(New Buffalo, MI) - The New Buffalo High School boys’ basketball team, not feeling entirely up to par, suffered its first season loss.

        

On Friday, the #1 ranked in Class D New Buffalo Bison were defeated 80-64 at Brandywine.

        

Head coach Nate Tripp said many of his players battling colds and other non-COVID-19 sicknesses didn’t have the energy level required to keep up with the size and speed of the Class C Bobcats.

        

“It was just one of those games we didn’t have it,” he said.

The sluggish-looking Bison trailing early fought back to within four points at the end of the first quarter and trailed by just three points at halftime. In the third quarter, New Buffalo outscored by 10-points could not muster another comeback attempt.

        

“We just did not have the energy, and no matter what we could do, we weren’t going to find it,” Tripp said.        

Kaden Parmley led the Bison with 17-points but was just one of seven shooting from beyond the three-point line. Jeremiah Mitchell and Anthony Lijewski contributed 12-points and 11-points, respectively. Mark Shaw and Zack Forker each added eight points. Shaw dished out nine assists.

 

Tripp said most of his players failed to move the ball fast enough to find gaps they could penetrate on offense from being under the weather. They were also a step slow many times in getting back and being in the proper position on defense.

        

“We didn’t even run down the court sometimes,” Tripp said.      

The illnesses exposed a lack of bench strength for the Bison, with four starters playing over 20 minutes and Parmley exceeding 30 minutes of game time.

        

New Buffalo was also hurt by second-chance shots from the Bobcats, who had 18 offensive rebounds compared to just six for the Bison.