Late Run Gives Tigers 50-39 Road Win Over LaPorte
January 24, 2021 at 11:44 p.m.
Late Run Gives Tigers 50-39 Road Win Over LaPorte
By Chip Davenport-
A crucial time out taken by Head Coach Matt Moore with 3:28 left in the final period allowed his team to settle down and finish out the home team by a score of 50-39.
Moore’s squad had built a 39-36 lead on a 12-6 run against the host LaPorte Slicers, but the Tiger offense had trouble getting their next play together following an offensive rebound.
Moore’s words must have been what the Tigers needed. They scored six straight points in the next 1:44 stretching their lead to 45-36, then put the finishing touches on to the 11-point victory.
“I think sometimes players play off my energy, my focus, and my intensity,” Moore explained. “I told them, I’m tired, I’m exhausted from having to be our leader a lot of the times. They needed me to chew on them a little bit. They responded the way good teams respond.”
Jaxon Gould started the 6-0 run with an inside bucket, part of a 21-8 fourth quarter in favor of Warsaw, followed by a strong inside basket by Judah Simfukwe, then punctuated with a put-back by sophomore Drew Heckaman.
Heckaman, for the second game in a row, was deployed in the fourth quarter in a time where defense was critical to secure a Tiger win.
Moore, who is gaining trust and confidence in the budding sophomore, said, “Drew’s a versatile guy and like Jackson Dawson he can guard bigger players and he gives us a ball handler and a guy who can attack of the bounce more than some other guys. With the six weeks we have left we have a chance to grow him a little bit and see if he can help us down the stretch.”
Matt Ott-Large, a bulky, athletic 6’3” forward for LaPorte, carried the Slicers, scoring 12 of their 18 points. The hosts jogged to the locker room with an 18-17 halftime lead. Tiger guards Simfukwe and Gould each grabbed five boards in the first half.
The Tigers stayed within a single point ending the third period trailing 30-29, then the fourth quarter storm erupted for the orange and black in the form of Gould, and Jackson Dawson. Gould, averaging nearly 14 points per contest, entered the final frame with only 6 points. He ripped the chords for 10 points, while Dawson added five and was a big part of the defensive effort after the time out.
The Tigers finally made adjustments to the Slicers’ physical style of play midway through the third quarter.
Warsaw again wrestled with shooting woes carried over from the previous night’s loss against Concord, hitting only 28% in the first half but improved in the second, shooting 52% on 11 for 21 from the field.
Gould’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds were followed by Simfukwe (13 points, 8 rebounds), Dawson (9 points with 5 of 6 from the charity stripe), Bishop Walters (6 points on two treys), Ben Bergen (4 points), and Heckaman (2 points).
Ott-Large was the host’s team leader in points (21) and rebounds (10). No other Slicer scored more than five points.
The Tigers held another opponent under 40% shooting. LaPorte (3-11), connected on 13 of 40 shots for 32.5%
Moore, recapping the win said, ”I’m just happy for the group. These are tough games. The ugly ones still go in the left-hand column. We still control the outcome of the conference championship. That’s our focus now when we get back to work Monday.”
Warsaw’s JV squad defeated the Slicers 62-55 as four Tigers scored in double figures. They were led by Tayde Keiser (15 points including 3 treys, 5 rebounds), Jeremiah Dawson and Tyler Kuhn (14 points each, and 7 of 8 free throws each), Kyle Dawson (10 points) and Julian Saldivar (4 assists). Warsaw (8-7, 3-1), is now 3-2 against DAC opponents. They face the Northwood Panthers Friday January 29th. JV tip-off is 6:15 p.m.
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A crucial time out taken by Head Coach Matt Moore with 3:28 left in the final period allowed his team to settle down and finish out the home team by a score of 50-39.
Moore’s squad had built a 39-36 lead on a 12-6 run against the host LaPorte Slicers, but the Tiger offense had trouble getting their next play together following an offensive rebound.
Moore’s words must have been what the Tigers needed. They scored six straight points in the next 1:44 stretching their lead to 45-36, then put the finishing touches on to the 11-point victory.
“I think sometimes players play off my energy, my focus, and my intensity,” Moore explained. “I told them, I’m tired, I’m exhausted from having to be our leader a lot of the times. They needed me to chew on them a little bit. They responded the way good teams respond.”
Jaxon Gould started the 6-0 run with an inside bucket, part of a 21-8 fourth quarter in favor of Warsaw, followed by a strong inside basket by Judah Simfukwe, then punctuated with a put-back by sophomore Drew Heckaman.
Heckaman, for the second game in a row, was deployed in the fourth quarter in a time where defense was critical to secure a Tiger win.
Moore, who is gaining trust and confidence in the budding sophomore, said, “Drew’s a versatile guy and like Jackson Dawson he can guard bigger players and he gives us a ball handler and a guy who can attack of the bounce more than some other guys. With the six weeks we have left we have a chance to grow him a little bit and see if he can help us down the stretch.”
Matt Ott-Large, a bulky, athletic 6’3” forward for LaPorte, carried the Slicers, scoring 12 of their 18 points. The hosts jogged to the locker room with an 18-17 halftime lead. Tiger guards Simfukwe and Gould each grabbed five boards in the first half.
The Tigers stayed within a single point ending the third period trailing 30-29, then the fourth quarter storm erupted for the orange and black in the form of Gould, and Jackson Dawson. Gould, averaging nearly 14 points per contest, entered the final frame with only 6 points. He ripped the chords for 10 points, while Dawson added five and was a big part of the defensive effort after the time out.
The Tigers finally made adjustments to the Slicers’ physical style of play midway through the third quarter.
Warsaw again wrestled with shooting woes carried over from the previous night’s loss against Concord, hitting only 28% in the first half but improved in the second, shooting 52% on 11 for 21 from the field.
Gould’s double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds were followed by Simfukwe (13 points, 8 rebounds), Dawson (9 points with 5 of 6 from the charity stripe), Bishop Walters (6 points on two treys), Ben Bergen (4 points), and Heckaman (2 points).
Ott-Large was the host’s team leader in points (21) and rebounds (10). No other Slicer scored more than five points.
The Tigers held another opponent under 40% shooting. LaPorte (3-11), connected on 13 of 40 shots for 32.5%
Moore, recapping the win said, ”I’m just happy for the group. These are tough games. The ugly ones still go in the left-hand column. We still control the outcome of the conference championship. That’s our focus now when we get back to work Monday.”
Warsaw’s JV squad defeated the Slicers 62-55 as four Tigers scored in double figures. They were led by Tayde Keiser (15 points including 3 treys, 5 rebounds), Jeremiah Dawson and Tyler Kuhn (14 points each, and 7 of 8 free throws each), Kyle Dawson (10 points) and Julian Saldivar (4 assists). Warsaw (8-7, 3-1), is now 3-2 against DAC opponents. They face the Northwood Panthers Friday January 29th. JV tip-off is 6:15 p.m.
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