Warsaw Defense Stymies Concord
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
For all intents and purposes, however, it was over shortly after it started, as the eighth-ranked Lady Tigers’ trademark defense paved the way for a 59-21 win.
“We’ve talked about it all season long, in order for us to win we have to be a great defensive team,” said Warsaw coach Michelle Harter, whose team improved to 21-1 on the season. “The girls have bought into playing defense with their feet. That’s been the big difference from our defense at the beginning of the season to how we’re playing now.”
The Lady Tigers’ defense Friday night was simply dominating.
Not only did Warsaw force Concord (6-17) into 22 turnovers, 16 of which were steals, but the Lady Tigers held the Minutemen scoreless the entire second quarter.
Warsaw led 14-6 after one quarter of play, 31-6 at halftime and 48-15 heading into the final frame.
“We talked at halftime about coming out with the same type of focus we did in the first half,” said Harter. “We didn’t want to allow Concord to think they could get back in the game.”
The Lady Tigers’ defensive effort in the second quarter marked the ninth time in the program’s rich history they’ve held a team scoreless for an entire quarter.
Prior to Friday, the last time it happened was in a 51-25 win at Fort Wayne Northrop in 2004.
“It was a great atmosphere in the locker room at halftime,” said senior Lindsay Baker. “We keep track of our deflections, it’s a stat not a lot of teams keep. We had 27 deflections in the first half. That’s the big difference about other teams’ defense and our defense, we get after it. Period.”
As a result of them getting after it, the Lady Tigers are one step closer to their first sectional championship since 2004.
Warsaw will play Northridge (19-4) in tonight’s 7 p.m. title tilt, with the winner advancing to next week’s Valparaiso Regional.
Northridge, a team Warsaw beat 52-39 in Middlebury on Jan. 5, advanced to the sectional final with a 45-38 win over Goshen in Friday’s second semifinal.
“I can’t put it into words,” Baker said when asked about the excitement of advancing to the sectional final. “We’ve worked so long for this opportunity. We know this is our team and this is our year.”
Concord made just 7 of 30 attempts from the field, while Warsaw was 23 of 42.
Sophomore Jade Iavagnilio led the Minutemen with nine points. She scored all six of her team’s points in the first half.
Freshman Breona Bloch scored four points in the loss.
For Warsaw, senior Jennifer Walker-Crawford and junior Brooklyn Harrison led the way with 11 points each, while junior Nikki Grose scored 10 points, Baker added nine and senior Melanie Holladay and junior Eryn Leek finished with six each.
For Harrison, who also had a game-high five steals, the 11 points were a career high.
Prior to the start of the sectional, Harrison had scored just three points in the last eight games.
The 5-foot-7 guard has certainly picked the right time to step up, as she is averaging nearly 10 points per contest in two postseason games this week.
“We knew all year that Brooklyn could step up and play like this,” said Harter. “It’s a big time for her to step up and play like this.”
WARSAW 59, CONCORD 21
C 6 0 9 6 – 21
W 14 17 17 11 – 59
Concord – Jade Iavagnilio 3-5 0-0 9, Keaonna Clopton 0-2 0-0 0, Breona Bloch 2-4 0-2 4, MacKenzie Rutter 1-3 0-0 2, Taylor Milnamow 0-1 1-2 1, Jenna Makin 1-4 0-0 2, Anna Heck 0-7 2-2 2, Shanice Matthews 0-1 0-2 2, Michelle Detwiler 0-0 0-0 0, Dayana Watson 0-2 1-2 1, Chole Emerick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 7-30 4-10 21.
Warsaw – Sarah Ray 0-2 2-2 2, Courtney Farling 0-0 0-0 0, Vicki Harris 0-2 0-0 0, Melanie Holladay 3-7 0-0 6, Eryn Leek 2-3 0-0 6, Jennifer Walker-Crawford 4-6 3-4 11, Lindsay Baker 3-5 2-2 9, Brooklyn Harrison 5-8 1-2 11, Pam Miller 1-1 0-0 2, Nikki Grose 4-6 2-3 10, Gabby Monroy 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 23-42 10-13 59.
Three-pointers – Concord 3 (Iavagnilio 3), Warsaw 3 (Leek 2, Baker 1); Rebounds – Concord 25 (Rutter 5, Heck 5), Warsaw 23 (Grose 5); Turnovers – Concord 22, Warsaw 9; Steals – Concord 1 (Heck), Warsaw 16 (Harrison 16); Fouls – Concord 13, Warsaw 10; Fouled out – none; Records: Concord 6-17, Warsaw 21-1
Other semifinal: Northridge 45, Goshen 38
Records: Northridge 19-4, Goshen 14-8
Championship: 7 p.m. tonight, Warsaw vs. Northridge[[In-content Ad]]
For all intents and purposes, however, it was over shortly after it started, as the eighth-ranked Lady Tigers’ trademark defense paved the way for a 59-21 win.
“We’ve talked about it all season long, in order for us to win we have to be a great defensive team,” said Warsaw coach Michelle Harter, whose team improved to 21-1 on the season. “The girls have bought into playing defense with their feet. That’s been the big difference from our defense at the beginning of the season to how we’re playing now.”
The Lady Tigers’ defense Friday night was simply dominating.
Not only did Warsaw force Concord (6-17) into 22 turnovers, 16 of which were steals, but the Lady Tigers held the Minutemen scoreless the entire second quarter.
Warsaw led 14-6 after one quarter of play, 31-6 at halftime and 48-15 heading into the final frame.
“We talked at halftime about coming out with the same type of focus we did in the first half,” said Harter. “We didn’t want to allow Concord to think they could get back in the game.”
The Lady Tigers’ defensive effort in the second quarter marked the ninth time in the program’s rich history they’ve held a team scoreless for an entire quarter.
Prior to Friday, the last time it happened was in a 51-25 win at Fort Wayne Northrop in 2004.
“It was a great atmosphere in the locker room at halftime,” said senior Lindsay Baker. “We keep track of our deflections, it’s a stat not a lot of teams keep. We had 27 deflections in the first half. That’s the big difference about other teams’ defense and our defense, we get after it. Period.”
As a result of them getting after it, the Lady Tigers are one step closer to their first sectional championship since 2004.
Warsaw will play Northridge (19-4) in tonight’s 7 p.m. title tilt, with the winner advancing to next week’s Valparaiso Regional.
Northridge, a team Warsaw beat 52-39 in Middlebury on Jan. 5, advanced to the sectional final with a 45-38 win over Goshen in Friday’s second semifinal.
“I can’t put it into words,” Baker said when asked about the excitement of advancing to the sectional final. “We’ve worked so long for this opportunity. We know this is our team and this is our year.”
Concord made just 7 of 30 attempts from the field, while Warsaw was 23 of 42.
Sophomore Jade Iavagnilio led the Minutemen with nine points. She scored all six of her team’s points in the first half.
Freshman Breona Bloch scored four points in the loss.
For Warsaw, senior Jennifer Walker-Crawford and junior Brooklyn Harrison led the way with 11 points each, while junior Nikki Grose scored 10 points, Baker added nine and senior Melanie Holladay and junior Eryn Leek finished with six each.
For Harrison, who also had a game-high five steals, the 11 points were a career high.
Prior to the start of the sectional, Harrison had scored just three points in the last eight games.
The 5-foot-7 guard has certainly picked the right time to step up, as she is averaging nearly 10 points per contest in two postseason games this week.
“We knew all year that Brooklyn could step up and play like this,” said Harter. “It’s a big time for her to step up and play like this.”
WARSAW 59, CONCORD 21
C 6 0 9 6 – 21
W 14 17 17 11 – 59
Concord – Jade Iavagnilio 3-5 0-0 9, Keaonna Clopton 0-2 0-0 0, Breona Bloch 2-4 0-2 4, MacKenzie Rutter 1-3 0-0 2, Taylor Milnamow 0-1 1-2 1, Jenna Makin 1-4 0-0 2, Anna Heck 0-7 2-2 2, Shanice Matthews 0-1 0-2 2, Michelle Detwiler 0-0 0-0 0, Dayana Watson 0-2 1-2 1, Chole Emerick 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 7-30 4-10 21.
Warsaw – Sarah Ray 0-2 2-2 2, Courtney Farling 0-0 0-0 0, Vicki Harris 0-2 0-0 0, Melanie Holladay 3-7 0-0 6, Eryn Leek 2-3 0-0 6, Jennifer Walker-Crawford 4-6 3-4 11, Lindsay Baker 3-5 2-2 9, Brooklyn Harrison 5-8 1-2 11, Pam Miller 1-1 0-0 2, Nikki Grose 4-6 2-3 10, Gabby Monroy 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 23-42 10-13 59.
Three-pointers – Concord 3 (Iavagnilio 3), Warsaw 3 (Leek 2, Baker 1); Rebounds – Concord 25 (Rutter 5, Heck 5), Warsaw 23 (Grose 5); Turnovers – Concord 22, Warsaw 9; Steals – Concord 1 (Heck), Warsaw 16 (Harrison 16); Fouls – Concord 13, Warsaw 10; Fouled out – none; Records: Concord 6-17, Warsaw 21-1
Other semifinal: Northridge 45, Goshen 38
Records: Northridge 19-4, Goshen 14-8
Championship: 7 p.m. tonight, Warsaw vs. Northridge[[In-content Ad]]
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