Warsaw Dominates Valley 75-37
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
On a night Warsaw's girls basketball players unveiled their new uniforms, they unveiled their new style of play.
The same old results occurred.
Warsaw beat Tippecanoe Valley 75-37, the 28th win in a row for the Tigers against the Vikings. Warsaw improved to 35-1 overall against Valley, which beat Warsaw in 1981.
Because the home uniforms were ruined in the dryer last season, the Tigers bought new ones. Along with the new uniforms, for the first time since the early 1990s, Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst has his team playing full-court, run-and-gun basketball.
The Tigers ran Valley out of the gym in the first quarter.
Warsaw's full-court press and half-court traps forced 11 first-quarter Valley turnovers as the Tigers raced ahead 22-6. Junior forward Janna Knisely fueled the Tiger offense, dominating inside and scoring eight of the team's first 10 points. Four Knisely field goals and two Hilary O'Connell free throws had the Tigers out in front 10-2 less than three minutes into the game.
"Janna is really a physical player inside, especially on the offensive end," Wienhorst said. "She knows where the ball will go."
Valley finished the first half with 17 turnovers. The times the Vikings didn't throw the ball away, they frequently missed their shot attempts. They finished the first half 6 of 31 (19 percent) from the field, while Warsaw shot 16 of 36 (44 percent).
Warsaw led 46-16 at halftime.
"We got down early and couldn't get our shots to fall," Valley coach Gary Teel said. "When you get down 16, it takes you out of what you want to do offensively."
Wienhorst felt Warsaw's press, triggered by tall guards in 5-foot-9 Kara Kesler and the 5-8 O'Connell, paid off.
"I felt that when we showed them full-court pressure, I don't think they were ready for that, not that they didn't prepare for it," Wienhorst said of Valley. "But I don't think they were ready for it for an entire quarter. I think they got fatigued in the second quarter, and in transition, we got some nice shots."
Warsaw's lead grew to 64-21 late in the third quarter.
Knisely finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while O'Connell added 18 points. Forward Amie Poling had 10 points and three rebounds, and point guard Kesler had nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Freshman reserve Jaclyn Leininger finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four steals in her first varsity game.
"Janna is the only post player we have back from last year," Wienhorst said. "You could see last year she had the ability to score. We still need her to get stronger on the defensive end."
Knisely averaged only 4.6 points per game last year in a reserve role, but she hit 32 of 42 field goals (76 percent).
Knisely knew she would be a focal point of the offense this season and welcomed the role as much as she welcomed the up-tempo play.
"I really like our style of play, because in the third and fourth quarters, when the other team is tired and you're not, you feel like you have the upper hand," she said.
Senior Lynette Wilcox finished with 10 points and five rebounds to lead a hobbled Valley team.
Valley junior guard Tabitha Pratt played her first game since breaking her leg last November. Pratt, who averaged 22.6 points per game in five games last year, hit just 2 of 10 shots to finish with five points. She picked up her fourth foul with 5:10 left in the third quarter, and her shots were often short.
"(She's) 75 percent," Teel said. "It's like she's a sophomore this year, because she played only five games last year. She has to get her feel for the game back."
Valley also missed freshman Rebekah Parker, who recently had arthroscopic knee surgery (cartilage tear) and will miss three to four weeks. Teel was counting on her to be a starter.
"I think Rebekah could have helped us tremendously, because she's gonna be a great player," he said, "but I don't think she would have made a 38-point difference."
Warsaw finished the game 28 of 63 (44 percent) from the field, while Valley was 13 of 63 (21 percent). After the Vikings turned the ball over 17 times in the first half, they turned it over just 12 times in the second half, but the Tigers seldom used a full-court press in the last quarter. Warsaw scored 22 points off of Valley turnovers.
The new uniforms and new style of play added up to the same old result: Warsaw beat Valley for the 28th time in a row.
"I don't know why it's that way," Wienhorst said. "It's amazing we've won all of those."
WARSAW 75
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 37
T. Valley (0-1) 6 10 7 14 - 37
Warsaw (1-0) 22 24 18 11 - 75
Valley FG FT A S R Pts.
Wilcox (C) 4-13 2-3 0 2 5 10
Pratt (G) 2-10 0-0 0 1 3 5
Prater (F) 1-7 2-2 1 2 8 4
Doud (G) 1-6 0-0 0 0 4 2
Rosenstiel (F) 0-3 1-2 2 1 5 1
Clauson 3-10 1-2 0 0 6 7
Denny 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 6
Green 0-2 2-2 0 0 5 2
Parker 0-3 0-0 0 1 4 0
Kindig 0-3 0-0 1 2 0 0
Shafer 0-3 0-0 0 2 1 0
Team 3
Totals 13-63 8-11 4 11 44 37
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
Knisely (F) 8-13 1-3 1 4 9 18
O'Connell (G) 7-14 2-2 0 1 2 18
Poling (F) 3-9 2-2 1 2 3 10
Kesler (G) 3-7 3-5 3 4 7 9
Chabot (C) 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 2
Leininger 3-6 0-1 0 4 7 8
DeGeeter 0-2 2-2 0 0 4 2
Burner 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 2
DeRenzo 0-1 2-4 0 0 3 2
Sumpter 1-2 0-0 0 1 0 2
Wyatt 1-5 0-0 3 4 4 2
McGriff 0-1 0-2 0 1 0 0
Team 9
Totals 28-63 12-21 8 23 50 75
Three-point goals - Warsaw 7-17 (Poling 2-5, O'Connell 2-4, Leininger 2-4, Knisely 1-2, Sumpter 0-1), Tippecanoe Valley 3-15 (Denny 2-3, Pratt 1-6, Doud 0-3, Shafer 0-2, Parker 0-1). Turnovers - Warsaw 20, Tippecanoe Valley 29. Total fouls - Warsaw 16, Tippecanoe Valley 19. Fouled out -ÊDeGeeter.
JV: WARSAW 44, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 36
Warsaw (1-0) scoring -ÊLindsay Patterson 16, Kayla Burner 10, Jessica Davis 9, Holly McGriff 7, Rachael Franklin 2
Tippecanoe Valley (0-1) scoring - Abby Shafer 9, Sarah Zehr 8, Sherise Denny 5, Ashley Ramsey 5, Emily Weaver 3, Carli Anglin 3, Holly Green 2, Caty Patterson 1 [[In-content Ad]]
On a night Warsaw's girls basketball players unveiled their new uniforms, they unveiled their new style of play.
The same old results occurred.
Warsaw beat Tippecanoe Valley 75-37, the 28th win in a row for the Tigers against the Vikings. Warsaw improved to 35-1 overall against Valley, which beat Warsaw in 1981.
Because the home uniforms were ruined in the dryer last season, the Tigers bought new ones. Along with the new uniforms, for the first time since the early 1990s, Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst has his team playing full-court, run-and-gun basketball.
The Tigers ran Valley out of the gym in the first quarter.
Warsaw's full-court press and half-court traps forced 11 first-quarter Valley turnovers as the Tigers raced ahead 22-6. Junior forward Janna Knisely fueled the Tiger offense, dominating inside and scoring eight of the team's first 10 points. Four Knisely field goals and two Hilary O'Connell free throws had the Tigers out in front 10-2 less than three minutes into the game.
"Janna is really a physical player inside, especially on the offensive end," Wienhorst said. "She knows where the ball will go."
Valley finished the first half with 17 turnovers. The times the Vikings didn't throw the ball away, they frequently missed their shot attempts. They finished the first half 6 of 31 (19 percent) from the field, while Warsaw shot 16 of 36 (44 percent).
Warsaw led 46-16 at halftime.
"We got down early and couldn't get our shots to fall," Valley coach Gary Teel said. "When you get down 16, it takes you out of what you want to do offensively."
Wienhorst felt Warsaw's press, triggered by tall guards in 5-foot-9 Kara Kesler and the 5-8 O'Connell, paid off.
"I felt that when we showed them full-court pressure, I don't think they were ready for that, not that they didn't prepare for it," Wienhorst said of Valley. "But I don't think they were ready for it for an entire quarter. I think they got fatigued in the second quarter, and in transition, we got some nice shots."
Warsaw's lead grew to 64-21 late in the third quarter.
Knisely finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, while O'Connell added 18 points. Forward Amie Poling had 10 points and three rebounds, and point guard Kesler had nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Freshman reserve Jaclyn Leininger finished with eight points, seven rebounds and four steals in her first varsity game.
"Janna is the only post player we have back from last year," Wienhorst said. "You could see last year she had the ability to score. We still need her to get stronger on the defensive end."
Knisely averaged only 4.6 points per game last year in a reserve role, but she hit 32 of 42 field goals (76 percent).
Knisely knew she would be a focal point of the offense this season and welcomed the role as much as she welcomed the up-tempo play.
"I really like our style of play, because in the third and fourth quarters, when the other team is tired and you're not, you feel like you have the upper hand," she said.
Senior Lynette Wilcox finished with 10 points and five rebounds to lead a hobbled Valley team.
Valley junior guard Tabitha Pratt played her first game since breaking her leg last November. Pratt, who averaged 22.6 points per game in five games last year, hit just 2 of 10 shots to finish with five points. She picked up her fourth foul with 5:10 left in the third quarter, and her shots were often short.
"(She's) 75 percent," Teel said. "It's like she's a sophomore this year, because she played only five games last year. She has to get her feel for the game back."
Valley also missed freshman Rebekah Parker, who recently had arthroscopic knee surgery (cartilage tear) and will miss three to four weeks. Teel was counting on her to be a starter.
"I think Rebekah could have helped us tremendously, because she's gonna be a great player," he said, "but I don't think she would have made a 38-point difference."
Warsaw finished the game 28 of 63 (44 percent) from the field, while Valley was 13 of 63 (21 percent). After the Vikings turned the ball over 17 times in the first half, they turned it over just 12 times in the second half, but the Tigers seldom used a full-court press in the last quarter. Warsaw scored 22 points off of Valley turnovers.
The new uniforms and new style of play added up to the same old result: Warsaw beat Valley for the 28th time in a row.
"I don't know why it's that way," Wienhorst said. "It's amazing we've won all of those."
WARSAW 75
TIPPECANOE VALLEY 37
T. Valley (0-1) 6 10 7 14 - 37
Warsaw (1-0) 22 24 18 11 - 75
Valley FG FT A S R Pts.
Wilcox (C) 4-13 2-3 0 2 5 10
Pratt (G) 2-10 0-0 0 1 3 5
Prater (F) 1-7 2-2 1 2 8 4
Doud (G) 1-6 0-0 0 0 4 2
Rosenstiel (F) 0-3 1-2 2 1 5 1
Clauson 3-10 1-2 0 0 6 7
Denny 2-3 0-0 0 0 0 6
Green 0-2 2-2 0 0 5 2
Parker 0-3 0-0 0 1 4 0
Kindig 0-3 0-0 1 2 0 0
Shafer 0-3 0-0 0 2 1 0
Team 3
Totals 13-63 8-11 4 11 44 37
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
Knisely (F) 8-13 1-3 1 4 9 18
O'Connell (G) 7-14 2-2 0 1 2 18
Poling (F) 3-9 2-2 1 2 3 10
Kesler (G) 3-7 3-5 3 4 7 9
Chabot (C) 1-1 0-0 0 2 2 2
Leininger 3-6 0-1 0 4 7 8
DeGeeter 0-2 2-2 0 0 4 2
Burner 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 2
DeRenzo 0-1 2-4 0 0 3 2
Sumpter 1-2 0-0 0 1 0 2
Wyatt 1-5 0-0 3 4 4 2
McGriff 0-1 0-2 0 1 0 0
Team 9
Totals 28-63 12-21 8 23 50 75
Three-point goals - Warsaw 7-17 (Poling 2-5, O'Connell 2-4, Leininger 2-4, Knisely 1-2, Sumpter 0-1), Tippecanoe Valley 3-15 (Denny 2-3, Pratt 1-6, Doud 0-3, Shafer 0-2, Parker 0-1). Turnovers - Warsaw 20, Tippecanoe Valley 29. Total fouls - Warsaw 16, Tippecanoe Valley 19. Fouled out -ÊDeGeeter.
JV: WARSAW 44, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 36
Warsaw (1-0) scoring -ÊLindsay Patterson 16, Kayla Burner 10, Jessica Davis 9, Holly McGriff 7, Rachael Franklin 2
Tippecanoe Valley (0-1) scoring - Abby Shafer 9, Sarah Zehr 8, Sherise Denny 5, Ashley Ramsey 5, Emily Weaver 3, Carli Anglin 3, Holly Green 2, Caty Patterson 1 [[In-content Ad]]