Warriors Look Strong Going Into Sectional
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Opening the Class 3A, Sectional 21 at Columbia City High School Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the 10-10 Whitko Wildcats, the 13-7 Warriors have an offense no one can match up with if it's clicking.[[In-content Ad]]The problem for the Warriors is if it's not clicking, things don't go well. That was demonstrated by an 89-69 loss at 9-10 Churubusco on Feb. 23, a game after Churubusco fell 74-51 at Whitko.
"Hopefully we can put six games together and play like we did during the six-game winning streak (before the loss to Churubusco)," Wawasee coach Phil Mishler said. "But it's up to the players."
Averaging 78.9 points per game, the fourth most in the state, Wawasee averaged 91.5 points in their 13 wins and 65.1 in their seven losses, demonstrating the need for points.
"We score in a lot of different ways," Mishler said. "About 50 percent of the points are from the perimeter and 50 percent is inside. Then, our defense also leads to points."
Averaging 9.6 steals a game, Wawasee forces 17.3 turnovers a game, leading to 20.5 points a game. Along with the transition points, the Warriors also love the three-point shot, averaging 29.6 points per game on three-point buckets.
When they're not shooting the trey, Wawasee can go inside, where they're very efficient, connecting on 61.1 percent of their field goal attempts.
A microcosm of Wawasee's ability to do a little bit of everything is in 6-foot-4 junior Riley Stichter.
Having games of 43 and 40 points this season, Stichter leads Wawasee with 22.1 points and 9.8 rebounds a game, hitting 75.3 percent of his two-point baskets and 46.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
"Riley Stichter is a very nice player," Mishler said of Stichter, who also averages 2.1 assists and two steals a game. "He has such a knack for finishing at the basket. He has good hands and is good at rebounding. Then, he can step out and hit the three. Inside and outside, he's tough to defend. If a team wants to take him away, they have to give up something else."
By concentrating on Stichter, opposing teams may give up looks to Wawasee's lone senior Keegan Beer, who is averaging 16.4 points, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals a game.
Another option for the Warriors is a freshman by the name of Jacob Thompson, who has unfreshman-like numbers, at 13.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals a game.
"The nice thing about this team is, someone else has always stepped up," Mishler said. "The top three usually lead, but Cody McBride (4.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Trevor McKibben (8.3 ppg) and Logan Hatfield (5.1) have had multiple 15-plus scoring games."
While the Warriors have weapons, Mishler also knows his first-round opponent does too, led by sophomore point guard Logan Irwin and his 25.5 points per game, scoring 509 this season.
"Obviously, he's one of the best point guards in the state, so we have to contain him," Mishler said of Irwin, who averages 13 free throw attempts a game. "I don't know whether its harder to contain him in the full-court or half-court. We just need to make sure we don't foul. He lives and dies at the free-throw line, so we can't foul, but need to contain him."
Whitko's other scoring threat is 6-foot-5 junior Zac VanDeWater, who is averaging 15.2 points a game.
With those two scorers, Wawasee's 75-71 win over Whitko on Dec. 12 doesn't make Mishler overconfident going into the sectional.
"Whitko is a solid team with good players that know their roles," Mishler said. "They also have a coach who knows how to win big games. We just need to do what we always do, which is play hard."
The winner of the Whitko/Wawasee game will then the 13-7 Columbia City Eagles in the Friday semifinals.
"It's a tough draw," Mishler said. "We have to play two of the best teams to get to the final. Out of the four teams on our side of the bracket, we get three of the best based on records and Sagarin ratings."
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Opening the Class 3A, Sectional 21 at Columbia City High School Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the 10-10 Whitko Wildcats, the 13-7 Warriors have an offense no one can match up with if it's clicking.[[In-content Ad]]The problem for the Warriors is if it's not clicking, things don't go well. That was demonstrated by an 89-69 loss at 9-10 Churubusco on Feb. 23, a game after Churubusco fell 74-51 at Whitko.
"Hopefully we can put six games together and play like we did during the six-game winning streak (before the loss to Churubusco)," Wawasee coach Phil Mishler said. "But it's up to the players."
Averaging 78.9 points per game, the fourth most in the state, Wawasee averaged 91.5 points in their 13 wins and 65.1 in their seven losses, demonstrating the need for points.
"We score in a lot of different ways," Mishler said. "About 50 percent of the points are from the perimeter and 50 percent is inside. Then, our defense also leads to points."
Averaging 9.6 steals a game, Wawasee forces 17.3 turnovers a game, leading to 20.5 points a game. Along with the transition points, the Warriors also love the three-point shot, averaging 29.6 points per game on three-point buckets.
When they're not shooting the trey, Wawasee can go inside, where they're very efficient, connecting on 61.1 percent of their field goal attempts.
A microcosm of Wawasee's ability to do a little bit of everything is in 6-foot-4 junior Riley Stichter.
Having games of 43 and 40 points this season, Stichter leads Wawasee with 22.1 points and 9.8 rebounds a game, hitting 75.3 percent of his two-point baskets and 46.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
"Riley Stichter is a very nice player," Mishler said of Stichter, who also averages 2.1 assists and two steals a game. "He has such a knack for finishing at the basket. He has good hands and is good at rebounding. Then, he can step out and hit the three. Inside and outside, he's tough to defend. If a team wants to take him away, they have to give up something else."
By concentrating on Stichter, opposing teams may give up looks to Wawasee's lone senior Keegan Beer, who is averaging 16.4 points, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals a game.
Another option for the Warriors is a freshman by the name of Jacob Thompson, who has unfreshman-like numbers, at 13.9 points, 3.3 assists and 1.3 steals a game.
"The nice thing about this team is, someone else has always stepped up," Mishler said. "The top three usually lead, but Cody McBride (4.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Trevor McKibben (8.3 ppg) and Logan Hatfield (5.1) have had multiple 15-plus scoring games."
While the Warriors have weapons, Mishler also knows his first-round opponent does too, led by sophomore point guard Logan Irwin and his 25.5 points per game, scoring 509 this season.
"Obviously, he's one of the best point guards in the state, so we have to contain him," Mishler said of Irwin, who averages 13 free throw attempts a game. "I don't know whether its harder to contain him in the full-court or half-court. We just need to make sure we don't foul. He lives and dies at the free-throw line, so we can't foul, but need to contain him."
Whitko's other scoring threat is 6-foot-5 junior Zac VanDeWater, who is averaging 15.2 points a game.
With those two scorers, Wawasee's 75-71 win over Whitko on Dec. 12 doesn't make Mishler overconfident going into the sectional.
"Whitko is a solid team with good players that know their roles," Mishler said. "They also have a coach who knows how to win big games. We just need to do what we always do, which is play hard."
The winner of the Whitko/Wawasee game will then the 13-7 Columbia City Eagles in the Friday semifinals.
"It's a tough draw," Mishler said. "We have to play two of the best teams to get to the final. Out of the four teams on our side of the bracket, we get three of the best based on records and Sagarin ratings."
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