NILES — Brandywine head coach Nathan Knapp still remembers a game from two years ago when the Bobcats traveled to Fennville.

“I’d never seen a team shoot lights out on us,” he recalled.

However, the past two meetings between the teams have favored Brandywine, which stayed undefeated with a 61-49 victory over the Blackhawks Wednesday night.

The game proved to be a battle for both teams from the beginning as the Bobcats led the first quarter 13-12. Senior Shane Brown scored five points, and juniors Caleb Byrd and Kendall Chrismon Jr. each had four points.

In the second quarter, the Bobcats had their lowest output of the night, adding only seven points, and trailing Fennville 20-22, going into the second half.

“We weren’t doing the things we do best,” Knapp said of his team’s first-half effort. “We were setting up for the three. We can shoot the three, we just haven’t hit it yet.”

The Bobcats had four 3-pointers in their victory over Fennville. Jordan Abrams led the team by sinking in two of the four.

Knapp admitted his team looked a little rusty after the long break.

“It was a struggle for the kids tonight, but I was telling them we have to go inside and then go back out,” Knapp said.

He encouraged the team to play a more attacking style and get to the free throw line. Overall, Knapp called the game a mental battle.

Post players Chrismon and Byrd both broke out in the third quarter. Byrd scored five points, and Chrismon chipped in with five baskets, propelling the Bobcats’ lead.

“You know, Byrd, he plays non-stop. He has a motor,” Knapp said of the junior’s work ethic on the court. “The sky’s the limit.”

As the team tried to break away, the Blackhawks were given 3-point opportunities and trailed Brandywine by only five points at the end of the third quarter.

“We were losing Fennville players in transition,” Knapp explained. “In our press, we were trying to create some turnovers, get an up-tempo game, but we kept leaving too many guys wide open for threes. I don’t want to get away from that. We still have a lot of work to do but getting to that half-court game we kind of slowed it down a bit.”

Fennville’s foul trouble helped the Bobcats pull further away in the fourth, as Brandywine players capitalized on its free throw attempts.

Junior Jacob Fox also entered the game, and scored a pair of baskets to help the Bobcats pull away. By the end of the fourth quarter, Fennville had picked up 12 fouls.

Brandywine was able to end the fourth quarter on a high note, scoring 24 points once they got into a grove.

“Going into it, you know it’s going to be a good game, Fennville is always tough,” Knapp said following his team’s victory. “It’s just one of those nights. Like I told the kids, ‘Every night is the same. They are no different than you. They put their shoes on the same. You just got to be ready to go. Who wants it more?’”

Brandywine will look to remain undefeated as it hosts Coloma Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.