COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – The Coldwater Cardinals live to play another night thanks to senior guard Gavin Taylor. He scored the game-winning bucket on a layup with one second left in regulation to give the Cardinals a two-point win against Gull Lake, 55-53, in a Division 1 Sturgis District first round game on opening night of the MHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament at the Coach Floyd Eby Gymnasium.
Coldwater led 12-6 after one and 27-23 at halftime despite five first half 3-pointers from the Blue Devils. The two teams played to a 14-14 stalemate in the third quarter, but the Cardinals took control early in the fourth, opening up a 12-point lead at one point. Gull Lake would find their stroke again from beyond the arc late, draining four triples in the final two minutes of regulation, tying the game at 53-53 late, and setting up the eventual game-winner:
Gavin Taylor led all scorers with 23 points for Coldwater. Dayton Ennis and Bennett McDonald added 6, while Evan Lewis had 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
For Gull Lake, Zac Pfennig had a team-high 19 points, Peyton Orley scored 12, and Luke McGrath added 11 as the Blue Devils saw their season come to an end with a 4-19 record.
The Cardinals improved to 12-11 and advance to face Battle Creek Central Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the second game of a Division 1 District Semifinal doubleheader at Sturgis High School. Coverage on WTVB will begin Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. In Wednesday’s first game at Sturgis, the host Trojans will take on Loy Norrix after Sturgis defeated Battle Creek Lakeview Monday night 56-44.
Listen to Monday’s game again:
Elsewhere on opening night of the tournament, Pansophia Academy made history at the Division 4 District at Litchfield, winning their first-ever boys basketball postseason game by defeating Jackson Christian 65-52. The Pumas will take a 3-9 record into their District Semifinal matchup against Big 8 runner-up Concord Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Tekonsha’s season ended with a 64-17 loss at Climax-Scotts in the first round of the Division 4 District hosted by Climax-Scotts. The Indians wrapped up their campaign with a 1-21 record.
OTHER AREA BOYS BASKETBALL DISTRICT SCORES
D1 at Mattawan: Mattawan 55, Stevensville Lakesore 36
D1 at Mattawan: Portage Northern 76, St. Joseph 35
D1 at Mason: Jackson Northwest 52, Okemos 47
D2 at Berrien Springs: Berrien Springs 47, Buchanan 36
D2 at Berrien Springs: Edwardsburg 66, Dowagiac 20
D2 at Vicksburg: Otsego 71, Three Rivers 58
D2 at Lansing Eastern: Hastings 53, Lake Odessa Lakewood 41
D2 at Pennfield: Parma Western 48, Harper Creek 33
D2 at Pennfield: Olivet 60, Eaton Rapids 32
D3 at Galesburg-Augusta: Kalamazoo Phoenix 66, Kalamazoo Christian 54
D3 at Galesburg-Augusta: Schoolcraft 68, Galesburg-Augusta 30
D3 at Lawton: Lawton 41, Bangor 39
D3 at Lawton: Hartford 52, Decatur 46
D3 at Niles Brandywine: Coloma 63, Watervliet 51
D3 at Centreville: White Pigeon 63, Constantine 43 (White Pigeon will face Bronson Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.)
D3 at Leslie: Stockbridge 73, Charyl Stockwell Prep 26
D3 at Napoleon: Homer 65, East Jackson 36
D4 at Mendon: Howardsville Christian 50, Athens 33
D4 at Mendon: Burr Oak 58, Marcellus 54
D4 at Climax-Scotts: Calhoun Christian 69, Bellevue 63
D4 at Reading: Reading 65, Will Carleton Academy 53
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