Quick Start Pushes Panthers Past Tigers
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NAPPANEE - Forget overtime, this one was in NorthWood's grasp from the very beginning.
After losing to Northern Lakes Conference rival Warsaw twice last year, once in overtime and once in triple overtime, NorthWood's varsity boys basketball team raced out to an 8-0 lead Friday at the Panther Pit and pulled away from the Tigers for a 61-46 win.
While host NorthWood had the hot hand early in Friday's game, especially from three-point range, Warsaw had trouble handling the ball and committed turnovers on its first three possessions.
"I've spent a lot of time talking about patience," said fourth-year Warsaw coach Doug Ogle, whose team fell to 7-7 overall and 2-3 in the NLC standings. "If we don't start playing with patience on offense, it's not going to be good."
Things weren't exactly good for the Tigers Friday night, as NorthWood took an 11-2 lead early in the first quarter. Warsaw never got closer than six the rest of the game and trailed by at least eight points through the entire fourth quarter.
The 15-point win improved NorthWood to 11-2 overall and 4-1 in the NLC standings.
NorthWood is tied atop the NLC standings with Elkhart Memorial.
A program that used to be a power in the NLC year in and year out, Warsaw is a mediocre 15-11 in conference games in Ogle's four years.
After Friday's 15-point loss, Ogle, now 49-30 in is tenure with the Tigers, admitted his team is out of the conference race this year and that they are building for a run at the East Noble Sectional championship.
"What we need to do is win the sectional," said Ogle, whose Tigers have won one game in sectional competition since he took over for Al Rhodes. "We're not going to win the conference (with three losses.) We have six games left. We're going to try and get better and improve on our weaknesses so we can go to East Noble and win the sectional."
Against NorthWood Friday, Warsaw's weakness was allowing the Panthers open three-point shots.
NorthWood hit nine-three-pointers in the game, five of them in the first quarter as they took control of the game from the onset.
"In the first half, they shot well and were able to rebound," said Ogle. "What killed us was our inability to get a defensive rebound."
NorthWood outrebounded the Tigers 14-8 in the first half and 26-20 for the game.
After trailing by 10 at halftime, 32-22, the Tigers cut the lead to six with 3:13 left in the third quarter when senior Colin Clemens hit a jumper.
The Panthers then turned the ball over, but Warsaw couldn't convert on its next offensive possession and Kent Schaffer put NorthWood back up by eight heading into the fourth quarter.
In scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter, NorthWood hit just four shots from the field. The Panthers were 14 of 16 from the free throw line in the final frame and 16 of 20 for the game.
NorthWood finished the game 18 of 37 (48.9 percent) from the field overall and 9 of 20 from three-point range.
Warsaw was 18 of 38 from the field, 2 of 6 from three-point range, and hit 8 of 13 charity tosses.
NorthWood senior Ryne Lightfoot, who entered the game as the state's second-leading scorer, scored a game-high 25 points. Classmate Zac Lechlitner scored 17 points, while Zach Troyer added eight points and Nate Brown scored six points.
For Warsaw, Clemens led the way with 17 points, while junior Steve Lemasters and freshman Mason Plumlee scored 11 and seven points, respectively, off the bench. Shaun Cabrera, a senior starter, also scored seven points in the loss.
Warsaw's schedule doesn't get any easier, as the Tigers will play at Elkhart Memorial (13-2) Friday and then host Marion (11-4) Saturday. The following Thursday, Warsaw hosts Plymouth (10-4).
The Tigers then host Class 1A Fort Wayne Canterbury (7-5) on Feb. 14 and Huntington North (11-2), which fell 62-44 to Logansport Friday night.
Warsaw closes the season Feb. 24 at Carroll (6-6).
"I do feel like we can still win the sectional," said Ogle. "We have to stick together. The players have to believe in themselves and in me."
Friday's loss marked the first time the Tigers have lost at least seven games in four consecutive seasons since compiling a 49-43 record from the 1960-61 season through the 1963-64 campaign.
NORTHWOOD 61, WARSAW 46
Warsaw 11 11 9 15 - 46
NorthWood 21 11 7 22 - 61
Warsaw FG FT R S Pts.
* Cabrera 3-3 1-1 3 3 7
* T. Reinholt 0-0 2-2 2 0 2
* Maierle 1-2 0-0 4 0 2
* M. Reinholt 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
* Clemens 7-17 3-4 1 1 17
Truman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Mi. Plumlee 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Lemasters 4-8 1-3 2 0 11
Ma. Plumlee 3-8 1-3 4 1 7
Team 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
Totals 18-38 8-13 20 5 46
NorthWood FG FT R S Pts.
* Lchltner 4-11 6-8 2 1 17
* Lightfoot 6-12 10-11 3 1 25
* Troyer 3-5 0-0 7 0 8
* BeMiller 1-3 0-0 7 0 3
* Yoder 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Adams 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Schaffer 1-1 0-1 0 0 2
Brown 3-4 0-0 2 3 6
Team 0-0 0-0 4 0 0
Totals 18-37 16-20 26 5 61
Three-point goals - Warsaw 2-6 (Lemasters 2-4, Clemens 0-2), NorthWood 9-20 (Lechlitner 3-7, Lightfoot 3-5, Troyer 2-4, BeMiller 1-3). Turnovers - Warsaw 12, NorthWood 9. Fouls - Warsaw 20, NorthWood 13. Fouled out - Cabrera, Maierle.
JV - Warsaw 34, NorthWood 29
Warsaw scoring - Waikel 12, Higgins 11, Poe 6, Long 3, Harman 2 [[In-content Ad]]
NAPPANEE - Forget overtime, this one was in NorthWood's grasp from the very beginning.
After losing to Northern Lakes Conference rival Warsaw twice last year, once in overtime and once in triple overtime, NorthWood's varsity boys basketball team raced out to an 8-0 lead Friday at the Panther Pit and pulled away from the Tigers for a 61-46 win.
While host NorthWood had the hot hand early in Friday's game, especially from three-point range, Warsaw had trouble handling the ball and committed turnovers on its first three possessions.
"I've spent a lot of time talking about patience," said fourth-year Warsaw coach Doug Ogle, whose team fell to 7-7 overall and 2-3 in the NLC standings. "If we don't start playing with patience on offense, it's not going to be good."
Things weren't exactly good for the Tigers Friday night, as NorthWood took an 11-2 lead early in the first quarter. Warsaw never got closer than six the rest of the game and trailed by at least eight points through the entire fourth quarter.
The 15-point win improved NorthWood to 11-2 overall and 4-1 in the NLC standings.
NorthWood is tied atop the NLC standings with Elkhart Memorial.
A program that used to be a power in the NLC year in and year out, Warsaw is a mediocre 15-11 in conference games in Ogle's four years.
After Friday's 15-point loss, Ogle, now 49-30 in is tenure with the Tigers, admitted his team is out of the conference race this year and that they are building for a run at the East Noble Sectional championship.
"What we need to do is win the sectional," said Ogle, whose Tigers have won one game in sectional competition since he took over for Al Rhodes. "We're not going to win the conference (with three losses.) We have six games left. We're going to try and get better and improve on our weaknesses so we can go to East Noble and win the sectional."
Against NorthWood Friday, Warsaw's weakness was allowing the Panthers open three-point shots.
NorthWood hit nine-three-pointers in the game, five of them in the first quarter as they took control of the game from the onset.
"In the first half, they shot well and were able to rebound," said Ogle. "What killed us was our inability to get a defensive rebound."
NorthWood outrebounded the Tigers 14-8 in the first half and 26-20 for the game.
After trailing by 10 at halftime, 32-22, the Tigers cut the lead to six with 3:13 left in the third quarter when senior Colin Clemens hit a jumper.
The Panthers then turned the ball over, but Warsaw couldn't convert on its next offensive possession and Kent Schaffer put NorthWood back up by eight heading into the fourth quarter.
In scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter, NorthWood hit just four shots from the field. The Panthers were 14 of 16 from the free throw line in the final frame and 16 of 20 for the game.
NorthWood finished the game 18 of 37 (48.9 percent) from the field overall and 9 of 20 from three-point range.
Warsaw was 18 of 38 from the field, 2 of 6 from three-point range, and hit 8 of 13 charity tosses.
NorthWood senior Ryne Lightfoot, who entered the game as the state's second-leading scorer, scored a game-high 25 points. Classmate Zac Lechlitner scored 17 points, while Zach Troyer added eight points and Nate Brown scored six points.
For Warsaw, Clemens led the way with 17 points, while junior Steve Lemasters and freshman Mason Plumlee scored 11 and seven points, respectively, off the bench. Shaun Cabrera, a senior starter, also scored seven points in the loss.
Warsaw's schedule doesn't get any easier, as the Tigers will play at Elkhart Memorial (13-2) Friday and then host Marion (11-4) Saturday. The following Thursday, Warsaw hosts Plymouth (10-4).
The Tigers then host Class 1A Fort Wayne Canterbury (7-5) on Feb. 14 and Huntington North (11-2), which fell 62-44 to Logansport Friday night.
Warsaw closes the season Feb. 24 at Carroll (6-6).
"I do feel like we can still win the sectional," said Ogle. "We have to stick together. The players have to believe in themselves and in me."
Friday's loss marked the first time the Tigers have lost at least seven games in four consecutive seasons since compiling a 49-43 record from the 1960-61 season through the 1963-64 campaign.
NORTHWOOD 61, WARSAW 46
Warsaw 11 11 9 15 - 46
NorthWood 21 11 7 22 - 61
Warsaw FG FT R S Pts.
* Cabrera 3-3 1-1 3 3 7
* T. Reinholt 0-0 2-2 2 0 2
* Maierle 1-2 0-0 4 0 2
* M. Reinholt 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
* Clemens 7-17 3-4 1 1 17
Truman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Mi. Plumlee 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Lemasters 4-8 1-3 2 0 11
Ma. Plumlee 3-8 1-3 4 1 7
Team 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
Totals 18-38 8-13 20 5 46
NorthWood FG FT R S Pts.
* Lchltner 4-11 6-8 2 1 17
* Lightfoot 6-12 10-11 3 1 25
* Troyer 3-5 0-0 7 0 8
* BeMiller 1-3 0-0 7 0 3
* Yoder 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Adams 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Schaffer 1-1 0-1 0 0 2
Brown 3-4 0-0 2 3 6
Team 0-0 0-0 4 0 0
Totals 18-37 16-20 26 5 61
Three-point goals - Warsaw 2-6 (Lemasters 2-4, Clemens 0-2), NorthWood 9-20 (Lechlitner 3-7, Lightfoot 3-5, Troyer 2-4, BeMiller 1-3). Turnovers - Warsaw 12, NorthWood 9. Fouls - Warsaw 20, NorthWood 13. Fouled out - Cabrera, Maierle.
JV - Warsaw 34, NorthWood 29
Warsaw scoring - Waikel 12, Higgins 11, Poe 6, Long 3, Harman 2 [[In-content Ad]]