Holland, Mich. ? A west Michigan high school basketball team mourning the death of a star player returned to the court Monday, winning a state tournament game that turned into a tribute for the 16-year-old who collapsed after scoring a winning basket last week.

Fennville High was playing its first game just four days after star guard Wes Leonard died from a heart ailment. Unbeaten Fennville, one of the state’s highest-rated Class C teams, beat Lawrence High, 65-54, in a district opener. The Blackhawks move to Wednesday’s second round with a 21-0 record.

Fennville teammates hugged and cried after the final buzzer sounded, and the crowd of 3,500 erupted in a standing ovation.

“Wes would have wanted to win,” said Adam Siegel, a teammate of Leonard’s. “I wanted to win.”

Leonard’s absence overshadowed the game. In tribute to their fallen teammate, Fennville sent just four players onto the court before the opening tip. The fifth player took the court after a dramatic pause to wild cheering from the crowd.

Fennville’s last game was Thursday, when Leonard — a Baldwin City (Kan.) native who moved to Michigan during his sixth-grade year — made the game-winning basket in overtime on his home court against Bridgman to cap an undefeated regular season at 20-0. Teams shook hands after the game, and Leonard was lifted off the floor in celebration, a wide grin on his face.

Seconds later, he fell to the court, stunning a crowd estimated at more than 1,400. Leonard was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy by the Ottawa County medical examiner showed Leonard died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

Fennville’s decision to play Monday came after school officials talked to Leonard’s family. The game was supposed to be played at Lawrence, but was moved to Hope College in Holland to handle a larger crowd.

While some fans and school officials had talked before the game about how it wouldn’t really matter who won, Fennville players didn’t seem to have that attitude. The Blackhawks rallied from behind, with some players flashing Leonard’s jersey number, “35” — holding up three fingers on one hand and five on the other — after certain baskets.

“I’m just proud of the way we handled things; I’m proud of the way Lawrence handled things,” Fennville coach Ryan Klingler said. “The effort by both teams tonight is how it should be. I think Wes would be proud of us all. … I think he was watching down on us. This is a game he’d have liked.”

Even before the game started, it had turned into a tribute to the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Leonard. Players from Lawrence and Fennville wore black T-shirts honoring him during pregame warm-ups. Leonard’s name and number were on the back; the phrase “Never Forgotten” was on the front. Teams also wore black wristbands with Leonard’s initials on them.

The first standing ovation came as Fennville players stoically walked onto the court for pregame warm-ups, joined by Leonard’s younger brother, Mitchell. The crowd again came to its feet and clapped as more members of the Leonard family, including his parents, entered DeVos Fieldhouse and settled into seats high above the Fennville bench.

A moment of silence was held for Leonard, who also was the quarterback on the school’s football team.

College men’s basketball

Ohio State stays No. 1 poll

Ohio State and Kansas University are 1-2 in the Associated Press college basketball poll for a second straight week.

The Big Ten-champion Buckeyes are No. 1 for a fifth week overall and haven’t been ranked lower than second since December. They received 52 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel Monday.

Kansas was No. 1 on the other ballots.

Pittsburgh moved up one spot to third and was followed by Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina, San Diego State, BYU, Purdue and Texas.

The No. 4 ranking is Notre Dame’s highest since being fourth in December 1980.