Top-Ranked Panthers Cruise To Win Over Warsaw
January 29, 2022 at 4:41 a.m.
Top-Ranked Panthers Cruise To Win Over Warsaw
By Anthony Anderson-
Led by junior guard Cade Brenner’s 31-point, nine-rebound, three-assist, three-steal performance, host NorthWood sailed past the Tigers 70-51 in boys high school basketball Friday night before a near-capacity crowd estimated at 3,500.
“They’re really good,” Warsaw coach Matt Moore said. “Anytime you’re skilled at multiple spots, where you can pass it, dribble it, shoot it, that was the difference. We have a few guys that can do each of those, but they have a multitude of guys that can do all of those, and when you put that combination together, and get that rhythm going like they did tonight, it’s really hard to stop it.”
The Panthers (16-1, 5-0) took a major step toward their first Northern Lakes Conference title under 15th-year head coach and former Tiger assistant Aaron Wolfe.
Warsaw (10-6, 3-2) could’ve moved into a tie atop the league with a win, but instead fell two games back.
“I don’t think Warsaw played their strongest game, and I also gotta give credit to our community and the environment they put us in tonight,” Wolfe said. “(The Pit) was a special place to play tonight, and I think our players were able to feed off that energy.”
NorthWood matched a 75-56 victory in January 2000 for its most lopsided win ever against the Tigers. The programs have met at least once every season since the Panthers came into existence in 1969.
Further, Warsaw suffered its most lopsided league loss to anybody in nearly eight years.
NorthWood poured in the first nine points of the game, the initial four of those by Brenner.
The Tigers closed to 16-12 late in the opening quarter, but the Panthers stretched their advantage to 38-27 by halftime.
Warsaw made another move to get within 40-32 early in the third period, but NorthWood answered that with an 8-0 spurt to seize control.
The Tigers got no closer than 14 the rest of the way and the Panther led by as many as 23 early in the fourth quarter.
Brenner erupted for 20 points in the opening half. He finished the game 12-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-10 on 3-pointers, good for a net field goal percentage of 73.7.
NorthWood was even hotter as a team, shooting 26-of-41 for 63.4%, including 10-of-17 outside the arc, equating to a net of 75.6%.
Junior forward Ian Raasch, despite getting into first-half foul trouble, still finished with 10 points, all in the second half, for the winners. Senior Cooper Wiens and sophomore Ethan Wolfe added nine points apiece, with Wolfe draining 3-of-3 on triples off the bench.
“Our strength all year has been depth, and tonight we had some depth and some magic from Cade Brenner,” Aaron Wolfe said. “That separated the score and gave us an opportunity to win.”
Junior Jaxson Gould paced Warsaw with 19 points and three steals. Senior Judah Simfukwe added 18 points, but no other tiger had more than Drew Heckaman’s six.
“I’m not really that disappointed,” Moore said. “It was a great atmosphere for us to play in, and our sectional’s going to have teams that can shoot it, so we need to get used to that, but we’ve gotta do a better job in the moments they did miss of getting the rebounds. We didn’t do that in the first half.”
The Panthers led 9-2 in second-chance points by the break and 11-3 through three quarters.
Raasch’s foul trouble, per Moore, was part of a conscious effort by the Tigers to challenge him in the post, but “we didn’t capitalize on it because we didn’t make our free throws.”
Warsaw went 5-of-9 at the line in the opening half and 10-of-16 for the game. The visitors closed 19-of-42 from the field, including 3-of-11 from long distance.
The Tigers face a quick turnaround, hosting Elkhart (3-12) on Saturday.
The Warsaw junior varsity did win its game, 35-24. Freshman Luke Bricker scored 14 points for the Tiger JV (9-5, 4-1) and Austin Polk eight. Owen Roeder paced the Panther JV (11-2, 4-1) with 11 points.
Led by junior guard Cade Brenner’s 31-point, nine-rebound, three-assist, three-steal performance, host NorthWood sailed past the Tigers 70-51 in boys high school basketball Friday night before a near-capacity crowd estimated at 3,500.
“They’re really good,” Warsaw coach Matt Moore said. “Anytime you’re skilled at multiple spots, where you can pass it, dribble it, shoot it, that was the difference. We have a few guys that can do each of those, but they have a multitude of guys that can do all of those, and when you put that combination together, and get that rhythm going like they did tonight, it’s really hard to stop it.”
The Panthers (16-1, 5-0) took a major step toward their first Northern Lakes Conference title under 15th-year head coach and former Tiger assistant Aaron Wolfe.
Warsaw (10-6, 3-2) could’ve moved into a tie atop the league with a win, but instead fell two games back.
“I don’t think Warsaw played their strongest game, and I also gotta give credit to our community and the environment they put us in tonight,” Wolfe said. “(The Pit) was a special place to play tonight, and I think our players were able to feed off that energy.”
NorthWood matched a 75-56 victory in January 2000 for its most lopsided win ever against the Tigers. The programs have met at least once every season since the Panthers came into existence in 1969.
Further, Warsaw suffered its most lopsided league loss to anybody in nearly eight years.
NorthWood poured in the first nine points of the game, the initial four of those by Brenner.
The Tigers closed to 16-12 late in the opening quarter, but the Panthers stretched their advantage to 38-27 by halftime.
Warsaw made another move to get within 40-32 early in the third period, but NorthWood answered that with an 8-0 spurt to seize control.
The Tigers got no closer than 14 the rest of the way and the Panther led by as many as 23 early in the fourth quarter.
Brenner erupted for 20 points in the opening half. He finished the game 12-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-10 on 3-pointers, good for a net field goal percentage of 73.7.
NorthWood was even hotter as a team, shooting 26-of-41 for 63.4%, including 10-of-17 outside the arc, equating to a net of 75.6%.
Junior forward Ian Raasch, despite getting into first-half foul trouble, still finished with 10 points, all in the second half, for the winners. Senior Cooper Wiens and sophomore Ethan Wolfe added nine points apiece, with Wolfe draining 3-of-3 on triples off the bench.
“Our strength all year has been depth, and tonight we had some depth and some magic from Cade Brenner,” Aaron Wolfe said. “That separated the score and gave us an opportunity to win.”
Junior Jaxson Gould paced Warsaw with 19 points and three steals. Senior Judah Simfukwe added 18 points, but no other tiger had more than Drew Heckaman’s six.
“I’m not really that disappointed,” Moore said. “It was a great atmosphere for us to play in, and our sectional’s going to have teams that can shoot it, so we need to get used to that, but we’ve gotta do a better job in the moments they did miss of getting the rebounds. We didn’t do that in the first half.”
The Panthers led 9-2 in second-chance points by the break and 11-3 through three quarters.
Raasch’s foul trouble, per Moore, was part of a conscious effort by the Tigers to challenge him in the post, but “we didn’t capitalize on it because we didn’t make our free throws.”
Warsaw went 5-of-9 at the line in the opening half and 10-of-16 for the game. The visitors closed 19-of-42 from the field, including 3-of-11 from long distance.
The Tigers face a quick turnaround, hosting Elkhart (3-12) on Saturday.
The Warsaw junior varsity did win its game, 35-24. Freshman Luke Bricker scored 14 points for the Tiger JV (9-5, 4-1) and Austin Polk eight. Owen Roeder paced the Panther JV (11-2, 4-1) with 11 points.
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