Plan B works for Cavaliers

SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP - Coldwater's Keith Wenning missed a driving shot to the basket.

Now it was time for Plan B.

Wenning grabbed his own rebound and tossed in a half hook shot over his shoulder with six seconds left.

Wenning's putback gave Coldwater 59-57 boys basketball victory over Shawnee on Friday in a non-league game.

"I tried to penetrate and I went up and it got blocked a little bit," Wenning said. "I went after it and just threw it up for the shot. I turned around and shot it."

After a timeout, Shawnee's Cody Smith took the inbound pass with 6.2 seconds left and went the length of the floor. He pulled up and missed a 17-footer with one second left.

"We were trying to post up Keith and it was somewhat of a post up," Coldwater coach Mike Kanney said. "I thought he got bumped a little bit, but fortunately he was able to make the shot. ... As it was, it was a good team win on the road."

Coming off a playoff football season, it was the opener for Coldwater. Shawnee is 1-2.

Shawnee continually fell behind, but battled back behind the play of guard Garrick Warthem, who led the Indians with 26 points. Warthem hit 11-of-19 from the floor. Smith scored nine for Shawnee.

Eric Lefeld, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 16 points and four rebounds for Coldwater. Joe Thomas scored 15, while Wenning had five points.

"He's worked at his game and he moves well for a big guy," Kanney said of Lefeld.

Both teams had 15 turnovers. Shawnee outrebounded Coldwater, 25-24. Coldwater shot 49 percent, while Shawnee hit 51 percent.

Coldwater ran out to a 13-5 lead behind two 3-pointers by Thomas and two baskets by Lefeld.

"We knew they would be triple-teaming us (inside), so I tried to hit the open guy," Lefeld said.

The Cavs led 20-10 after the first quarter before Warthem went to work.

Warthem hit a driving layup and a free throw for a three-point play. He then sank a 12-footer and layup to bring Shawnee within 20-19. Warthem scored 10 points in the quarter.

But Tony Harlamert answered with a pair of 3-pointers and the Cavs led 30-24 at the half.

Coldwater went right inside to Lefeld early in the second half and the Cavs' lead grew to 13, 37-24, with 5:05 left in the third quarter.

"The start of the game killed me. It was not a good first quarter for us," Shawnee coach Nick Bertke said. "Then, the start of the second half, you can't have that. We need to mature and grow up a little bit.

"We played hard. We just need to do it earlier."

Warthem's ability to drive to the basket or drive and pull up brought Shawnee back to within 39-34 with 1:50 left in the third.

Coldwater held a 57-50 lead with 2:47 left. But Warthem hit two foul shots, Smith sank a 3-pointer and Warthem hit a 15-footer to tie the game at 57 with 45 seconds to go.

That set up Wenning's heroics.