Pennfield hung on in the final seconds to get a key conference win as the Panthers continued their impressive start to the season.Pennfield edged Coldwater, 57-55, in this Interstate 8 Conference boys basketball game on the road on Thursday as the Panthers have opened the season at 5-2.Pennfield took a 55-50 lead after a 3-pointer by Calvin Paesens, as the Panthers would extend that advantage to 57-50. However, Coldwater rallied in the closing minutes to make it a one-possession game before Pennfield closed it out.MORE: Kalamazoo Central too much for Lakeview in battle of defending division champs"It was neck and neck and we escaped with a win," Pennfield coach Robbie Hattan said. "I betcha there were 35 lead changes in that game. We'd score, they'd score."But, I told the boys. We can win by one, or we can win by 20. It doesn't matter. I'll take a one-point win or a 20-point win. A win is a win."Pennfield has played six of its first seven games on the road and getting a league victory at Coldwater gives the Panthers a 5-2 record overall and a 2-1 mark in the conference."This league is tough. Anybody can beat anybody in this league. And to get a win on the road in the league is absolutely great for us," Hattan said.Paesens led Pennfield with 26 points, including four 3-pointers, plus five rebounds. Zach Walling added 10 points for the Panthers with Johnathan Lake adding eight points and 14 rebounds.Coldwater drops to 4-4 overall with Austin Downs leading the Cardinals with 18 points with Ayden Dirschell adding 10 points, three assists and three steals.More Boys BasketballHarper Creek 51, Parma Western 45Harper Creek defeated defending Interstate 8 Conference champs Parma Western on the road as the Beavers improve to 5-1. Braxton Liss and Tre'Quon Cotton each had 11 points to lead Harper Creek with Spencer Denney adding nine.Loy Norrix 69, Battle Creek Central 47Battle Creek Central falls to 1-6 on the season and is 1-2 in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division with the loss to Loy Norrix (3-3).Marshall 50, Hastings 49Marshall (6-1) remained in first place in the Interstate 8 Conference at 3-0 with the win over Hastings (1-4). Austin Burns led Marshall with 15 points and five rebounds as Austin Miller added 12 points.Colon 62, Climax-Scotts 57Dalton Williams had 27 points, including 15 in the first half, for Colon, which improves to 4-2. Dominick Mock added 16 points for the Magi. Chase VanMiddlesworth had 25 points for Climax-Scotts (0-5).Girls BasketballLakeview 44, Kalamazoo Central 41Lakeview improved to 2-3 overall with the road win at Kalamazoo Central (2-1). Camille Oxley led the Spartans with 21 points with Danayah Williams chipping in with seven.Parma Western 65, Harper Creek 24Harper Creek had only seven players dressed for the game and fell to 3-3 overall, losing to defending league champ Parma Western (4-0). Ella Chantrenne had 10 points for the Beavers.Marshall 65, Hastings 35Marshall remained undefeated, improving to 5-0. Emily Dingee had 23 points to lead the Redhawks with Brooke Carden and Brielle Kelly each adding eight.Kalamazoo Hackett 63, St. Philip 27St. Philip dropped to 3-2 on the season after the loss to Kalamazoo Hackett (3-2). Addi Dzwik had 12 points to lead the Tigers with Leah Downey adding six points and five rebounds.Coldwater 39, Pennfield 21Coldwater remained in first place in the league at 2-0 with the win over Pennfield (1-5). Natalie Hensel had 12 points, 10 rebounds, thee assists, three steals and three blocks to lead Pennfield.Battle Creek Central 60, Loy Norrix 33Battle Creek Central remains in first place in the SMAC East at 2-0 in divisional paly with the win over Loy Norrix (1-5). The Bearcats are 3-1 overall.Gull Lake 42, Portage Northern 40Gull Lake is now 2-3 after getting a home win against Portage Northern (0-7). Caroline Clancy led the Blue Devils with nine points.Climax-Scotts 56, Colon 20Holly Talbert had 13 points and Sophie Braithwaite added 12 as Climax-Scotts improved to 5-1. AJ Edwards chipped in 10 for the Panthers. Raegan Thaxton had nine points and nine rebounds for Colon (1-5).Union City 56, Hillsdale 33Playing the game at Little Caesar's Arena, Union City came away with a win to improve to 2-3. Ellie Williams had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chargers with Nala Payne adding 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.Calhoun Christian 33, Will Carleton 21Ava Lueck led Calhoun Christian with 13 points as the Cougars improve to 3-2.Bill Broderick can be reached at bbroderi@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on X/Twitter: @billbroderick

Pennfield hung on in the final seconds to get a key conference win as the Panthers continued their impressive start to the season. Pennfield edged Coldwater, 57-55, in this Interstate 8 Conference boys basketball game on the road on Thursday as the Panthers have opened the season at 5-2. Pennfield took a 55-50 lead after […]

Pennfield hung on in the final seconds to get a key conference win as the Panthers continued their impressive start to the season.

Pennfield edged Coldwater, 57-55, in this Interstate 8 Conference boys basketball game on the road on Thursday as the Panthers have opened the season at 5-2.

Pennfield took a 55-50 lead after a 3-pointer by Calvin Paesens, as the Panthers would extend that advantage to 57-50. However, Coldwater rallied in the closing minutes to make it a one-possession game before Pennfield closed it out.

MORE: Kalamazoo Central too much for Lakeview in battle of defending division champs

A basketball sits on the court at Cardinal Mooney High School in Marine City on Monday, Nov. 25, 2024.

“It was neck and neck and we escaped with a win,” Pennfield coach Robbie Hattan said. “I betcha there were 35 lead changes in that game. We’d score, they’d score.

“But, I told the boys. We can win by one, or we can win by 20. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take a one-point win or a 20-point win. A win is a win.”

Pennfield has played six of its first seven games on the road and getting a league victory at Coldwater gives the Panthers a 5-2 record overall and a 2-1 mark in the conference.

“This league is tough. Anybody can beat anybody in this league. And to get a win on the road in the league is absolutely great for us,” Hattan said.

Paesens led Pennfield with 26 points, including four 3-pointers, plus five rebounds. Zach Walling added 10 points for the Panthers with Johnathan Lake adding eight points and 14 rebounds.

Coldwater drops to 4-4 overall with Austin Downs leading the Cardinals with 18 points with Ayden Dirschell adding 10 points, three assists and three steals.

More Boys Basketball

Harper Creek 51, Parma Western 45

Harper Creek defeated defending Interstate 8 Conference champs Parma Western on the road as the Beavers improve to 5-1. Braxton Liss and Tre’Quon Cotton each had 11 points to lead Harper Creek with Spencer Denney adding nine.

Loy Norrix 69, Battle Creek Central 47

Battle Creek Central falls to 1-6 on the season and is 1-2 in the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference East Division with the loss to Loy Norrix (3-3).

Marshall 50, Hastings 49

Marshall (6-1) remained in first place in the Interstate 8 Conference at 3-0 with the win over Hastings (1-4). Austin Burns led Marshall with 15 points and five rebounds as Austin Miller added 12 points.

Colon 62, Climax-Scotts 57

Dalton Williams had 27 points, including 15 in the first half, for Colon, which improves to 4-2. Dominick Mock added 16 points for the Magi. Chase VanMiddlesworth had 25 points for Climax-Scotts (0-5).

Girls Basketball

Lakeview 44, Kalamazoo Central 41

Lakeview improved to 2-3 overall with the road win at Kalamazoo Central (2-1). Camille Oxley led the Spartans with 21 points with Danayah Williams chipping in with seven.

Parma Western 65, Harper Creek 24

Harper Creek had only seven players dressed for the game and fell to 3-3 overall, losing to defending league champ Parma Western (4-0). Ella Chantrenne had 10 points for the Beavers.

Marshall 65, Hastings 35

Marshall remained undefeated, improving to 5-0. Emily Dingee had 23 points to lead the Redhawks with Brooke Carden and Brielle Kelly each adding eight.

Kalamazoo Hackett 63, St. Philip 27

St. Philip dropped to 3-2 on the season after the loss to Kalamazoo Hackett (3-2). Addi Dzwik had 12 points to lead the Tigers with Leah Downey adding six points and five rebounds.

Coldwater 39, Pennfield 21

Coldwater remained in first place in the league at 2-0 with the win over Pennfield (1-5). Natalie Hensel had 12 points, 10 rebounds, thee assists, three steals and three blocks to lead Pennfield.

Battle Creek Central 60, Loy Norrix 33

Battle Creek Central remains in first place in the SMAC East at 2-0 in divisional paly with the win over Loy Norrix (1-5). The Bearcats are 3-1 overall.

Gull Lake 42, Portage Northern 40

Gull Lake is now 2-3 after getting a home win against Portage Northern (0-7). Caroline Clancy led the Blue Devils with nine points.

Climax-Scotts 56, Colon 20

Holly Talbert had 13 points and Sophie Braithwaite added 12 as Climax-Scotts improved to 5-1. AJ Edwards chipped in 10 for the Panthers. Raegan Thaxton had nine points and nine rebounds for Colon (1-5).

Union City 56, Hillsdale 33

Playing the game at Little Caesar’s Arena, Union City came away with a win to improve to 2-3. Ellie Williams had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Chargers with Nala Payne adding 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.