Warriors Line Up Sectional Crown
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NAPPANEE - Blame it on Michael Conrad.
While Conrad did an admirable job on the state's 10th leading scorer in NorthWood's Ryne Lightfoot, as well as scoring 12 points, there was that free throw he missed with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter that plummeted Wawasee's fourth quarter free-throw percentage to 96.
The Warriors went 34 of 38 for the game and 23 of 24 in the fourth quarter from the free throw line as they captured their second straight sectional championship in a 66-60 win over host NorthWood in the 3A No. 21 sectional Saturday night.
"Coach has us shoot 50 free throws a day," said Conrad of his team's charity stripe preparation. "I think there's more pressure to make them in practice than in the game."
"They're able to step up when it really counts," said Wawasee head coach Phil Mishler of his team's effort from the line. "They've been working hard in practice all year."
The cavalcade of fourth quarter free throws started with a play that energized the Warriors.
Junior Joe Leach nailed a three-pointer from the left corner of the east basket as he was fouled by NorthWood's Ben Bemiller.
Leach then hit the first of many Wawasee free throws in the final period as the Warriors went from a two-point deficit at 40-38 to a two-point lead at 42-38.
The Warriors never looked back as they went on a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter.
Andrew Mock, Wawasee's 5-foot-8 junior point guard, went 9 of 9 from the line in the fourth quarter as he finished with a game-high 27 points.
Mock used his lightning-quick speed to drive past NorthWood's guards all evening to create scoring chances for him and his teammates.
"I know if I penetrated I could either score or I've got Mike (Conrad), Joe (Leach) and Johnny Adams who can shoot it. And those guys are pretty automatic," said Mock.
The Warriors finished 6 of 13 (46 percent) from beyond the three-point arc as they made the Panthers pay for an overextended defense.
Wawasee jumped out to a 21-20 lead after the first quarter as both teams were scorching from the field. The Panthers then jumped out to a three-point lead late in the second quarter before Mock hit a long-range three at the buzzer to tie the game at 32.
Both teams struggled a bit from the field in the third quarter as the two squad combined for just 14 points.
With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Lightfoot hit a jumper to give his team a 40-38 lead they took into the final quarter.
Lightfoot, who averaged just under 25 points a game this season, scored 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting but was never able to take the game over due to Conrad and Co.'s defense.
"I was trying to stay with him as much as I could," said Conrad of his effort on Lightfoot. "It was nice to have my team behind me ready to help."
"That's a team effort," said Mishler. "It's also Mike overall as a senior all tourney long saying 'I refuse to let my team down.'"
"Everyone knows what Ryne Lightfoot is going to do," said Mock. So 22 points, that's a lot for some people but a lot of times he's in the 30's.
NorthWood got as close as four points with 1:15 left in regulation but failed to draw any closer as Panther senior Zac Lechlitner dribbled the ball off his foot at midcourt and into the hands of Conrad.
Conrad then hit two free throws as he was fouled on the ensuing fast break by Lechlitner.
The Warriors attempted and made 10 free throws in the final 1:07 of the game.
Leach finished with 13 points while junior Lance Zimmerman was the fourth Warrior to finish in double digits with 11 points. Brandon Geiger rounded out the scoring with three points as Wawasee got all it's scoring from its starting five.
The Warriors lost 62-49 at home to NorthWood Jan. 7.
With the win, Wawasee ups its record to 19-4 on the season. The Warriors earned a berth in the Blackford Regional in Hartford City Saturday.
Wawasee will play in the day's second game against Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (16-6). In the day's first game Tippecanoe Valley (19-4) takes on Jay County (17-6). The winners will move to the championship game at 8 p.m.
The Times-Union will run more information concerning the Blackford Regional throughout the week.
WAWASEE 66, N'WOOD 60
Wawasee 21 11 6 28 - 66
Northwood 20 12 8 20 - 60
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts
*Mock 6-1213-13 1 2 27
*Conrad 3-7 3-4 4 3 12
*Leach 2-3 8-9 1 1 13
*Geiger 0-1 3-4 4 0 3
*Z'erman 2-3 7-8 4 0 11
Adams 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Singrey 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Richardson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 13-27 34-38 14 6 66
N'Wood FG FT R S Pts.
*Lechlinter 7-13 3-3 3 1 18
*Lightfoot 7-14 7-8 1 0 22
*Troyer 2-5 4-5 3 0 9
*Bemiller 2-6 2-2 4 0 7
*Yoder 1-2 0-0 2 0 2
Brown 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Schaffer 1-1 0-0 2 0 2
Totals 20-41 16-18 16 1 60
Three-point goals - Wawasee 6-13 (Conrad 3-5, Mock 2-6, Leach 1-2), NorthWood 4-11 (Bemiller 1-1, Troyer 1-3, Lechlitner 1-3, Lightfoot 1-4). Turnovers - Wawasee 12, NorthWood 13. Fouls - Wawasee 17, NorthWood 26. Fouled out - Bemiller, Geiger. [[In-content Ad]]
NAPPANEE - Blame it on Michael Conrad.
While Conrad did an admirable job on the state's 10th leading scorer in NorthWood's Ryne Lightfoot, as well as scoring 12 points, there was that free throw he missed with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter that plummeted Wawasee's fourth quarter free-throw percentage to 96.
The Warriors went 34 of 38 for the game and 23 of 24 in the fourth quarter from the free throw line as they captured their second straight sectional championship in a 66-60 win over host NorthWood in the 3A No. 21 sectional Saturday night.
"Coach has us shoot 50 free throws a day," said Conrad of his team's charity stripe preparation. "I think there's more pressure to make them in practice than in the game."
"They're able to step up when it really counts," said Wawasee head coach Phil Mishler of his team's effort from the line. "They've been working hard in practice all year."
The cavalcade of fourth quarter free throws started with a play that energized the Warriors.
Junior Joe Leach nailed a three-pointer from the left corner of the east basket as he was fouled by NorthWood's Ben Bemiller.
Leach then hit the first of many Wawasee free throws in the final period as the Warriors went from a two-point deficit at 40-38 to a two-point lead at 42-38.
The Warriors never looked back as they went on a 9-0 run to start the fourth quarter.
Andrew Mock, Wawasee's 5-foot-8 junior point guard, went 9 of 9 from the line in the fourth quarter as he finished with a game-high 27 points.
Mock used his lightning-quick speed to drive past NorthWood's guards all evening to create scoring chances for him and his teammates.
"I know if I penetrated I could either score or I've got Mike (Conrad), Joe (Leach) and Johnny Adams who can shoot it. And those guys are pretty automatic," said Mock.
The Warriors finished 6 of 13 (46 percent) from beyond the three-point arc as they made the Panthers pay for an overextended defense.
Wawasee jumped out to a 21-20 lead after the first quarter as both teams were scorching from the field. The Panthers then jumped out to a three-point lead late in the second quarter before Mock hit a long-range three at the buzzer to tie the game at 32.
Both teams struggled a bit from the field in the third quarter as the two squad combined for just 14 points.
With less than a minute left in the third quarter, Lightfoot hit a jumper to give his team a 40-38 lead they took into the final quarter.
Lightfoot, who averaged just under 25 points a game this season, scored 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting but was never able to take the game over due to Conrad and Co.'s defense.
"I was trying to stay with him as much as I could," said Conrad of his effort on Lightfoot. "It was nice to have my team behind me ready to help."
"That's a team effort," said Mishler. "It's also Mike overall as a senior all tourney long saying 'I refuse to let my team down.'"
"Everyone knows what Ryne Lightfoot is going to do," said Mock. So 22 points, that's a lot for some people but a lot of times he's in the 30's.
NorthWood got as close as four points with 1:15 left in regulation but failed to draw any closer as Panther senior Zac Lechlitner dribbled the ball off his foot at midcourt and into the hands of Conrad.
Conrad then hit two free throws as he was fouled on the ensuing fast break by Lechlitner.
The Warriors attempted and made 10 free throws in the final 1:07 of the game.
Leach finished with 13 points while junior Lance Zimmerman was the fourth Warrior to finish in double digits with 11 points. Brandon Geiger rounded out the scoring with three points as Wawasee got all it's scoring from its starting five.
The Warriors lost 62-49 at home to NorthWood Jan. 7.
With the win, Wawasee ups its record to 19-4 on the season. The Warriors earned a berth in the Blackford Regional in Hartford City Saturday.
Wawasee will play in the day's second game against Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran (16-6). In the day's first game Tippecanoe Valley (19-4) takes on Jay County (17-6). The winners will move to the championship game at 8 p.m.
The Times-Union will run more information concerning the Blackford Regional throughout the week.
WAWASEE 66, N'WOOD 60
Wawasee 21 11 6 28 - 66
Northwood 20 12 8 20 - 60
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts
*Mock 6-1213-13 1 2 27
*Conrad 3-7 3-4 4 3 12
*Leach 2-3 8-9 1 1 13
*Geiger 0-1 3-4 4 0 3
*Z'erman 2-3 7-8 4 0 11
Adams 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Singrey 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Richardson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 13-27 34-38 14 6 66
N'Wood FG FT R S Pts.
*Lechlinter 7-13 3-3 3 1 18
*Lightfoot 7-14 7-8 1 0 22
*Troyer 2-5 4-5 3 0 9
*Bemiller 2-6 2-2 4 0 7
*Yoder 1-2 0-0 2 0 2
Brown 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Schaffer 1-1 0-0 2 0 2
Totals 20-41 16-18 16 1 60
Three-point goals - Wawasee 6-13 (Conrad 3-5, Mock 2-6, Leach 1-2), NorthWood 4-11 (Bemiller 1-1, Troyer 1-3, Lechlitner 1-3, Lightfoot 1-4). Turnovers - Wawasee 12, NorthWood 13. Fouls - Wawasee 17, NorthWood 26. Fouled out - Bemiller, Geiger. [[In-content Ad]]