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THREE RIVERS — The boys’ basketball season got off to a shaky start for defending Wolverine Conference champion Niles in a 44-42 overtime loss Monday at Three Rivers. 

The Vikings were without three players, who are members of the Niles football team that has advanced to Friday’s Division 4 state finals against Goodrich. 

Afterwards Niles head coach Myles Busby quickly made the distinction between last year and the 2024-25 season.

“This game was a good learning experience for us. Kudos to Three Rivers because they played harder and wanted this game more than we did. We are everyone’s Super Bowl after winning league last year. What happened a year ago is something the program earned, but the guys in our locker room now haven’t. This is a completely new team. We have to understand how hard we have to work to get to that level,’ Busby said. “As coaches we have to do a better job of preparing. You don’t win anything in November. This group will be okay though.”

Niles quickly bolted out to a 12-2 lead to start the contest behind the inside scoring of Brayden Favors and Donovyn Williams. Three Rivers whittled its deficit to five, 12-7, by the end of the period with Blake Stewart’s two free throws and a three-pointer. 

Favors buried a triple to give Niles a 15-7 advantage early in the second quarter. But Three Rivers used a relentless effort at the defensive end to keep itself close. Stewart came up with back-to-back steals and converted them into layups to bring the Wildcats back within two, 15-13. 

Niles went back up by six after Favors’ pair of free-throw attempts and Williams’ fastbreak bucket. Stewart hit another triple to end the half and pull the hosts within three, 19-16, entering the intermission. 

Quinton King’s perimeter shot put Niles back up by five (21-16) to start the third quarter. Three Rivers took its first lead (23-22) just seconds later following a Lamonta Stone steal and Carter Langston basket. The Wildcats extended their margin to five points (27-22) following steals and layups from Drew Graver and Brayden Carpenter. Derrick Hill drained a pair of free throws for Niles to lessen the Vikings’ deficit to just three, 27-24 entering the fourth quarter. 

Three Rivers found itself on top 32-26 after a basket from senior floor leader Jace Gray. But Niles rallied to regain the lead 38-36 on Hill’s finger-tip layup with 1:30 left in regulation. King then drained the first of two free-throw chances to put the Vikings up 39-36. However, Graver calmly drained a three pointer tying the game and sending the two teams into overtime.

A Jaymes Phillips triple to open the overtime gave Niles a 42-39 lead. Stewart’s charity toss brought the Wildcats back within 42-40 with 2:53 left and Three Rivers tied the contest on a Carter Langston jumper just seconds later. Stone would drain the winning shot on a 9-foot jumper with 11.2 seconds left. 

Niles took its final timeout. The Vikings returned to the floor and had a potential game-winning shot but Phillips’ triple from the corner hit the rim and missed the mark. The clock ran out setting off a wild celebration on the court by Three Rivers’ student body. 

Three Rivers did a better job defensively cutting off Niles’ scoring chances in the post over the second half. 

“Three Rivers was pressuring us out on top more in the final half and we weren’t seeing the floor very well. It should’ve been easier for us to get the ball underneath. Right now it’s just guys playing outside of their roles right now who are playing more minutes than normal. It’ll be a bit different look when we get a couple guys back here after football. Our school is in a position now where our teams are making long playoff runs which is a good problem to have,” Busby said. 

Favors finished as Niles’ top scorer with 14 points. King added nine followed by Hill and Phillips with seven apiece and Phillips contributed five. The Vikings made 13 field-goal attempts, including five triples, and went 11-of-17 at the foul stripe. 

Three Rivers was led in the scoring column by Stewart with 13. Graver finished with eight, Langston added seven. Carpenter, Gray, Stone and Barth all contributed four points each. 

Three Rivers finished with 17 field goals, including five triples, and went 5-of-8 from the charity stripe. 

Niles outrebounded Three Rivers 25-20. Williams pulled down 10 rebounds for the Vikings and Phillips added eight.

Three Rivers coach Brian Burg was pleased to see his team persevere. 

“Our guys with experience understand the game much better and our younger kids are coming right along too. We don’t have that superstar who can put up 25 points. I just have kids who can go and contribute in all areas with a rebound, pass or basket here or there. We found each other when we needed to tonight,” Burg said.