Warriors Rally, Roll
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Forcing the Tigers into nine-straight turnovers, the top-ranked team in Class 3A used a 16-0 run over the final four minutes of the third quarter to destroy any hopes Warsaw had of an upset, as the Warriors rallied and rolled to a 60-41 win at the Tiger Den Saturday.[[In-content Ad]]"It was a frustrating half, yes, but to come out and go gangbusters like we did in the second half - that's a big credit to them," Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said.
The frustration of a 35-percent shooting half, which would eventually lead to the nine-point hole midway through the third quarter, was wiped away as the Wawasee defense forced Warsaw into turnovers whenever it wanted to
"It's just defense," Zolman said about the comeback. "It's all about defense and recovery. When we get into some foul trouble, it kind of makes us back off a little bit. But when we get five people covering areas, that's what it takes."
That defense led to easy transition baskets, which helped Wawasee go on a 34-4 run from the three-minute mark of the third quarter until only a minute was left in the game.
"They're not the No. 1 team in 3A just because they're an average team," Warsaw coach Michelle Harter said. "We knew they were going to come out with a run. We just needed to be sure we continued to do some of the things we were doing in the first half, and we didn't. We started to stand up, we didn't continue to be low and ball fake like we had been doing in the first half. We let them get into our heads a little bit. That's part of the learning process."
Following a 66-31 loss to Plymouth a week earlier, Harter came out with a new starting lineup against Wawasee, inserting juniors KaeLee Sands and Sarah Shilling.
"Of course they came out and were a little nervous in the beginning, but they relaxed," Harter said.
In the first half, things went according to plan for the Tigers, who capitalized off some poor shooting by the Warriors, as well as a lack of an inside presence.
Shooting 53 percent as a team, Warsaw was led by 6-foot sophomore Kayla Stout, who went 5 for 7 in the first half, scoring 13 of her 17 points in the first 16 minutes of the game.
"We've seen them four times, and we haven't seen them come close to that type of level," Zolman said about scouting the Tigers. "We just have to expect that. Players will play above their level for a while, and all that kind of stuff. Give them credit, you have to give a player like that credit for stepping up."
As well as things went for Warsaw in the first half, they went equally wrong in the second half.
"We didn't execute like we did in the first half," Harter said. "Part of that could have been fatigue. Kayla was continuing to attack with the ball, she just couldn't get it up over the rim. She played hard, all the girls played hard and I'm so proud of them."
Leading Wawasee during its second-half scoring spree was senior Taylor Goshert, who overcame a 3-for-16 shooting night to still score 20 points with a 14 for 17 night at the free-throw line.
"We just keep firing," Zolman said. "We have no conscience, but we have to understand if that's not there - attack. We finally got them to do that. Then, we got to the free-throw line and got some easy points."
The Warriors also got 12 points and eight rebounds out of senior Kylee Ort, while senior Brennan McAdams finished the Northern Lakes Conference win with six of her team's 19 steals.
"We're going to get everyone's best," Zolman said.
"I'm so proud of them for just coming back and attacking things," he added. "It was just nice to see."
The Warriors will now take some off before traveling to New Castle High School for the Hall of Fame Classic, where they'll play the Class 2A, second-ranked Oak Hill Eagles Dec. 29, before taking on either the Class 4A, No. 1 Ben Davis Giants or Connersville in the night game.
"Now we have to concentrate on Oak Hill, and they'll play at (a high) level the whole game," Zolman said. "They're almost a spitting image of us. It's going to be a real interesting game."
While the Warriors are taking their show on the road for a holiday tournament, the Tigers will be at home for their own, facing East Noble Dec. 29 at the Tiger Tournament.
"The girls are going to continue to get better," Harter said. "Their effort was so much better tonight. They were competitive. They came out fired up, and there's nothing more I can ask of them."
WAWASEE 60,
WARSAW 41
Waw 6 14 18 22 - 60
War 8 16 7 10 - 41
Wawasee - A. Ort 3 0-0 6, K. Ort 4 3-4 12, McAdams 3 0-0 7, Goshert 3 14-17 20, Rondeau 2 0-0 4, McDaniel 0 2-2 2, Walker 1 0-0 2, Tait 0 2-2 2, Land 0 0-0 0, Bowen 1 3-4 5. Totals 17 24-29 60.
Warsaw - Tat 2 1-3 5, Sands 1 0-1 3, Ogle 0 0-0 0, Stout 6 5-8 17, Shilling 3 1-2 7, Freds 3 1-1 7, Long 0 0-0 0, Plummer 0 0-0 0, Glenn 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 8-15 41.
3-point goals - Wawasee 2 (K. Ort, McAdams), Warsaw 1 (Tat). Team Fouls (fouled out) - Wawasee 19, Warsaw 23 (Freds, Tat). Turnovers - Wawasee 12, Warsaw 27. Rebounds - Wawasee 21 (K. Ort 8, Goshert 7), Warsaw 25 (Shilling 5, Sands 4, Stout 4). Assists - Wawasee 11 (McAdams 6), Warsaw 13 (Ogle 4). Blocks - Wawasee 1, Warsaw 0. Steals - Wawasee 19 (McAdams 6, A. Ort 4, K. Ort 4), Warsaw 5 (Ogle 2). Records - Wawasee 9-0 (2-0 NLC), Warsaw 5-4 (0-2 NLC)
JV - Wawasee 36, Warsaw 27
Wawasee scoring - Woodard 13, Henderson 7, Allen 7, Wiggs 5, McDaniel 4
Warsaw scoring - Davis 8, Jackson 6, Rumple 6, Ogle 5, Heagy 2
Forcing the Tigers into nine-straight turnovers, the top-ranked team in Class 3A used a 16-0 run over the final four minutes of the third quarter to destroy any hopes Warsaw had of an upset, as the Warriors rallied and rolled to a 60-41 win at the Tiger Den Saturday.[[In-content Ad]]"It was a frustrating half, yes, but to come out and go gangbusters like we did in the second half - that's a big credit to them," Wawasee coach Kem Zolman said.
The frustration of a 35-percent shooting half, which would eventually lead to the nine-point hole midway through the third quarter, was wiped away as the Wawasee defense forced Warsaw into turnovers whenever it wanted to
"It's just defense," Zolman said about the comeback. "It's all about defense and recovery. When we get into some foul trouble, it kind of makes us back off a little bit. But when we get five people covering areas, that's what it takes."
That defense led to easy transition baskets, which helped Wawasee go on a 34-4 run from the three-minute mark of the third quarter until only a minute was left in the game.
"They're not the No. 1 team in 3A just because they're an average team," Warsaw coach Michelle Harter said. "We knew they were going to come out with a run. We just needed to be sure we continued to do some of the things we were doing in the first half, and we didn't. We started to stand up, we didn't continue to be low and ball fake like we had been doing in the first half. We let them get into our heads a little bit. That's part of the learning process."
Following a 66-31 loss to Plymouth a week earlier, Harter came out with a new starting lineup against Wawasee, inserting juniors KaeLee Sands and Sarah Shilling.
"Of course they came out and were a little nervous in the beginning, but they relaxed," Harter said.
In the first half, things went according to plan for the Tigers, who capitalized off some poor shooting by the Warriors, as well as a lack of an inside presence.
Shooting 53 percent as a team, Warsaw was led by 6-foot sophomore Kayla Stout, who went 5 for 7 in the first half, scoring 13 of her 17 points in the first 16 minutes of the game.
"We've seen them four times, and we haven't seen them come close to that type of level," Zolman said about scouting the Tigers. "We just have to expect that. Players will play above their level for a while, and all that kind of stuff. Give them credit, you have to give a player like that credit for stepping up."
As well as things went for Warsaw in the first half, they went equally wrong in the second half.
"We didn't execute like we did in the first half," Harter said. "Part of that could have been fatigue. Kayla was continuing to attack with the ball, she just couldn't get it up over the rim. She played hard, all the girls played hard and I'm so proud of them."
Leading Wawasee during its second-half scoring spree was senior Taylor Goshert, who overcame a 3-for-16 shooting night to still score 20 points with a 14 for 17 night at the free-throw line.
"We just keep firing," Zolman said. "We have no conscience, but we have to understand if that's not there - attack. We finally got them to do that. Then, we got to the free-throw line and got some easy points."
The Warriors also got 12 points and eight rebounds out of senior Kylee Ort, while senior Brennan McAdams finished the Northern Lakes Conference win with six of her team's 19 steals.
"We're going to get everyone's best," Zolman said.
"I'm so proud of them for just coming back and attacking things," he added. "It was just nice to see."
The Warriors will now take some off before traveling to New Castle High School for the Hall of Fame Classic, where they'll play the Class 2A, second-ranked Oak Hill Eagles Dec. 29, before taking on either the Class 4A, No. 1 Ben Davis Giants or Connersville in the night game.
"Now we have to concentrate on Oak Hill, and they'll play at (a high) level the whole game," Zolman said. "They're almost a spitting image of us. It's going to be a real interesting game."
While the Warriors are taking their show on the road for a holiday tournament, the Tigers will be at home for their own, facing East Noble Dec. 29 at the Tiger Tournament.
"The girls are going to continue to get better," Harter said. "Their effort was so much better tonight. They were competitive. They came out fired up, and there's nothing more I can ask of them."
WAWASEE 60,
WARSAW 41
Waw 6 14 18 22 - 60
War 8 16 7 10 - 41
Wawasee - A. Ort 3 0-0 6, K. Ort 4 3-4 12, McAdams 3 0-0 7, Goshert 3 14-17 20, Rondeau 2 0-0 4, McDaniel 0 2-2 2, Walker 1 0-0 2, Tait 0 2-2 2, Land 0 0-0 0, Bowen 1 3-4 5. Totals 17 24-29 60.
Warsaw - Tat 2 1-3 5, Sands 1 0-1 3, Ogle 0 0-0 0, Stout 6 5-8 17, Shilling 3 1-2 7, Freds 3 1-1 7, Long 0 0-0 0, Plummer 0 0-0 0, Glenn 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 8-15 41.
3-point goals - Wawasee 2 (K. Ort, McAdams), Warsaw 1 (Tat). Team Fouls (fouled out) - Wawasee 19, Warsaw 23 (Freds, Tat). Turnovers - Wawasee 12, Warsaw 27. Rebounds - Wawasee 21 (K. Ort 8, Goshert 7), Warsaw 25 (Shilling 5, Sands 4, Stout 4). Assists - Wawasee 11 (McAdams 6), Warsaw 13 (Ogle 4). Blocks - Wawasee 1, Warsaw 0. Steals - Wawasee 19 (McAdams 6, A. Ort 4, K. Ort 4), Warsaw 5 (Ogle 2). Records - Wawasee 9-0 (2-0 NLC), Warsaw 5-4 (0-2 NLC)
JV - Wawasee 36, Warsaw 27
Wawasee scoring - Woodard 13, Henderson 7, Allen 7, Wiggs 5, McDaniel 4
Warsaw scoring - Davis 8, Jackson 6, Rumple 6, Ogle 5, Heagy 2
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