The first big Friday of the area high school basketball season yielded some dramatic finishes and stellar performances.

In the Northern Indiana Conference, St. Joseph, the top-ranked team in Class 3A, held off 4A #10 Riley, 77-75, at Algie Oldham Gym on the city’s south side. Chase Konieczny tallied 30 points with 10 rebounds to lead St. Joseph, which is now 11-1 on the year.  Tyrese Jones led Riley, now 9-2, with 32 points.

In a Northern Lakes showdown, Brandt Martin scored a career-high 27 as #9 Warsaw went on a 14-2 run in the final two-and-a-half minutes to rally past #3 Northridge, 64-59.  The Tigers remain tied with NorthWood for the NLC lead. The Panthers raised their record to 12-1 with a 69-33 pasting of Wawasee. In that game, NorthWood’s Maddux Everingham eclipsed the 1000-point mark for his career.

In a US 6 rivalry game, Bremen holds off LaVille, 65-60. Chase Devine scored 32 for the Lions, while Collin Czarnecki poured in 30 for LaVille.

In Michigan, Niles rallied late to beat Edwardsburg, 51-47, in a key Wolverine Conference matchup. The Vikings are now 6-4 on the season.

Meanwhile, Coloma downs Watervliet in a Berrien County rivalry, 79-69. Jacob Pleyer scored 36 in a losing effort for Watervliet.

Here are all the area scores