Tigers Are On A Tear
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst doesn't want his Tigers' girls basketball team to be so giving to Fort Wayne Snider this time around.
The last time these two Warsaw Regional opponents met was back on Jan. 17. The Panthers came away with a 54-47 win over the Tigers after receiving some freebies as in free throws to start the game.
Warsaw opened up with what was supposed to be a token fullcourt press to hurry the Panthers' offense up. What actually happened was the Tigers got a little overzealous and fouled the Panthers, and fouled and fouled...
All told, Snider ended up in the double bonus and knocking down 10 of 14 from the charity stripe - all in the first quarter. Warsaw's Jessica Zaugg had three personal fouls before Wienhorst could even get her on the bench in the first period.
"The first time we played Snider was a unique game," Wienhorst said. "The next thing I know our whole team is in foul trouble, and they are in the double bonus before the first quarter is over. That put us on our heels quite a bit. We didn't have the focus anymore.
"We battled back the whole game and ran out of gas at the end because it took all our energy to come back," he said. "After the first quarter (down 17-8), we outplayed them the rest of the game."
All Warsaw needs, Wienhorst said, is a better and smarter start to be competitive.
"We feel if we defend better, don't reach and not get silly fouls and make them work hard for their points, we can be successful," he said.
Warsaw has certainly had practice in starting fast. In all three Concord Sectional games, the Tigers jumped on their opponents early and built up a big lead. Lulls in the third quarter didn't stop Warsaw from running over its sectional competition by a tune of 60-39 in the three games.
"In the sectional, we came out doing the things we knew we could do and not things we are not capable of doing," Wienhorst said. "I think we are playing our best basketball right now. All year long, they talked about playing at the semistate level. We wanted to get a rematch with either Columbia City or Snider, which both beat us. They are looking forward to this game.
"If this team loses, it will take an effort because this team will not go quietly," he said. "Our chances of winning this weekend are as good as any."
Maybe the most amazing part for the Tigers was not the fast starts, but the fact that they were able to sustain things despite going to their bench early and often.
"People might think, they play a lot of kids," Wienhorst said. "But with our injuries, we had to. When did we lose our leads? At the third quarter with our starters. It wasn't the change of momentum of changing players. But who was the fresher team in the sectional when it counted?
"Because of our injuries getting better, we are getting more wind," he said. "No player in today's game plays 32 minutes. Our bench has given our starters the opportunity to play strong in the fourth quarter."
And now the Tigers have a home game - one game because of class basketball - to advance to the Kokomo Semistate.
"At the regional level before, you prepare for your first game, and then it is guts in the night game, and you just go after it," Wienhorst said. "Now, you prepare all week for one team. We can focus. It is a unique opportunity. But Snider has the same opportunity as we do. The thing is to not concern ourselves so much with Snider, but with what we can do. If we play as we are capable of, that is all that is important." [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst doesn't want his Tigers' girls basketball team to be so giving to Fort Wayne Snider this time around.
The last time these two Warsaw Regional opponents met was back on Jan. 17. The Panthers came away with a 54-47 win over the Tigers after receiving some freebies as in free throws to start the game.
Warsaw opened up with what was supposed to be a token fullcourt press to hurry the Panthers' offense up. What actually happened was the Tigers got a little overzealous and fouled the Panthers, and fouled and fouled...
All told, Snider ended up in the double bonus and knocking down 10 of 14 from the charity stripe - all in the first quarter. Warsaw's Jessica Zaugg had three personal fouls before Wienhorst could even get her on the bench in the first period.
"The first time we played Snider was a unique game," Wienhorst said. "The next thing I know our whole team is in foul trouble, and they are in the double bonus before the first quarter is over. That put us on our heels quite a bit. We didn't have the focus anymore.
"We battled back the whole game and ran out of gas at the end because it took all our energy to come back," he said. "After the first quarter (down 17-8), we outplayed them the rest of the game."
All Warsaw needs, Wienhorst said, is a better and smarter start to be competitive.
"We feel if we defend better, don't reach and not get silly fouls and make them work hard for their points, we can be successful," he said.
Warsaw has certainly had practice in starting fast. In all three Concord Sectional games, the Tigers jumped on their opponents early and built up a big lead. Lulls in the third quarter didn't stop Warsaw from running over its sectional competition by a tune of 60-39 in the three games.
"In the sectional, we came out doing the things we knew we could do and not things we are not capable of doing," Wienhorst said. "I think we are playing our best basketball right now. All year long, they talked about playing at the semistate level. We wanted to get a rematch with either Columbia City or Snider, which both beat us. They are looking forward to this game.
"If this team loses, it will take an effort because this team will not go quietly," he said. "Our chances of winning this weekend are as good as any."
Maybe the most amazing part for the Tigers was not the fast starts, but the fact that they were able to sustain things despite going to their bench early and often.
"People might think, they play a lot of kids," Wienhorst said. "But with our injuries, we had to. When did we lose our leads? At the third quarter with our starters. It wasn't the change of momentum of changing players. But who was the fresher team in the sectional when it counted?
"Because of our injuries getting better, we are getting more wind," he said. "No player in today's game plays 32 minutes. Our bench has given our starters the opportunity to play strong in the fourth quarter."
And now the Tigers have a home game - one game because of class basketball - to advance to the Kokomo Semistate.
"At the regional level before, you prepare for your first game, and then it is guts in the night game, and you just go after it," Wienhorst said. "Now, you prepare all week for one team. We can focus. It is a unique opportunity. But Snider has the same opportunity as we do. The thing is to not concern ourselves so much with Snider, but with what we can do. If we play as we are capable of, that is all that is important." [[In-content Ad]]