Tigers Are A Perfect 10
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw Community High School and Indiana University share the same school song, "Indiana, Our Indiana."
The song is one thing the two schools have in common.
You can add a second thing to the list: The basketball teams at both schools own their December tournaments.
Indiana is 50-0 in the Indiana Classic and 34-0 in the Hoosier Classic. Warsaw has hosted its holiday tournament for only five years, but the Tigers (9-1) moved their tournament record to 10-0 by dismantling Penn (4-4) 63-39 in Wednesday's championship game.
"Our junior class set goals in the eighth grade," Warsaw guard Chris Wiggins said. "One of our goals was to win the holiday tournament three years in a row. We did it last year, and we did it this year. We're hoping to do it next year."
Wiggins, who scored a season-high 23 to lead Warsaw past Lake Central 62-48 in the first-round game, led all scorers with 16 in the championship game. Wiggins scuffled from the perimeter earlier this season, but he has found his touch as he hit 15 of 25 field goals (60 percent) in the two games.
His performance over the two nights earned him the MVP plaque he held in his hand after the game.
"I haven't played good the first part of the season, but I kept trying, and it's fit together the last two games," he said. "The other teams really didn't know how to play us. They aren't from around here, and they really weren't scouting me like other teams have. The big guys screened well, and I got open. I feel good about my shooting and my game."
Warsaw's Zach Nelson added 13 points and Ross Kesler 10.
Andrew White paced Penn with 13.
For Penn, the story of this game was confusion, confusion caused by a defensive game plan designed by Warsaw assistant coaches Doug Ogle and John Wysong. Wysong, who had spent the previous four seasons as an assistant at Penn, helped draw up half-court traps that left the Kingsmen baffled and befuddled.
Penn took 31 shots and hit but nine, 29 percent.
"We came in saying we were going to use our half-court trap quite a bit," Warsaw coach Al Rhodes said. "We felt their guards would have trouble passing through it."
Because of their trapping defense, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run to turn a 13-10 lead with 1:29 left in the first quarter into a 25-10 lead with 4:42 left in the second quarter.
"(Warsaw) started changing defenses," first-year Penn coach Dean Foster said, "and we got so passive then. We were trying to check out the defense every time, and we didn't attack it. Why not trap all over the place? They knew we weren't attacking it.
"It seemed like we stayed on 10 for eight minutes."
The Tigers clinched the game in a 72-second span sandwiching halftime.
Warsaw junior Greg Seiss heaved a half-court shot that went in to end the first half. Instead of trailing 30-21, Penn went to the locker room trailing 33-21.
"That was a killer," Foster said. "If we get a shot off and even hit the stupid thing, we're down only seven. Instead, we're 12 down."
The Tigers milked the momentum for all it was worth. They opened the second half with a 6-0 run in the first 71 seconds to blow the game open at 39-21.
"(Warsaw) scored on its first possession," Foster said, "and then we turned it over two times. We turned it over two straight times, and they scored off both of those.
"That told the story."
Penn got no closer than 16 points the rest of the way.
Lake Central (4-4) beat Twin Lakes (4-5) 71-55 in the consolation game.
WARSAW 63
PENN 39
Penn (4-4) 10 11 9 9 -Ê39
Warsaw (9-1) 15 18 15 15 -Ê63
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
Wiggins (G) 7-10 0-2 3 2 4 16
Nelson (C) 5-6 3-3 0 0 0 13
Rs. Kesler (G) 4-8 2-4 4 0 2 10
Siebenmorgen (F) 0-0 3-4 0 1 3 3
Rb. Kesler (G) 0-2 1-2 1 1 0 1
Barrett 2-3 4-4 1 1 2 8
Seiss 2-2 0-0 2 0 3 5
Donkers 0-2 3-4 0 0 3 3
Grossnickle 1-1 0-0 3 2 0 2
Rhodes 1-2 0-0 0 1 3 2
Henthorn 0-2 0-2 1 2 1 0
Compson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Stogsdill 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 22-38 16-25 15 10 21 63
Penn FG FT A S R Pts.
White (G) 2-9 8-8 1 1 5 13
Strzelecki (F) 1-3 1-2 0 0 2 3
Clarke (F) 1-2 0-0 0 0 3 3
Martz (F) 0-3 3-4 1 0 3 3
Hill (G) 1-3 0-0 0 1 0 3
Laird 2-4 4-4 0 1 3 9
Husband 2-4 1-3 0 1 1 5
Kane 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0
Hummer 0-1 0-0 1 1 0 0
Totals 9-31 17-21 3 5 17 39
Three-point goals - Warsaw 3-8 (Wiggins 2-5, Seiss 1-1, Rb. Kesler 0-1, Henthorn 0-1), Penn 4-11 (White 1-5, Clarke 1-1, Laird 1-1, Hill 1-1, Strzelecki 0-1, Martz 0-1, Hummer 0-1). Turnovers -ÊWarsaw 9, Penn 14. Fouled out - none. Total fouls - Warsaw 19, Penn 18.
Officials - Tim Smith, Jay Smith
LAKE CENTRAL 71
TWIN LAKES 55
Lake Central (4-4) 15 19 13 24 -Ê71
Twin Lakes (4-5) 9 15 11 20 -Ê55
Lake Central FG FT A S R Pts.
Richie (G) 5-10 1-2 0 0 2 16
Duncan (F) 6-7 1-2 3 1 4 14
Gilliam (C) 5-12 2-2 2 2 3 12
Trtan (F) 4-9 1-2 1 1 7 9
Urban (G) 3-8 1-2 1 2 3 8
Testa 1-3 4-5 3 3 6 6
Lopez 0-0 2-3 1 0 2 2
Dowling 1-3 0-0 1 0 1 2
Tornicasa 0-4 2-4 0 0 3 2
Hubner 0-0 0-0 1 0 3 0
Cashmer 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0
Winkley 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0
Totals 25-58 15-22 13 10 35 71
Twin Lakes FG FT A S R Pts.
Braaksma (G) 6-13 2-3 0 1 12 15
Long (G) 4-9 4-6 1 2 2 13
Haselby (F) 1-6 2-4 1 0 4 4
Wright (G) 2-4 0-3 1 1 1 4
Metcalf (F) 0-2 1-2 2 0 2 1
Mackey 1-1 2-2 0 0 1 4
Diener 1-2 0-0 0 1 0 3
Brown 1-2 0-0 0 0 2 3
Johnson 0-0 3-4 0 1 0 3
Treece 1-2 1-1 0 0 0 3
Posey 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 2
Totals 17-41 16-27 5 6 24 55
Three-point goals - Lake Central 6-9 (Richie 5-5, Urban 1-4), Twin Lakes 4-9 (Long 1-4, Brooksma 1-2, Diener 1-1, Brown 1-1, Wright 0-1). Turnovers -ÊLake Central 11, Twin Lakes 11. Fouled out - none. Total fouls - Lake Central 21, Twin Lakes 18.
Officials - Brian Osswald, Tom Walters
1998 WARSAW HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
MVP
Chris Wiggins (Warsaw)
All-Tournament Team
Tom Donkers (Warsaw)
Ross Kesler (Warsaw)
Nate Richie (Lake Central)
Andrew White (Penn)
Josh Long (Twin Lakes) [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw Community High School and Indiana University share the same school song, "Indiana, Our Indiana."
The song is one thing the two schools have in common.
You can add a second thing to the list: The basketball teams at both schools own their December tournaments.
Indiana is 50-0 in the Indiana Classic and 34-0 in the Hoosier Classic. Warsaw has hosted its holiday tournament for only five years, but the Tigers (9-1) moved their tournament record to 10-0 by dismantling Penn (4-4) 63-39 in Wednesday's championship game.
"Our junior class set goals in the eighth grade," Warsaw guard Chris Wiggins said. "One of our goals was to win the holiday tournament three years in a row. We did it last year, and we did it this year. We're hoping to do it next year."
Wiggins, who scored a season-high 23 to lead Warsaw past Lake Central 62-48 in the first-round game, led all scorers with 16 in the championship game. Wiggins scuffled from the perimeter earlier this season, but he has found his touch as he hit 15 of 25 field goals (60 percent) in the two games.
His performance over the two nights earned him the MVP plaque he held in his hand after the game.
"I haven't played good the first part of the season, but I kept trying, and it's fit together the last two games," he said. "The other teams really didn't know how to play us. They aren't from around here, and they really weren't scouting me like other teams have. The big guys screened well, and I got open. I feel good about my shooting and my game."
Warsaw's Zach Nelson added 13 points and Ross Kesler 10.
Andrew White paced Penn with 13.
For Penn, the story of this game was confusion, confusion caused by a defensive game plan designed by Warsaw assistant coaches Doug Ogle and John Wysong. Wysong, who had spent the previous four seasons as an assistant at Penn, helped draw up half-court traps that left the Kingsmen baffled and befuddled.
Penn took 31 shots and hit but nine, 29 percent.
"We came in saying we were going to use our half-court trap quite a bit," Warsaw coach Al Rhodes said. "We felt their guards would have trouble passing through it."
Because of their trapping defense, the Tigers went on a 12-0 run to turn a 13-10 lead with 1:29 left in the first quarter into a 25-10 lead with 4:42 left in the second quarter.
"(Warsaw) started changing defenses," first-year Penn coach Dean Foster said, "and we got so passive then. We were trying to check out the defense every time, and we didn't attack it. Why not trap all over the place? They knew we weren't attacking it.
"It seemed like we stayed on 10 for eight minutes."
The Tigers clinched the game in a 72-second span sandwiching halftime.
Warsaw junior Greg Seiss heaved a half-court shot that went in to end the first half. Instead of trailing 30-21, Penn went to the locker room trailing 33-21.
"That was a killer," Foster said. "If we get a shot off and even hit the stupid thing, we're down only seven. Instead, we're 12 down."
The Tigers milked the momentum for all it was worth. They opened the second half with a 6-0 run in the first 71 seconds to blow the game open at 39-21.
"(Warsaw) scored on its first possession," Foster said, "and then we turned it over two times. We turned it over two straight times, and they scored off both of those.
"That told the story."
Penn got no closer than 16 points the rest of the way.
Lake Central (4-4) beat Twin Lakes (4-5) 71-55 in the consolation game.
WARSAW 63
PENN 39
Penn (4-4) 10 11 9 9 -Ê39
Warsaw (9-1) 15 18 15 15 -Ê63
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
Wiggins (G) 7-10 0-2 3 2 4 16
Nelson (C) 5-6 3-3 0 0 0 13
Rs. Kesler (G) 4-8 2-4 4 0 2 10
Siebenmorgen (F) 0-0 3-4 0 1 3 3
Rb. Kesler (G) 0-2 1-2 1 1 0 1
Barrett 2-3 4-4 1 1 2 8
Seiss 2-2 0-0 2 0 3 5
Donkers 0-2 3-4 0 0 3 3
Grossnickle 1-1 0-0 3 2 0 2
Rhodes 1-2 0-0 0 1 3 2
Henthorn 0-2 0-2 1 2 1 0
Compson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Stogsdill 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 22-38 16-25 15 10 21 63
Penn FG FT A S R Pts.
White (G) 2-9 8-8 1 1 5 13
Strzelecki (F) 1-3 1-2 0 0 2 3
Clarke (F) 1-2 0-0 0 0 3 3
Martz (F) 0-3 3-4 1 0 3 3
Hill (G) 1-3 0-0 0 1 0 3
Laird 2-4 4-4 0 1 3 9
Husband 2-4 1-3 0 1 1 5
Kane 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0
Hummer 0-1 0-0 1 1 0 0
Totals 9-31 17-21 3 5 17 39
Three-point goals - Warsaw 3-8 (Wiggins 2-5, Seiss 1-1, Rb. Kesler 0-1, Henthorn 0-1), Penn 4-11 (White 1-5, Clarke 1-1, Laird 1-1, Hill 1-1, Strzelecki 0-1, Martz 0-1, Hummer 0-1). Turnovers -ÊWarsaw 9, Penn 14. Fouled out - none. Total fouls - Warsaw 19, Penn 18.
Officials - Tim Smith, Jay Smith
LAKE CENTRAL 71
TWIN LAKES 55
Lake Central (4-4) 15 19 13 24 -Ê71
Twin Lakes (4-5) 9 15 11 20 -Ê55
Lake Central FG FT A S R Pts.
Richie (G) 5-10 1-2 0 0 2 16
Duncan (F) 6-7 1-2 3 1 4 14
Gilliam (C) 5-12 2-2 2 2 3 12
Trtan (F) 4-9 1-2 1 1 7 9
Urban (G) 3-8 1-2 1 2 3 8
Testa 1-3 4-5 3 3 6 6
Lopez 0-0 2-3 1 0 2 2
Dowling 1-3 0-0 1 0 1 2
Tornicasa 0-4 2-4 0 0 3 2
Hubner 0-0 0-0 1 0 3 0
Cashmer 0-1 0-0 0 1 1 0
Winkley 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 0
Totals 25-58 15-22 13 10 35 71
Twin Lakes FG FT A S R Pts.
Braaksma (G) 6-13 2-3 0 1 12 15
Long (G) 4-9 4-6 1 2 2 13
Haselby (F) 1-6 2-4 1 0 4 4
Wright (G) 2-4 0-3 1 1 1 4
Metcalf (F) 0-2 1-2 2 0 2 1
Mackey 1-1 2-2 0 0 1 4
Diener 1-2 0-0 0 1 0 3
Brown 1-2 0-0 0 0 2 3
Johnson 0-0 3-4 0 1 0 3
Treece 1-2 1-1 0 0 0 3
Posey 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 2
Totals 17-41 16-27 5 6 24 55
Three-point goals - Lake Central 6-9 (Richie 5-5, Urban 1-4), Twin Lakes 4-9 (Long 1-4, Brooksma 1-2, Diener 1-1, Brown 1-1, Wright 0-1). Turnovers -ÊLake Central 11, Twin Lakes 11. Fouled out - none. Total fouls - Lake Central 21, Twin Lakes 18.
Officials - Brian Osswald, Tom Walters
1998 WARSAW HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
MVP
Chris Wiggins (Warsaw)
All-Tournament Team
Tom Donkers (Warsaw)
Ross Kesler (Warsaw)
Nate Richie (Lake Central)
Andrew White (Penn)
Josh Long (Twin Lakes) [[In-content Ad]]