It was a rough start and even rougher finish for Three Rivers’ boys basketball team on Tuesday night.
The Wildcats fell behind Wolverine Conference East Division co-leader Paw Paw 15-8 in the first quarter, but rallied in the second and third quarters to keep it close and only trail 49-38.
However, the Redskins (9-3 overall, 5-1 Wolverine) cemented the game with a 22-8 run in the fourth quarter for a 71-46 victory. The loss puts Three Rivers at 2-10 overall and 0-5 in the Wolverine West Division.
Three Rivers was led by Adam Reed, who had 12 points. Alex Cottingham had seven points and eight rebounds. Cam Cottingham and Elijah Hamilton each added eight points.
For Paw Paw, it was Tanner Eubank with 16 points and Sean Brennan with 12 points, all of them coming from behind the 3-point arc.
Three Rivers hit 19 of 44 field goal attempts (43 percent), but Paw Paw was a bit better, making 27 of 52 (54 percent). The Redskins also held a 24-21 rebound advantage.