Tigers Build Just Enough Cushion To Edge RedHawks
January 15, 2022 at 4:55 a.m.
Tigers Build Just Enough Cushion To Edge RedHawks
By Anthony Anderson-
Junior Drew Heckaman poured in 20 points, junior Russ Winchester added 12 on 4-of-5 shooting outside the arc, and junior Jaxson Gould blended 10 points with a bevy of other pivotal plays as the Tigers moved to 8-4 overall, 3-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference.
Warsaw snapped the eight-game winning streak of the RedHawks (9-2, 2-1).
The Tigers led 32-17 by halftime, before unrelentingly gritty Goshen outscored the hosts 30-16 over the final two quarters.
Warsaw never relinquished the lead, though, and a driving shot through traffic to the basket by Hawk senior star Drew Hogan did not fall just ahead of the final horn.
“Our first-half performance was as good a half as we’ve played at both ends all year,” Tiger coach Matt Moore said. “We guarded well, we moved the ball, our shot selection was very good. If we can find a way to put that back to back, I don’t know if there’s many people who are gonna beat us.”
Warsaw, though, shot just 5-of-16 from the field in the second half with one 3-pointer and an almost costly 5-of-11 at the line to go with seven turnovers, after first-half numbers of 13-of-18 from the field with four triples, 2-of-2 at the line and four turnovers.
Heckaman scored all 10 of the Tigers’ fourth-period points. He finished the night 8-of-10 from the field to go with 4-of-7 at the line.
“Drew’s been really focused,” Moore said. “There’s been a progression in his belief in what he can do over the last three or four games. He’s shooting at such a high clip right now. He doesn’t take bad shots and he understands where he can attack. He’s kind of unique in that he’s a bigger player who can put little guys in the basket area and take big guys off the bounce. We like him playing downhill because it’s a tough matchup, and he picked his spots tonight and gave us a good boost.”
So did Winchester and Gould, and plenty of that boost in ways that don’t show up in a box score.
Gould drew three charges and Winchester two. That was also each player’s respective figure in terms of blocked shots, and Gould added team highs of seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“It was an emphasis,” Moore acknowledged of the charging fouls that were coaxed. “After Tuesday’s (loss at Penn), I addressed some things I needed to see or we were going to make some changes, and tonight, I thought we stepped up in that way. We were very attentive to that. Goshen’s a great team in terms of driving the ball. I’d say some teams get five (charges taken) in a season, so five in one game, not bad.”
“They did a really nice job sliding over,” RedHawk coach Michael Wohlford said of Warsaw’s defense. “That was definitely a concerted effort on their part. To get a high school kid to take a charge is really good coaching, and really good discipline by the kid, so you gotta give them credit for how they defended. It was exceptional. I don’t know if we’ve charged more than once or twice all year.”
Hogan led Goshen with 15 points and three assists. Junior Quinn Bechtel added 12 points, 10 of them in the second half, while sophomore center Ryan Eldgrige netted all of his seven in the second half. Gage Worthman collected a game-high eight rebounds and made two steals for the Hawks, who won the boards 27-21.
Next up for the Tigers — one of three unbeatens left in NLC play along with NorthWood (3-0) and Mishawaka (2-0) — is a Saturday night visit to Class 3A No. 7-ranked Peru (11-0).
Warsaw won Friday’s junior varsity game 49-33. Luke Yeager scored 12 and Luke Bricker 11 for the JV Tigers (5-5), while Andre Williams tallied 13 and Nathan Pinarski 10 for the JV RedHawks (8-3).
Junior Drew Heckaman poured in 20 points, junior Russ Winchester added 12 on 4-of-5 shooting outside the arc, and junior Jaxson Gould blended 10 points with a bevy of other pivotal plays as the Tigers moved to 8-4 overall, 3-0 in the Northern Lakes Conference.
Warsaw snapped the eight-game winning streak of the RedHawks (9-2, 2-1).
The Tigers led 32-17 by halftime, before unrelentingly gritty Goshen outscored the hosts 30-16 over the final two quarters.
Warsaw never relinquished the lead, though, and a driving shot through traffic to the basket by Hawk senior star Drew Hogan did not fall just ahead of the final horn.
“Our first-half performance was as good a half as we’ve played at both ends all year,” Tiger coach Matt Moore said. “We guarded well, we moved the ball, our shot selection was very good. If we can find a way to put that back to back, I don’t know if there’s many people who are gonna beat us.”
Warsaw, though, shot just 5-of-16 from the field in the second half with one 3-pointer and an almost costly 5-of-11 at the line to go with seven turnovers, after first-half numbers of 13-of-18 from the field with four triples, 2-of-2 at the line and four turnovers.
Heckaman scored all 10 of the Tigers’ fourth-period points. He finished the night 8-of-10 from the field to go with 4-of-7 at the line.
“Drew’s been really focused,” Moore said. “There’s been a progression in his belief in what he can do over the last three or four games. He’s shooting at such a high clip right now. He doesn’t take bad shots and he understands where he can attack. He’s kind of unique in that he’s a bigger player who can put little guys in the basket area and take big guys off the bounce. We like him playing downhill because it’s a tough matchup, and he picked his spots tonight and gave us a good boost.”
So did Winchester and Gould, and plenty of that boost in ways that don’t show up in a box score.
Gould drew three charges and Winchester two. That was also each player’s respective figure in terms of blocked shots, and Gould added team highs of seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.
“It was an emphasis,” Moore acknowledged of the charging fouls that were coaxed. “After Tuesday’s (loss at Penn), I addressed some things I needed to see or we were going to make some changes, and tonight, I thought we stepped up in that way. We were very attentive to that. Goshen’s a great team in terms of driving the ball. I’d say some teams get five (charges taken) in a season, so five in one game, not bad.”
“They did a really nice job sliding over,” RedHawk coach Michael Wohlford said of Warsaw’s defense. “That was definitely a concerted effort on their part. To get a high school kid to take a charge is really good coaching, and really good discipline by the kid, so you gotta give them credit for how they defended. It was exceptional. I don’t know if we’ve charged more than once or twice all year.”
Hogan led Goshen with 15 points and three assists. Junior Quinn Bechtel added 12 points, 10 of them in the second half, while sophomore center Ryan Eldgrige netted all of his seven in the second half. Gage Worthman collected a game-high eight rebounds and made two steals for the Hawks, who won the boards 27-21.
Next up for the Tigers — one of three unbeatens left in NLC play along with NorthWood (3-0) and Mishawaka (2-0) — is a Saturday night visit to Class 3A No. 7-ranked Peru (11-0).
Warsaw won Friday’s junior varsity game 49-33. Luke Yeager scored 12 and Luke Bricker 11 for the JV Tigers (5-5), while Andre Williams tallied 13 and Nathan Pinarski 10 for the JV RedHawks (8-3).
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