Brandon’s varsity boys basketball team is heading into the Christmas break still in search of its first win of the season.
The host Blackhawks held a first quarter lead against Imlay City Dec. 21, but from there, Imlay City controlled the action and defeated the Blackhawks 68-57.
With the loss, the Blackhawks fell to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in Flint Metro League play.
Brandon took a 15-11 lead at the end of the first quarter, but Imlay City, led by Nathan Arnold (22 points) and Ryan Pilarski (19 points) outscored the Blackhawks 19-14 to take a 30-29 lead at the half.
Imlay City was the more aggressive team in getting to the free throw line, converting 26-of-36 attempts (72.2 percent), while Brandon connected on 14-of-23 free throw shots (60.9 percent).
Adam Howard led the Blackhawks in a losing cause with 12 points, while Andrew Koening added 10 points.
The Blackhawks hung tough with Lapeer East in Flint Metro League action Dec. 17. However, the visiting Eagles outlasted the Blackhawks in the fourth quarter to win the game 40-34.
The two teams started out slowly in the first quarter, with the Eagles holding a slight lead at the end of the first quarter, 5-4. Lapeer East and Brandon then battled to a standstill through the next two quarters, with East holding a 25-24 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Howard led the Blackhawks in scoring with 10 points, while Koenig added eight points and Nick Toreli six.