Warsaw Girls Lose Second Straight
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
NAPPANEE - Much like the last time the varsity girls basketball teams from Northern Lakes Conference rivals Warsaw and NorthWood battled, one team made the big plays when it neeed to in the second half to win.
This time, however, it wasn't the Tigers, as host NorthWood erased a seven-point Warsaw lead in the fourth quarter and pulled out a 49-41 win Saturday night at the Panther Pit.
NorthWood led Warsaw by 12 at halftime of their meeting Dec. 28 in the first round of the NLC Tournament, only to have the Tigers fight back and win 60-45.
In that conference tournament win, Warsaw junior point guard Julie Seiss set a Warsaw Community High School record by scoring 18 points in a single quarter.
In Saturday night's game at NorthWood, however, the Tigers as a team only scored 18 points in the second half. Comparatively speaking, the Panthers scored 22 points in the fourth quarter en route to their fifth consecutive win.
"Once again, NorthWood played a two-three zone like Carroll and we didn't execute," said first-year Warsaw coach John Snyder, whose Tigers lost their second straight game and fell to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in the NLC. "We didn't have players willing to step up and hit shots, we were too timid. We didn't play well offensively. I was shocked we had a lead."
The Tigers led 16-11 after the first quarter of play, and then the two teams were knotted at 23 at halftime after Seiss hit a late shot for the Tigers to draw them even.
In the third quarter, the host Panthers scored just four points, as they finished the frame 1 of 7 from the field and converted a pair of free throws.
NorthWood's lack of offensive execution, which it made up for in the fourth quarter, allowed the Tigers to pull out to a 34-27 lead when Warsaw senior frontliner Rebekah Reichard scored the first two points of the fourth quarter.
After Reichard's basket at the 7:46 mark, the Panthers rattled off an 18-2 run that gave them a 45-36 lead with 43 seconds remaining.
Warsaw was 4 of 14 from the field in the fourth quarter and missed its only two free throw attempts in the final eight minutes of action.
All nine of Warsaw's fourth-quarter points were scored by the inside-outside combination of Seiss and Reichard.
For the game, the Tigers were 16 of 41 (39 percent) from the field, 3 of 9 from three-point range and 6 of 12 from the free throw line.
Warsaw's shooting woes Saturday followed a tough time in Thursday's 45-40 loss to visiting Carroll, whom the Tigers could play in the championship game of the Columbia City Sectional if both teams are fortunate enough to make it that far. Warsaw opens tournament play Feb. 8 against East Noble, while Carroll drew the host Eagles in a Friday night matchup.
"We didn't play well," said Snyder. "NorthWood shoots nearly three times as many free throws as us, and you can read into that what you want, but we didn't attack the basket. We didn't feed Rebekah (Reichard) enough. We didn't do the things within our offense that we need to do to be successful."
Seiss and Reichard scored a game-high 15 points each for the Tigers, while Jennifer Scherer and Kim Clay scored four points each, Danielle DeGeeter two and Mallory Hepler one.
Reichard led the team in rebounding with nine, while Scherer had six.
For NorthWood, which improved to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in the NLC, Audrey Duncan led the way with 14 points and five rebounds, while Mandy Yoder had 13 points and three boards and Mackenzie Lechlitner seven points and seven boards.
While Warsaw shot 12 free throws, the Panthers attempted 30. The Tigers were whistled for 20 fouls and commited 19 turnovers; NorthWood was called for 13 fouls and turned the ball over 11 times.
Saturday's loss by Warsaw, which had just one loss in the NLC, gave the outright conference championship to Plymouth. The Pilgrims are currently 17-2 overall and 6-9 in NLC action.
Warsaw, Wawasee and NorthWood all have two losses and are tied for second in the league standings.
The Tigers are in action again Thursday at NLC foe Elkhart Memorial and again Saturday at conference opponent Concord.
NORTHWOOD 49, WARSAW 41
Warsaw 16 7 9 9 - 41
NWood 11 12 4 22 - 49
Warsaw FG FT R S Pts.
* DeGeeter 1-8 0-0 2 0 2
* Abbitt 0-4 0-0 1 0 0
* Seiss 6-13 0-2 3 3 15
* Reichard 5-9 5-8 9 2 15
* Hepler 0-2 1-2 3 0 1
Braddock 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Scherer 2-3 0-0 6 0 4
Clay 2-2 0-0 1 0 4
Smith 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Heiman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Team 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
Totals 16-41 6-12 28 5 41
NWood FG FT R S Pts.
* Egging 1-8 2-4 5 3 4
* Z'wanger 1-2 2-3 2 1 5
* Lchltner 3-4 1-3 7 3 7
* Yoder 3-13 6-8 3 0 13
* Duncan 4-5 6-10 5 1 14
Wisler 0-0 2-2 0 0 2
Kurtz 2-4 0-0 1 0 4
Team 0-0 0-0 4 0 0
Totals 14-36 19-30 27 8 49
Three-point goals - Warsaw 3-9 (Seiss 3-5, Abbitt 0-3, DeGeeter 0-1), NorthWood 2-9 (Yoder 1-4, Zeltwanger 1-2, Egging 0-3). Turnovers - Warsaw 19, NorthWood 11. Fouls - Warsaw 20, NorthWood 13. Fouled out - DeGeeter.
JV - Warsaw 32, NorthWood 19 [[In-content Ad]]
NAPPANEE - Much like the last time the varsity girls basketball teams from Northern Lakes Conference rivals Warsaw and NorthWood battled, one team made the big plays when it neeed to in the second half to win.
This time, however, it wasn't the Tigers, as host NorthWood erased a seven-point Warsaw lead in the fourth quarter and pulled out a 49-41 win Saturday night at the Panther Pit.
NorthWood led Warsaw by 12 at halftime of their meeting Dec. 28 in the first round of the NLC Tournament, only to have the Tigers fight back and win 60-45.
In that conference tournament win, Warsaw junior point guard Julie Seiss set a Warsaw Community High School record by scoring 18 points in a single quarter.
In Saturday night's game at NorthWood, however, the Tigers as a team only scored 18 points in the second half. Comparatively speaking, the Panthers scored 22 points in the fourth quarter en route to their fifth consecutive win.
"Once again, NorthWood played a two-three zone like Carroll and we didn't execute," said first-year Warsaw coach John Snyder, whose Tigers lost their second straight game and fell to 11-8 overall and 3-2 in the NLC. "We didn't have players willing to step up and hit shots, we were too timid. We didn't play well offensively. I was shocked we had a lead."
The Tigers led 16-11 after the first quarter of play, and then the two teams were knotted at 23 at halftime after Seiss hit a late shot for the Tigers to draw them even.
In the third quarter, the host Panthers scored just four points, as they finished the frame 1 of 7 from the field and converted a pair of free throws.
NorthWood's lack of offensive execution, which it made up for in the fourth quarter, allowed the Tigers to pull out to a 34-27 lead when Warsaw senior frontliner Rebekah Reichard scored the first two points of the fourth quarter.
After Reichard's basket at the 7:46 mark, the Panthers rattled off an 18-2 run that gave them a 45-36 lead with 43 seconds remaining.
Warsaw was 4 of 14 from the field in the fourth quarter and missed its only two free throw attempts in the final eight minutes of action.
All nine of Warsaw's fourth-quarter points were scored by the inside-outside combination of Seiss and Reichard.
For the game, the Tigers were 16 of 41 (39 percent) from the field, 3 of 9 from three-point range and 6 of 12 from the free throw line.
Warsaw's shooting woes Saturday followed a tough time in Thursday's 45-40 loss to visiting Carroll, whom the Tigers could play in the championship game of the Columbia City Sectional if both teams are fortunate enough to make it that far. Warsaw opens tournament play Feb. 8 against East Noble, while Carroll drew the host Eagles in a Friday night matchup.
"We didn't play well," said Snyder. "NorthWood shoots nearly three times as many free throws as us, and you can read into that what you want, but we didn't attack the basket. We didn't feed Rebekah (Reichard) enough. We didn't do the things within our offense that we need to do to be successful."
Seiss and Reichard scored a game-high 15 points each for the Tigers, while Jennifer Scherer and Kim Clay scored four points each, Danielle DeGeeter two and Mallory Hepler one.
Reichard led the team in rebounding with nine, while Scherer had six.
For NorthWood, which improved to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in the NLC, Audrey Duncan led the way with 14 points and five rebounds, while Mandy Yoder had 13 points and three boards and Mackenzie Lechlitner seven points and seven boards.
While Warsaw shot 12 free throws, the Panthers attempted 30. The Tigers were whistled for 20 fouls and commited 19 turnovers; NorthWood was called for 13 fouls and turned the ball over 11 times.
Saturday's loss by Warsaw, which had just one loss in the NLC, gave the outright conference championship to Plymouth. The Pilgrims are currently 17-2 overall and 6-9 in NLC action.
Warsaw, Wawasee and NorthWood all have two losses and are tied for second in the league standings.
The Tigers are in action again Thursday at NLC foe Elkhart Memorial and again Saturday at conference opponent Concord.
NORTHWOOD 49, WARSAW 41
Warsaw 16 7 9 9 - 41
NWood 11 12 4 22 - 49
Warsaw FG FT R S Pts.
* DeGeeter 1-8 0-0 2 0 2
* Abbitt 0-4 0-0 1 0 0
* Seiss 6-13 0-2 3 3 15
* Reichard 5-9 5-8 9 2 15
* Hepler 0-2 1-2 3 0 1
Braddock 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Scherer 2-3 0-0 6 0 4
Clay 2-2 0-0 1 0 4
Smith 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Heiman 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Team 0-0 0-0 2 0 0
Totals 16-41 6-12 28 5 41
NWood FG FT R S Pts.
* Egging 1-8 2-4 5 3 4
* Z'wanger 1-2 2-3 2 1 5
* Lchltner 3-4 1-3 7 3 7
* Yoder 3-13 6-8 3 0 13
* Duncan 4-5 6-10 5 1 14
Wisler 0-0 2-2 0 0 2
Kurtz 2-4 0-0 1 0 4
Team 0-0 0-0 4 0 0
Totals 14-36 19-30 27 8 49
Three-point goals - Warsaw 3-9 (Seiss 3-5, Abbitt 0-3, DeGeeter 0-1), NorthWood 2-9 (Yoder 1-4, Zeltwanger 1-2, Egging 0-3). Turnovers - Warsaw 19, NorthWood 11. Fouls - Warsaw 20, NorthWood 13. Fouled out - DeGeeter.
JV - Warsaw 32, NorthWood 19 [[In-content Ad]]