COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – Pennfield, the first-place team in the Interstate 8 boys basketball standings, survived everything the Coldwater Cardinals threw their way Tuesday night and escaped the Coach Floyd Eby Gymnasium with a 60-57 victory.
The teams played to an 11-11 stalemate through the opening stanza, but the Panthers asserted themselves in the middle quarters, outscoring Coldwater 16-10 in the second and 16-14 in the third. The Cardinals came to life both offensively and defensively in the final period, outscoring the Panthers 22-17 and holding them to two field goals in the quarter. Pennfield won the game at the free throw line, going 12-of-17 in the fourth and finishing 14-of-21 for the game. Coldwater had a chance to force overtime, but Bennett McDonald’s three-point attempt at the buzzer was blocked by Johnny Lake.
Lake led all scorers with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks for Pennfield, while Peyton Merlington added 15. The Panthers improved to 15-4 overall, 9-1 in the Interstate 8, and can clinch a share of the league title with a win against Hastings on Friday.
Gavin Taylor paced Coldwater with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists, Evan Lewis added 14 points and 5 boards, and Austin Downs had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. Owen Tappenden contributed 8 points off the bench.
The Cardinals fell to 8-10 overall, 5-5 in the Interstate 8, and will host Parma Western Friday afternoon at 3 p.m.
Listen to the game again:
Coldwater and Pennfield split the underclassman games. The Cardinals took the JV contest 58-46 behind 20 points from Mayson Moore and 13 from Wayne Case. Pennfield scored late to take the freshman contest 47-44.
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