By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES - A very close basketball game ended in favor of Battle Creek Central Friday night as the Bearcats took an 80-77 win over visiting Niles in Big 16 West Division action.
The Vikings stayed ahead of Battle Creek for the entire first half, taking a 25-18 lead after the first quarter and a 41-38 lead at halftime.
But an explosive third period by the Bearcats pushed them ahead of Niles, 62-37, entering the fourth period.
The Vikings made an impressive comeback and outscored Battle Creek, 13-8. But the final score at the buzzer was tied at 70, putting the game into overtime.
The Vikings were only able to score seven points in the extra period, as the Bearcats went on to score 10 and claim the victory.
Brandon Thomas led Niles with 32 points, including five three-pointers.
Nick Etzcorn added 26 points, making them the only two players to score in double digits.
For Battle Creek, Greg Brown had 29 points, while Robin Peake added 15.
Niles will return to the court tonight when they host Mishawaka Penn. The JV game is set to begin at 5:45, while varsity will begin at 7:30.