftains (2-3) wore down the Tigers in the second half as they turned a seven-point (26-19) halftime advantage into a rout.

Senior Johnae Poindexter kept the Tigers in the game the first half as she scored 17 of the Benton Harbor’s 19 points.

She had 22 of the Tigers’ 24 points when she fouled out midway through the third quarter.

Dowagiac took advantage of Benton Harbor’s inability to score and slowly built their lead throughout the second half.

Kellyn Daly and Allie Conner had big nights for the Chieftains as they scored 19 and 16 respectively.

Dowagiac also got six points from Hayden First.

The victory helped Dowagiac tune up for its key Wolverine Conference clash with visiting Edwardsburg Thursday night.

“They are the defending conference and district champions,” said Dowagiac coach Brent Nate. “We are going to have to handle their pressure and keep them off the boards. We need to take them out of their comfort zone.”

Both teams like to play an up-tempo style of basketball. And while it may not be in his team’s best interest to get into a running game with the Eddies, Nate knows they cannot afford to take the air out of the ball either.

“They are going to trap us in the full, they are going to trap us in the half. We just have to be strong with the ball. We need to keep the ball in the middle of the floor. Are we going to slow it down? Here and there.”

The game is the first of a Wolverine Conference doubleheader. The girls game is scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. with the boys game to follow at approximately 7:15 p.m.