SYRACUSE -ÊManchester basketball coach Gary Goshert returned to Wawasee High School on Saturday and did what he did 124 times as former coach of that school.

He led his basketball team to a win. Goshert's Manchester Squires beat Wawasee 65-54.

Goshert coached at Wawasee for 10 years and 124 wins before taking the Manchester job in 1996.

Saturday night marked his first return visit.

"Unbelievable ... unbelievable," he said. "I haven't been in this locker room since I coached at West Noble, and we came over here and played these guys. Sitting on this side of the floor was completely different."

Manchester, ranked second in 2A in the state, improved to 16-2. Wawasee dropped to 3-13.

Last season - Goshert's first as Manchester coach - the Warriors went to Manchester and handed the Squires their worst loss, 46-30. The uptight Squires choked the life out of the basketball and shot a miserable 28 percent from the floor.

"I think last year they felt a lot of pressure to play well (against Wawasee)," Goshert said. "To come down here and play relaxed like we were, that's something we talked about after last year's game.

"After last year's game, I felt bad for them. I know how bad they wanted to do well. We came in with a lot better mental frame of mind."

And a lot better shooting. Opposing coaches talk shot selection when they talk keys to Manchester's success, and the Squires had it going against Wawasee. They attempted 32 field goals and made 20 of them, 63 percent. They shot especially well the second half, hitting 11 of 16 field goals (69 percent) and 17 of 21 free throws (81 percent).

Six-foot-three Heath Simcoe continued his offensive onslaught. Simcoe entered the weekend averaging 6.1 points per game, but he had 21 Friday night at Churubusco and 17 against Wawasee. Guard Chris Good also scored 17, while center Chris Enyeart tallied 14.

Wawasee coach Jerry Davis couldn't recall the name "Heath Simcoe" after the game, but he remembered the 35 on the back of his jersey.

"That No. 35 has not been a major point producer in the past, but the last three games he has really come on and found his niche," he said. "That takes pressure off (Enyeart) and allows him more freedom."

Simcoe came up with a key play to end the third quarter. Wawasee forward Jeremy High appeared to have a defensive rebound, but Simcoe stripped the ball from him, turned around and scored. The basket put Manchester up 43-36 entering the fourth quarter.

Another key play would happen under Manchester's basket with 2:54 left in the game. Simcoe made a free throw, then missed the second. Instead of a Wawasee player getting the rebound, Manchester's Scot Croner grabbed the offensive rebound and scored.

That was a possible eight-point turnaround. Had Wawasee grabbed the rebound, the game would have been 50-44. Had the Warriors then scored at their end, the game would have been 50-46.

Instead, Croner put Manchester up 52-44, and the Squires led by eight or more the rest of the way. Seven points or fewer had separated the teams through much of the first three quarters.

"That wasn't the first time they'd done that to us," Davis said. "They'd stolen three rebounds from us. Those are crucial points, crucial turnovers. I believe they turned them all into baskets."

Wawasee tried to drag the final 2 1/2 minutes out by fouling, but that didn't work. Manchester made 13 of 16 free throws in that stretch.

The Squires won two key categories: turnovers and free throws. They had only 10 turnovers to Wawasee's 22, and they made 21 free throws while Wawasee attempted only 16.

Turnovers did not go unnoticed to Goshert.

"Throughout the game - I'm talking the first quarter, second quarter, third quarter and fourth quarter - the defensive end of the floor was pretty good for us," he said. "We got deflections, got some steals in some half-court situations."

Guard Jared Mahnensmith led Wawasee with 16 points and six assists, while post player Brody Stipp added 13 points and seven rebounds.

Before this game, the Squires had won six road games by seven points or less. They've dominated at home and won ugly on the road.

Goshert thinks that changed this weekend, just in time for the upcoming sectional.

"This is a road game we felt we had to take our play up a notch or two," Goshert said. "The kids were able to do that. We had some conference road games we didn't play well at one end of the court or the other. We played pretty well (Friday) night (at Churubusco) and even better tonight."

Manchester is at Fort Wayne Harding Saturday, while Wawasee is at NorthWood Friday. [[In-content Ad]]