Columbia City Ends Wawasee's Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Wawasee boys basketball team had the unenviable task of playing the sixth-ranked Columbia City Eagles twice in the past 10 days.
A week ago Tuesday, the Warriors lost to Columbia City by the score of 42-29 in Wawasee's next to last regular season game.
Friday night the Warriors played the Eagles again.
This time it was in second round play of the Warsaw Sectional. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the result was the same, but this time it was all Columbia City in a game the Warriors were never in.
The Eagles advanced to Saturday's night's final game against Dekalb with a convincing 58-37 win over Wawasee.
Wawasee coach Phil Mishler knew it would take an excellent effort from his Warriors and he knew they would need to get off to a good start.
"We just couldn't get it done tonight. It just didn't happen."
Columbia City looked every bit like a top-ranked team jumping out to a 9-0 lead and never looking back.
The Eagles dominated action throughout the game, making use of excellent post defense and good shooting to put them into the final game.
Wawasee couldn't seem to find the lid to the basket in the early going as they missed their first five shots, falling behind by nine to start the game.
By the end of the first quarter Columbia City led by the score of 11-4.
The second quarter saw the Warriors draw to within three, 11-8, as they scored the first four points, but it was all Columbia City from that point on.
The Eagles responded with an 18-4 run in taking a 29-12 lead at halftime.
The Warriors could never find an answer to Columbia City's speed and good shooting. The Warriors, who have a history of taking care of the ball, turned it over eight times in the first half, leading to the deficit.
Columbia City maintained their intensity in the third quarter and stretched the lead to 45-23 by the end of the third quarter. With just a few minutes gone in the fourth and the result already determined, Mishler showed the Warrior fans a glimpse of what to expect next year, as he emptied his bench.
Unfortunately for Wawasee, the 21-point loss saw the career of six Wawasee seniors come to an end.
"I couldn't have had a better group of seniors," said Mishler. "These kids achieved everything they were capable of."
Graduating for Wawasee will be Clint Custer, Kyle Lantz, Stephen Conrad, Ryan Stichter, Ben Knisley and Eric Gingerich. Custer, Lantz, Conrad and Knisley were consistent starters for the Warriors most of the season.
"The underclassmen have learned a lot from this group," said Mishler. "These seniors have done a lot for this program. We have a nice group returning too. These are kids with a lot of heart and athleticism."
Wawasee, in Mishler's third season at the helm, finished the year at 15-8 with two losses each to Concord and Columbia City and a runner-up finish in the Northern Lakes Conference tournament. The Eagles' record now stands at 21-1 heading into tonight's final. [[In-content Ad]]
The Wawasee boys basketball team had the unenviable task of playing the sixth-ranked Columbia City Eagles twice in the past 10 days.
A week ago Tuesday, the Warriors lost to Columbia City by the score of 42-29 in Wawasee's next to last regular season game.
Friday night the Warriors played the Eagles again.
This time it was in second round play of the Warsaw Sectional. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the result was the same, but this time it was all Columbia City in a game the Warriors were never in.
The Eagles advanced to Saturday's night's final game against Dekalb with a convincing 58-37 win over Wawasee.
Wawasee coach Phil Mishler knew it would take an excellent effort from his Warriors and he knew they would need to get off to a good start.
"We just couldn't get it done tonight. It just didn't happen."
Columbia City looked every bit like a top-ranked team jumping out to a 9-0 lead and never looking back.
The Eagles dominated action throughout the game, making use of excellent post defense and good shooting to put them into the final game.
Wawasee couldn't seem to find the lid to the basket in the early going as they missed their first five shots, falling behind by nine to start the game.
By the end of the first quarter Columbia City led by the score of 11-4.
The second quarter saw the Warriors draw to within three, 11-8, as they scored the first four points, but it was all Columbia City from that point on.
The Eagles responded with an 18-4 run in taking a 29-12 lead at halftime.
The Warriors could never find an answer to Columbia City's speed and good shooting. The Warriors, who have a history of taking care of the ball, turned it over eight times in the first half, leading to the deficit.
Columbia City maintained their intensity in the third quarter and stretched the lead to 45-23 by the end of the third quarter. With just a few minutes gone in the fourth and the result already determined, Mishler showed the Warrior fans a glimpse of what to expect next year, as he emptied his bench.
Unfortunately for Wawasee, the 21-point loss saw the career of six Wawasee seniors come to an end.
"I couldn't have had a better group of seniors," said Mishler. "These kids achieved everything they were capable of."
Graduating for Wawasee will be Clint Custer, Kyle Lantz, Stephen Conrad, Ryan Stichter, Ben Knisley and Eric Gingerich. Custer, Lantz, Conrad and Knisley were consistent starters for the Warriors most of the season.
"The underclassmen have learned a lot from this group," said Mishler. "These seniors have done a lot for this program. We have a nice group returning too. These are kids with a lot of heart and athleticism."
Wawasee, in Mishler's third season at the helm, finished the year at 15-8 with two losses each to Concord and Columbia City and a runner-up finish in the Northern Lakes Conference tournament. The Eagles' record now stands at 21-1 heading into tonight's final. [[In-content Ad]]