Warsaw Takes Out Central
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
ELKHART - Last week Warsaw boys basketball coach Al Rhodes said if his team followed the game plan, his players would beat Elkhart Central in the sectional.
Never mind that Elkhart Central hosted the sectional.
Never mind that Elkhart Central handed Warsaw its worst loss of the regular season, 67-52.
His players followed the game plan, and the Tigers avenged their 15-point loss and knocked Elkhart Central out of its 4A sectional with a 58-50 Tuesday win. Warsaw improves to 15-7, while Elkhart Central finishes the year 14-7.
The game plan was to limit the Blue Blazers' transition baskets, keep their guards from driving the lane and force them to take perimeter jump shots.
Warsaw did all of these defensive things. Offensively, Warsaw's depth again came through. Led by Jerad Shaw and Trent Martin, Warsaw's bench outscored Elkhart Central's 32-8. Shaw, who averages 5.8 points per game, scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Martin added 10 points. They not only led Warsaw's bench in scoring, they led the team.
Defensively, Rhodes hailed the job his starting unit did against Elkhart Central. Last time he thought Elkhart Central's guards ran wild and got the ball too easily to frontcourt players Justin Van Dyke and Reid Gawthrop.
This time Elkhart Central's transition baskets could be counted on one hand as Warsaw forced the Blue Blazers to run a half-court offense.
Starting guards Jerimy Robinson and Brad Pompey rarely drove through the lane, and they couldn't get the ball where they wanted it to go, inside to Van Dyke and Gawthrop. Elkhart Central hits just 27 percent of its three-pointers, so Warsaw felt if it could force the Blue Blazers to shoot from the perimeter, it could win the game.
Van Dyke, a 6-foot-6 senior, entered averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game; he finished with two points and three rebounds. Pompey averages 11 points and five assists per game; he had seven points and three assists.
"Greg Clay and Brad Seiss didn't let the guards get by them," Rhodes said.
"The first time Pompey controlled Seiss, but this time, Seiss turned that around. Chris Clay, giving up three or four inches, did a nice job on Van Dyke.
"They got so many transition baskets the first game against us, so we just wanted to get back on defense and pack it down under the basket.
"When you look at their team, they are better off the dribble and drive than they are catching and shooting. Once we got the lead, we went to the matchup zone, which forced them to shoot outside."
Warsaw's offense picked up where it left off Friday against Kokomo. The Tigers hit 16 of 20 field goals in the second half against the Wildkats, and in the first quarter against Elkhart Central, they hit 9 of 11 (82 percent).
Led by five points each from Josh Buck and Martin, Warsaw led 21-12 after one quarter.
Elkhart Central coach Mike Drews attributed the Blue Blazers' lack of transition opportunities to Warsaw's offense.
"Anytime you can get transition baskets against Warsaw it helps, but the first quarter they missed two shots," he said, "and they pounded the offensive boards all night. That kind of stops your transition game. Our inability to grab the defensive boards and get the ball out hurt us."
The Tigers looked like they would have almost as big of a lead at the half, 30-22, but Elkhart Central's Cameron Macon hit a three-pointer as time ran out to make it 30-25.
Buck, Warsaw's top scorer at 15.9 points per game, picked up his third foul with 7:42 left in the third quarter. Rhodes took him out until the final 38 seconds of the quarter, when Warsaw was on offense. With Buck out, Elkhart Central chopped Warsaw's lead to 39-38 entering the fourth.
Shaw then took over for Warsaw, scoring 10 of Warsaw's 19 fourth-quarter points as the Tigers pulled away. He converted a three-point play with 2:03 left to bump Warsaw's lead from 47-46 to 50-46. Four points were as close as the Blue Blazers got the rest of the way.
"Shaw played really well," Drews said. "He was the X-factor. We got Buck into foul trouble and kept him under wraps. But I think the big key from last time was Shaw. Before he was a solid role player. Tonight he was 12 points over his average. We lose by eight. He was the difference."
Warsaw meets 16-5 East Noble in Friday's opener at 6:30 p.m. East Noble advanced by edging Concord (11-10) 44-43.
Goshen (13-7) plays 7-13 Elkhart Memorial in Friday's second game.
WARSAW 58
ELKHART CENTRAL 50
Warsaw (15-7) 21 9 9 19 - 58
E. Central (14-7) 12 13 13 12 - 50
E. Central FG FT A S R Pts.
Gawthrop (F) 4-9 5-10 0 0 12 13
Macon (F) 4-7 0-0 1 0 4 10
Robinson (G) 4-9 2-4 4 3 1 10
Pompey (G) 1-7 4-4 1 2 3 7
Van Dyke (C) 1-3 0-0 0 1 3 2
Mayes 1-5 2-2 0 0 2 4
Dooley 0-1 4-4 0 0 0 4
Johnson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 15-41 17-24 6 6 25 50
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
Buck (C) 2-10 3-3 0 1 4 7
Finnegan (F) 2-7 2-3 1 0 5 7
G. Clay (G) 2-4 0-0 3 1 0 5
Seiss (G) 2-3 1-4 1 5 5 5
C. Clay (F) 1-1 0-0 1 0 0 2
Shaw 7-9 4-7 4 0 11 18
Martin 3-5 2-2 3 1 0 10
Knepper 1-1 0-0 1 1 0 2
Johnson 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 2
Foster 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0
Totals 21-41 12-19 16 9 26 58
Three-point field goals - Warsaw 4-8 (Martin 2-2, Finnegan 1-3, G. Clay 1-2), Elkhart Central 2-15 (Macon 2-5, Robinson 0-4, Pompey 0-3, Mayes 0-3). Turnovers - Warsaw 9, Elkhart Central 11. Fouled out - Buck, C. Clay, Pompey. Total fouls - Warsaw 21, Elkhart Central 21.
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EAST NOBLE 44, CONCORD 43
East Noble (16-5) 12 10 8 14 - 44
Concord (11-10) 9 8 11 15 - 43
Concord -ÊTom Martin 1 0-0 3, Matt Rider 1 0-0 2, Micah Staley 3 0-0 6, Ian Nelson 0 0-0 0, Jeremy Lugbill 2 0-0 5, Bryan Kelly 4 2-2 10, John Morningstar 7 3-5 17, Steve Warr 0 0-0 0. Totals -Ê18 5-7 43.
East Noble -ÊScott Borger 0 0-0 0, Zach Beiswanger 8 5-5 22, Derick Gienger 1 2-2 4, Travis Sparkman 3 0-0 8, Matt Shook 0 0-0 0, Kris Young 3 0-0 6, Aaron Poppy 1 2-3 4. Totals - 16 9-10 44.
Three-point goals - Concord 2 (Lugbill, Martin), East Noble 3 (Sparkman 2, Beiswanger). Fouled out - Staley. Total fouls -ÊConcord 16, East Noble 11. [[In-content Ad]]
ELKHART - Last week Warsaw boys basketball coach Al Rhodes said if his team followed the game plan, his players would beat Elkhart Central in the sectional.
Never mind that Elkhart Central hosted the sectional.
Never mind that Elkhart Central handed Warsaw its worst loss of the regular season, 67-52.
His players followed the game plan, and the Tigers avenged their 15-point loss and knocked Elkhart Central out of its 4A sectional with a 58-50 Tuesday win. Warsaw improves to 15-7, while Elkhart Central finishes the year 14-7.
The game plan was to limit the Blue Blazers' transition baskets, keep their guards from driving the lane and force them to take perimeter jump shots.
Warsaw did all of these defensive things. Offensively, Warsaw's depth again came through. Led by Jerad Shaw and Trent Martin, Warsaw's bench outscored Elkhart Central's 32-8. Shaw, who averages 5.8 points per game, scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Martin added 10 points. They not only led Warsaw's bench in scoring, they led the team.
Defensively, Rhodes hailed the job his starting unit did against Elkhart Central. Last time he thought Elkhart Central's guards ran wild and got the ball too easily to frontcourt players Justin Van Dyke and Reid Gawthrop.
This time Elkhart Central's transition baskets could be counted on one hand as Warsaw forced the Blue Blazers to run a half-court offense.
Starting guards Jerimy Robinson and Brad Pompey rarely drove through the lane, and they couldn't get the ball where they wanted it to go, inside to Van Dyke and Gawthrop. Elkhart Central hits just 27 percent of its three-pointers, so Warsaw felt if it could force the Blue Blazers to shoot from the perimeter, it could win the game.
Van Dyke, a 6-foot-6 senior, entered averaging 10.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game; he finished with two points and three rebounds. Pompey averages 11 points and five assists per game; he had seven points and three assists.
"Greg Clay and Brad Seiss didn't let the guards get by them," Rhodes said.
"The first time Pompey controlled Seiss, but this time, Seiss turned that around. Chris Clay, giving up three or four inches, did a nice job on Van Dyke.
"They got so many transition baskets the first game against us, so we just wanted to get back on defense and pack it down under the basket.
"When you look at their team, they are better off the dribble and drive than they are catching and shooting. Once we got the lead, we went to the matchup zone, which forced them to shoot outside."
Warsaw's offense picked up where it left off Friday against Kokomo. The Tigers hit 16 of 20 field goals in the second half against the Wildkats, and in the first quarter against Elkhart Central, they hit 9 of 11 (82 percent).
Led by five points each from Josh Buck and Martin, Warsaw led 21-12 after one quarter.
Elkhart Central coach Mike Drews attributed the Blue Blazers' lack of transition opportunities to Warsaw's offense.
"Anytime you can get transition baskets against Warsaw it helps, but the first quarter they missed two shots," he said, "and they pounded the offensive boards all night. That kind of stops your transition game. Our inability to grab the defensive boards and get the ball out hurt us."
The Tigers looked like they would have almost as big of a lead at the half, 30-22, but Elkhart Central's Cameron Macon hit a three-pointer as time ran out to make it 30-25.
Buck, Warsaw's top scorer at 15.9 points per game, picked up his third foul with 7:42 left in the third quarter. Rhodes took him out until the final 38 seconds of the quarter, when Warsaw was on offense. With Buck out, Elkhart Central chopped Warsaw's lead to 39-38 entering the fourth.
Shaw then took over for Warsaw, scoring 10 of Warsaw's 19 fourth-quarter points as the Tigers pulled away. He converted a three-point play with 2:03 left to bump Warsaw's lead from 47-46 to 50-46. Four points were as close as the Blue Blazers got the rest of the way.
"Shaw played really well," Drews said. "He was the X-factor. We got Buck into foul trouble and kept him under wraps. But I think the big key from last time was Shaw. Before he was a solid role player. Tonight he was 12 points over his average. We lose by eight. He was the difference."
Warsaw meets 16-5 East Noble in Friday's opener at 6:30 p.m. East Noble advanced by edging Concord (11-10) 44-43.
Goshen (13-7) plays 7-13 Elkhart Memorial in Friday's second game.
WARSAW 58
ELKHART CENTRAL 50
Warsaw (15-7) 21 9 9 19 - 58
E. Central (14-7) 12 13 13 12 - 50
E. Central FG FT A S R Pts.
Gawthrop (F) 4-9 5-10 0 0 12 13
Macon (F) 4-7 0-0 1 0 4 10
Robinson (G) 4-9 2-4 4 3 1 10
Pompey (G) 1-7 4-4 1 2 3 7
Van Dyke (C) 1-3 0-0 0 1 3 2
Mayes 1-5 2-2 0 0 2 4
Dooley 0-1 4-4 0 0 0 4
Johnson 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 15-41 17-24 6 6 25 50
Warsaw FG FT A S R Pts.
Buck (C) 2-10 3-3 0 1 4 7
Finnegan (F) 2-7 2-3 1 0 5 7
G. Clay (G) 2-4 0-0 3 1 0 5
Seiss (G) 2-3 1-4 1 5 5 5
C. Clay (F) 1-1 0-0 1 0 0 2
Shaw 7-9 4-7 4 0 11 18
Martin 3-5 2-2 3 1 0 10
Knepper 1-1 0-0 1 1 0 2
Johnson 1-1 0-0 1 0 1 2
Foster 0-0 0-0 1 0 0 0
Totals 21-41 12-19 16 9 26 58
Three-point field goals - Warsaw 4-8 (Martin 2-2, Finnegan 1-3, G. Clay 1-2), Elkhart Central 2-15 (Macon 2-5, Robinson 0-4, Pompey 0-3, Mayes 0-3). Turnovers - Warsaw 9, Elkhart Central 11. Fouled out - Buck, C. Clay, Pompey. Total fouls - Warsaw 21, Elkhart Central 21.
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EAST NOBLE 44, CONCORD 43
East Noble (16-5) 12 10 8 14 - 44
Concord (11-10) 9 8 11 15 - 43
Concord -ÊTom Martin 1 0-0 3, Matt Rider 1 0-0 2, Micah Staley 3 0-0 6, Ian Nelson 0 0-0 0, Jeremy Lugbill 2 0-0 5, Bryan Kelly 4 2-2 10, John Morningstar 7 3-5 17, Steve Warr 0 0-0 0. Totals -Ê18 5-7 43.
East Noble -ÊScott Borger 0 0-0 0, Zach Beiswanger 8 5-5 22, Derick Gienger 1 2-2 4, Travis Sparkman 3 0-0 8, Matt Shook 0 0-0 0, Kris Young 3 0-0 6, Aaron Poppy 1 2-3 4. Totals - 16 9-10 44.
Three-point goals - Concord 2 (Lugbill, Martin), East Noble 3 (Sparkman 2, Beiswanger). Fouled out - Staley. Total fouls -ÊConcord 16, East Noble 11. [[In-content Ad]]