By DOUG DONNELLY

OTTAWA LAKE – Summerfield remained the last unbeaten Division 4 basketball team in the state and had its leading scorer Tyler Dafoe pass 1,000 career points Thursday.

Dafoe reached 1,000 points inside the final minute of the third quarter in what was a close game.

Whiteford’s Mason DeBarr grabbed an offensive rebound and laid it back in to pull the Bobcats within two at 37-35 with 1:51 left in the third quarter, but Dafoe made a three-point play to make it 40-35 – giving him the milestone – then scored again in the final seconds for a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs (14-0) just expanded that lead in the fourth quarter when Brody St. John scored the first six points of the period.

“It means a little more because its against our rival,” Dafoe said.

Dafoe came into Thursday’s game needing 18 points to become the sixth Bulldog in history to reach 1,000 points. He missed a couple of shots early but when he connected on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter, he appeared to relax.

“I was a little more nervous than I normally am, but it was all about coming here and beating our rivals again,” Dafoe said. “We needed to get another win and keep things rolling.”

The Bobcats lost by 36 points to Summerfield earlier this season but was within striking distance until early in the fourth quarter.

Whiteford led 10-9 on a Caden Schroyer 3-pointer and 12-9 after a Rylan Joerin bucket with 1:55 left in the first quarter. Dafoe’s triple put Summerfield up 14-12 after the first eight minutes.

Summerfield’s do-it-all Jha Jha Hornbeak grabbed a steal and made two free throws to make is 20-12 with 6:37 left before halftime but a Brody Hillard 3-pointer for Whiteford closed the gap to 25-23 before the break.

The Bobcats got as close as two points again late in the third quarter but couldn’t get any closer. The Bulldogs pressured the Bobcats into several backcourt turnovers to help turn the tide.

“That was the goal from the beginning,” Summerfield coach Phil Schiffler said in a post-game interview. “We knew they were going to try and ugly us down and play us tight. They have a lot of big, strong kids. We were minus 13 on the glass, that’s what helped them.”

Schiffler said the Bulldogs made some adjustments at halftime and were able to pull away.

“This is a rivalry game that means a lot,” he said. “We were able to overcome some of the adversity in the first half and I’m proud of the boys for that.”

Dafoe finished with 23 points while Hornbeak had 17 in another outstanding effort.

“He’s a triple double almost every night. He’s selfless,” Schiffler said of the sophomore.

Dafoe joins Ted Tibbets, Eric Cogan, Lyn Fisher, Chris Degner and Trent Schankin as Bulldogs to reach 1,000 career points.

“When I was a little kid, I always wanted to get to 1,000 points,” he said. “My brother was like 40 some points away from 1,000, so its kind of cool because I got it. I’ve always looked up to him.”

Whiteford (11-6) was led by Cole Griffith’s 13 points. Bobcat coach Nick Abalos left the Whiteford gymnasium without comment.

Summerfield 14 11 17 19 – 61

Whiteford 12 11 12 12 – 47

SUMMERFIELD: Schiffler 2(1) 0-0 5, Gault 2 0-0 4, St. John 3 2-4 8, Dafoe 9(3) 2-3 23, Hornbeak 5(1) 6-10 17, Myshock 2 0-0 4. Totals 23(5) 10-17 61.

WHITEFORD: Andrews 1 0-0 2, Schroyer 3(1) 3-4 10, DeBarr 1 0-0 2, D. Ruddy 0 2-2 2, Griffith 6 1-4 13, Joerin 3 0-2 6, Thomas 4 1-3 9, Hillard 1(1) 0-0 3. Totals 19(2) 7-15 47.