DOWAGIAC — Dowagiac’s first win of the season over visiting Plainwell might not have been the team’s prettiest performance, but for head coach Danum Hunt, it meant that the team’s speed and quickness are starting to take shape.

While the team made mistakes on the court, including several turnovers and missed rebounds, they were able to put the ball in the net on integral plays to lead Plainwell throughout the entire game.

Dowagiac defeated the Trojans 52-33.

“We turned the ball over a lot and blew quite a few assignments, but we did enough to get the win,” Hunt said.

With Dowagiac falling to both Benton Harbor and Otsego, which Hunt refers to as two perennial powerhouses, a win does the team some good.

Dowagiac’s speed and quickness were evident from the start as the team dominated the first quarter early on and led Plainwell 12-4 at the break.

Despite having the upper hand, Dowagiac let Plainwell have scoring opportunities in the second quarter, which helped keep them in the contest.

Going into the game, Hunt did not expect Plainwell to give up easily.

“Plainwell always plays us tough they tend to slow the tempo and slow the game down,” Hunt said. 

The Chieftains’ strategy was to keep the game up-tempo, and at a high enough pace that they would have the opportunity to win. Hunt credits the victory to the team being able to successfully accomplish that.

In the final quarter, with five minutes remaining, Dowagiac’s chemistry clicked. It was evident in several passes between D.J. Lanier and Dashawn Brooks.

The team racked up 17 points in the final quarter, and continued to press Plainwell without growing tired.

“If we can be athletic and quick for 32 minutes, it kind of wears teams down,” Hunt said. “Fatigue kicks in, and we are still able to do that due to our conditioning.”

The team attempts to play hard and fast in order to break its opponents down at the end of the game. By taking advantage of the other team’s fatigue, Dowagiac was able to connect passes, and pick up steals in the final quarter.

This strategy transfered over to the Chieftains’ defense, as they kept Plainwell to just 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Hunt said the team pulled together as a unit to earn the victory. Individually, Lanier had a team-high 19-points. Cailyn Murphy played strong under the basket and finished with 10 rebounds and nine points. Hunt also credited guard T.J. Reed with a number of steals during the game.

“I think the guys did it collectively tonight,” he said. “Everybody contributed where they should and where they could. We were able to get the ‘W’. A win is a win, whether it’s ugly or pretty. A win is a win.”

The Chieftains will look to pick up another win against Sturgis Friday night at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m., immediately following the girls’ varsity basketball match against Sturgis.

It will be the final game before the Christmas break.