Physical Minutemen Outlast Warriors
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
DUNLAP - Jerry Davis is a quick learner.
Two-thirds of the way into his first season Davis understands his new conference pretty well. He knows that you have to play physical in the Northern Lakes Conference.
Last night his Wawasee Warriors couldn't withstand the physical pressure of the Concord Minutemen, losing 65-56.
"The difference in the ball game was their physicalness under the boards and inside," he said. "It made it very difficult for us to post up inside, and once we did, to do anything positive.
"They did an excellent job of working the boards and going to the boards hard. We didn't block out the way that I would have liked. As physical as the NLC is, you have to be physical back or you're gonna be in trouble."
The Warriors were down by 14 entering the fourth quarter, then finally started to make a run.
Wawasee ran up seven points in the first three minutes of the final quarter. Concord countered, and then Jay Haugh came back with a three for the Warriors.
The Minutemen again answered the call to halt the Wawasee comeback.
Wawasee came back down the court and missed on an excellent opportunity from the inside, but after losing the ball, had a timeout to try and regroup.
The break was ineffective. Concord scored again on an identical play.
With the Minutemen up by ten, Ryan Mikel came down and hit a jump shot to keep it close. Again Concord responded, this time with a back-breaking three.
The Minutmen's final minute would be spent on the free throw line.
"We have to be able to sustain those runs and realize that when things are going good, even though the other team calls a timeout, we have to come right back out and reassert ourselves," Davis said.
The Mintumen started the game strong with a 10-2 run before Wawasee came back with five unanswered points.
The second quarter was all Concord, as Wawasee could muster only nine points to the Minutmen's 16.
"It was just a case where we hung in the ball game, and with our lack of rebounding and the second-chance points we gave them in the first half, it was too much of a defecit to overcome," Davis said.
Jared Mahnensmith led Wawasee with a career high 22 points. Brody Stipp had ten, and Mikel and Haugh added eight.
The 4-12 Warriors' next game is tonight against Manchester, the home of former Wawasee coach Gary Goshert.
Davis didn't feel that facing his players' old coach would be a factor in the game.
"I'm not sure it will be much of anything," Davis said. "If it will be a factor, it will be for Mikel and Mahnensmith (the only returning letterwinners on Goshert's final Wawasee team).
"For me it's not any different, and for the other kids who didn't really play for Coach Goshert, I don't know if it will be any different. I haven't heard any of our kids mention it." [[In-content Ad]]
DUNLAP - Jerry Davis is a quick learner.
Two-thirds of the way into his first season Davis understands his new conference pretty well. He knows that you have to play physical in the Northern Lakes Conference.
Last night his Wawasee Warriors couldn't withstand the physical pressure of the Concord Minutemen, losing 65-56.
"The difference in the ball game was their physicalness under the boards and inside," he said. "It made it very difficult for us to post up inside, and once we did, to do anything positive.
"They did an excellent job of working the boards and going to the boards hard. We didn't block out the way that I would have liked. As physical as the NLC is, you have to be physical back or you're gonna be in trouble."
The Warriors were down by 14 entering the fourth quarter, then finally started to make a run.
Wawasee ran up seven points in the first three minutes of the final quarter. Concord countered, and then Jay Haugh came back with a three for the Warriors.
The Minutemen again answered the call to halt the Wawasee comeback.
Wawasee came back down the court and missed on an excellent opportunity from the inside, but after losing the ball, had a timeout to try and regroup.
The break was ineffective. Concord scored again on an identical play.
With the Minutemen up by ten, Ryan Mikel came down and hit a jump shot to keep it close. Again Concord responded, this time with a back-breaking three.
The Minutmen's final minute would be spent on the free throw line.
"We have to be able to sustain those runs and realize that when things are going good, even though the other team calls a timeout, we have to come right back out and reassert ourselves," Davis said.
The Mintumen started the game strong with a 10-2 run before Wawasee came back with five unanswered points.
The second quarter was all Concord, as Wawasee could muster only nine points to the Minutmen's 16.
"It was just a case where we hung in the ball game, and with our lack of rebounding and the second-chance points we gave them in the first half, it was too much of a defecit to overcome," Davis said.
Jared Mahnensmith led Wawasee with a career high 22 points. Brody Stipp had ten, and Mikel and Haugh added eight.
The 4-12 Warriors' next game is tonight against Manchester, the home of former Wawasee coach Gary Goshert.
Davis didn't feel that facing his players' old coach would be a factor in the game.
"I'm not sure it will be much of anything," Davis said. "If it will be a factor, it will be for Mikel and Mahnensmith (the only returning letterwinners on Goshert's final Wawasee team).
"For me it's not any different, and for the other kids who didn't really play for Coach Goshert, I don't know if it will be any different. I haven't heard any of our kids mention it." [[In-content Ad]]