Warsaw Closes Out Regular Season With Win
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Warsaw began the girls basketball season led by its guards.
Warsaw ended the regular season Wednesday still led by its guards.
Marion began the season with 12 players on its varsity roster.
Marion ended the regular season Wednesday with such high turnover nine of the 12 no longer played.
Warsaw's veteran backcourt of junior Hilary O'Connell and senior Kara Kesler again guided the Tigers, this time to a 66-40 win over a decimated Marion team. O'Connell overcame three fouls in the first half to finish with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and Kesler delivered 17 points, five assists and three steals.
O'Connell leads Warsaw in scoring with 17.7 points per game and steals with 3.6 per game. Kesler is second in scoring at 10.5 points per game and leads in assists with 4.4 per game and free throw accuracy at 79 percent.
"Kara Kesler played good basketball and really took the ball to the hole," Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst said. "Hilary O'Connell had some foul trouble in the second quarter -Êwith two fouls you have to play smart - and sat out but scored 22 and had a good game."
The Marion team that began the season is not the same Marion team Warsaw faced last night.
The nine are no longer playing for various reasons from injuries to transfers to academic problems to code of conduct. Six of the nine started at one time or another. The key loss is 6-foot senior center Kristin Marcuccilli, who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds but is out for the season with a separated shoulder.
Marion, at one time 9-3, ends the regular season 11-9 after losing six of its last eight. Among the losses were scores like 54-17 against Huntington North, 60-31 against Manchester and now the 26-point loss to 14-6 Warsaw.
"We lost to a very good team tonight," Marion coach Ron Vermillion said. "They shoot the ball well. Scoring 40 against a good team is a positive for us. We hadn't been scoring hardly any."
That Warsaw was facing a depleted Marion team was not lost on Wienhorst, who admitted Warsaw used the game to fine-tune Warsaw.
"We didn't really care about Marion tonight," he said. "It was Senior Night, and we have been preparing for the sectional. We had a hard practice last night, and for this team to come back and play this good tonight says something.
"We were working on playing solid defense, protecting the ball and playing good basketball for 32 minutes. Tonight, we wanted to get ready for the tournament."
Playing solid defense? Warsaw allowed Marion two second-chance points all night and scored 34 points off turnovers.
Protecting the ball? Warsaw committed just 13 turnovers to Marion's 25.
Marion turned the ball over five times with five minutes still left in the first quarter. Warsaw overwhelmed Marion, taking a 19-10 lead after one quarter and building a 31-14 lead in the second quarter before the Giants made a small run to cut the deficit to 31-20 at the half. Marion made its spurt with O'Connell on the bench with three fouls.
Back at full force in the third quarter, the rout began. Kesler and O'Connell combined to score Warsaw's final 10 points of the third quarter as Warsaw took a comfortable 48-30 lead into the fourth.
While she finished with four points, Wienhorst glad-handed senior Amie Poling. Poling tied for the team lead in rebounds with six and triggered several Marion turnovers.
"Amie Poling was vintage Amie Poling," Wienhorst said. "Talking and communicating on defense."
Marion senior Amy Wisser scored 20 but hit just 6 of 17 field goals (35 percent). Jenny Wisser added nine points.
"We're playing our reserve team with the Amy and Jenny Wisser," Vermillion said. "Those two are the only two who have played in all of our games."
For both schools, all of their regular season games are in, and now it's on to the postseason.
WARSAW 66
MARION 40
Marion (11-9) 10 10 10 10 - 40
Warsaw (14-6) 19 12 17 18 - 66
Marion FG FT A S R Pts.
A. Wisser (G) 6-17 7-8 5 3 5 20
J. Wisser (G) 3-7 2-2 1 2 2 9
Dean (F) 2-4 2-3 0 0 3 6
Randolph (C) 1-2 1-1 0 0 2 3
Jenkins (F) 1-2 0-0 0 0 2 2
Hester 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Bledsoe 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Grider 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Mays 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Rodriguez 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Team 3
Totals 13-32 12-14 6 5 17 40
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
O'Connell (G) 9-13 2-2 2 4 2 22
Kesler (G) 5-8 7-8 5 3 1 17
Knisely (C) 3-4 1-2 2 1 5 8
DeGeeter (F) 2-4 1-2 0 1 4 5
Poling (F) 1-4 1-2 4 2 6 4
Wyatt 2-7 0-0 0 1 1 4
Chabot 2-2 0-1 0 0 0 4
Franklin 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 2
DeRenzo 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 0
McGriff 0-1 0-0 0 0 2 0
Leininger 0-2 0-0 0 0 6 0
Davis 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Totals 25-48 12-17 13 13 28 66
Three-point goals -ÊWarsaw 4-13 (O'Connell 2-4, Poling 1-3, Knisely 1-1, Wyatt 0-3, Kesler 0-1, Leininger 0-1), Marion 2-13 (A. Wisser 1-9, J. Wisser 1-3, Jenkins 0-1). Turnovers -ÊWarsaw 13, Marion 25. Fouled out -Ênone. Total fouls - Warsaw 15, Marion 13.
JV: WARSAW 66, MARION 30
Warsaw (11-9) scoring -ÊLindsay Patterson 17, Rachael Franklin 16, Debbie Allen 6, Holly Durcholz 4, Cassie Himes 4, Krystal Leslie 4, Hillary Colt 4, Jessica Davis 4, Mary Olds 3, Angelika Fussle 2, Mary Harden 2
Marion (6-14) scoring -ÊFaroh 9, Moore 8, Mays 6, Silveus 5, Tyson 2 [[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw began the girls basketball season led by its guards.
Warsaw ended the regular season Wednesday still led by its guards.
Marion began the season with 12 players on its varsity roster.
Marion ended the regular season Wednesday with such high turnover nine of the 12 no longer played.
Warsaw's veteran backcourt of junior Hilary O'Connell and senior Kara Kesler again guided the Tigers, this time to a 66-40 win over a decimated Marion team. O'Connell overcame three fouls in the first half to finish with 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and Kesler delivered 17 points, five assists and three steals.
O'Connell leads Warsaw in scoring with 17.7 points per game and steals with 3.6 per game. Kesler is second in scoring at 10.5 points per game and leads in assists with 4.4 per game and free throw accuracy at 79 percent.
"Kara Kesler played good basketball and really took the ball to the hole," Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst said. "Hilary O'Connell had some foul trouble in the second quarter -Êwith two fouls you have to play smart - and sat out but scored 22 and had a good game."
The Marion team that began the season is not the same Marion team Warsaw faced last night.
The nine are no longer playing for various reasons from injuries to transfers to academic problems to code of conduct. Six of the nine started at one time or another. The key loss is 6-foot senior center Kristin Marcuccilli, who averaged a double-double in points and rebounds but is out for the season with a separated shoulder.
Marion, at one time 9-3, ends the regular season 11-9 after losing six of its last eight. Among the losses were scores like 54-17 against Huntington North, 60-31 against Manchester and now the 26-point loss to 14-6 Warsaw.
"We lost to a very good team tonight," Marion coach Ron Vermillion said. "They shoot the ball well. Scoring 40 against a good team is a positive for us. We hadn't been scoring hardly any."
That Warsaw was facing a depleted Marion team was not lost on Wienhorst, who admitted Warsaw used the game to fine-tune Warsaw.
"We didn't really care about Marion tonight," he said. "It was Senior Night, and we have been preparing for the sectional. We had a hard practice last night, and for this team to come back and play this good tonight says something.
"We were working on playing solid defense, protecting the ball and playing good basketball for 32 minutes. Tonight, we wanted to get ready for the tournament."
Playing solid defense? Warsaw allowed Marion two second-chance points all night and scored 34 points off turnovers.
Protecting the ball? Warsaw committed just 13 turnovers to Marion's 25.
Marion turned the ball over five times with five minutes still left in the first quarter. Warsaw overwhelmed Marion, taking a 19-10 lead after one quarter and building a 31-14 lead in the second quarter before the Giants made a small run to cut the deficit to 31-20 at the half. Marion made its spurt with O'Connell on the bench with three fouls.
Back at full force in the third quarter, the rout began. Kesler and O'Connell combined to score Warsaw's final 10 points of the third quarter as Warsaw took a comfortable 48-30 lead into the fourth.
While she finished with four points, Wienhorst glad-handed senior Amie Poling. Poling tied for the team lead in rebounds with six and triggered several Marion turnovers.
"Amie Poling was vintage Amie Poling," Wienhorst said. "Talking and communicating on defense."
Marion senior Amy Wisser scored 20 but hit just 6 of 17 field goals (35 percent). Jenny Wisser added nine points.
"We're playing our reserve team with the Amy and Jenny Wisser," Vermillion said. "Those two are the only two who have played in all of our games."
For both schools, all of their regular season games are in, and now it's on to the postseason.
WARSAW 66
MARION 40
Marion (11-9) 10 10 10 10 - 40
Warsaw (14-6) 19 12 17 18 - 66
Marion FG FT A S R Pts.
A. Wisser (G) 6-17 7-8 5 3 5 20
J. Wisser (G) 3-7 2-2 1 2 2 9
Dean (F) 2-4 2-3 0 0 3 6
Randolph (C) 1-2 1-1 0 0 2 3
Jenkins (F) 1-2 0-0 0 0 2 2
Hester 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Bledsoe 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Grider 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Mays 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Rodriguez 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Team 3
Totals 13-32 12-14 6 5 17 40
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
O'Connell (G) 9-13 2-2 2 4 2 22
Kesler (G) 5-8 7-8 5 3 1 17
Knisely (C) 3-4 1-2 2 1 5 8
DeGeeter (F) 2-4 1-2 0 1 4 5
Poling (F) 1-4 1-2 4 2 6 4
Wyatt 2-7 0-0 0 1 1 4
Chabot 2-2 0-1 0 0 0 4
Franklin 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 2
DeRenzo 0-2 0-0 0 1 0 0
McGriff 0-1 0-0 0 0 2 0
Leininger 0-2 0-0 0 0 6 0
Davis 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
Totals 25-48 12-17 13 13 28 66
Three-point goals -ÊWarsaw 4-13 (O'Connell 2-4, Poling 1-3, Knisely 1-1, Wyatt 0-3, Kesler 0-1, Leininger 0-1), Marion 2-13 (A. Wisser 1-9, J. Wisser 1-3, Jenkins 0-1). Turnovers -ÊWarsaw 13, Marion 25. Fouled out -Ênone. Total fouls - Warsaw 15, Marion 13.
JV: WARSAW 66, MARION 30
Warsaw (11-9) scoring -ÊLindsay Patterson 17, Rachael Franklin 16, Debbie Allen 6, Holly Durcholz 4, Cassie Himes 4, Krystal Leslie 4, Hillary Colt 4, Jessica Davis 4, Mary Olds 3, Angelika Fussle 2, Mary Harden 2
Marion (6-14) scoring -ÊFaroh 9, Moore 8, Mays 6, Silveus 5, Tyson 2 [[In-content Ad]]