Wawasee Boys Surprise Columbia City
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Pop quiz time.
Judging by the effort and the outcome of a 48-45 game between Columbia City and Wawasee Tuesday night, which team entered as a 15-4 team and which team was at 4-14?
Okay, so it may be a trick question.
It was the now 5-14 Wawasee team that outworked and ultimately outscored the 15-5 Eagles' team en route to the biggest win of the season for the Warriors and maybe the biggest win in two seasons under coach Jerry Davis.
"Wawasee's kids played hungry," Columbia City coach Chris Benedict said. "Wawasee wanted the game. They were more determined through the course of it."
Entering this game, it was Columbia City that has been enjoying a rejuvenation this season, and Wawasee that has continued to struggle after a 7-14 campaign last year.
But you couldn't tell on this night. This one game, the Warriors put everything together, while the Eagles played basically one quarter.
Wawasee entered the fourth quarter with a 38-25 lead and looked to be in control. But two things happened to the Warriors - the Eagles' press and Dave Richmond.
While the fullcourt pressure by City gave Wawasee fits, Richmond personally outscored Wawasee 10-0 to open the fourth and cut the lead to 38-35. The Eagles eventually got to 42-41 on a layup by none other than Richmond himself.
After the Warriors ran some time off the clock, Brody Stipp got a big three-point play for a 45-41 lead, and Jared Mahnensmith and Narron Graves combined to hit 3 of 4 free throws to help thwart an Eagle rally. But it wasn't over until Chad Graves' three-pointer hit on the front of the rim as time expired.
"To our kids' credit, when the game was tight, we came back and took some time off the clock, and then stepped up and hit some free throws," Davis said. "We got ourselves into position where they had to make shots every time down the floor. The last one doesn't go in, and that is the game. It is something new for us."
Columbia City outscored Wawasee 20-10 in the final frame with Richmond scoring 14 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth, but it wasn't enough for the Eagles.
"We played one quarter," Benedict said. "We got what we deserved. I don't want to take anything away from them. They outworked us. That is one of the few times this year I can actually say that a team outworked us from start to finish.
"You start that quarter (the fourth) in a 13-0 hole, basically," he said. "You have to expend a lot of energy to get back into it. Our kids did fight back, and they just didn't cash it in. But it is a good lesson about how hard you have to work during the course of everything."
Wawasee did it by being selective and patient on offense and stingy on defense. The Warriors attempted six fewer shots than the Eagles 39-33, but hit five more field goals 20-15. Wawasee's 20 of 33 (61 percent) performance from the field was a byproduct of just taking what the Eagle defense would give them than simply being "hot" from the field.
"When the shot goes in, it makes your team look different," Davis said.
And on defense, Wawasee clogged up the middle so City's two big guys, Richmond and Jason Elkins, didn't have the room to roam. After combining for 12 points and six rebounds in the first quarter, the duo had only three for the second and third quarters combined, and those all came from Elkins, as Richmond was held without a point until his big run in the fourth.
"Defensively, we took away their inside game," Davis said. "I thought we did a good job battling them in there. We took some things away from them.
"He (Richmond) is a player," he said. "Stipp was really having to work hard on one end defensively and come back on the other end offensively (team-high 15 points). That wears on you, and he played a lot of minutes tonight. That has a lot to do with fatigue, too. He is still bothered by a sore neck and didn't practice two days this week (Friday and Saturday). Richmond had quite a break in the third. He sat for a long time in that period. He was a little fresher at the end than Stipp was."
The Warriors outscored the Eagles 25-11 in the second and third quarters.
"Their mindset was just a heck of a lot tougher in those middle two quarters than ours was," Benedict said.
After winning on Senior Night, the Warriors won their second straight game this year.
"I am very pleased with the way we are playing right now," Davis said. "They are a good team. I won't take anything away from our kids. This is a big win. It is a big boost for our kids.
"We talked about sending our seniors out right this year," he said. "There is not a better feeling than to walk off that floor for the last time as a winner."
Wawasee is at Bremen Friday. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Pop quiz time.
Judging by the effort and the outcome of a 48-45 game between Columbia City and Wawasee Tuesday night, which team entered as a 15-4 team and which team was at 4-14?
Okay, so it may be a trick question.
It was the now 5-14 Wawasee team that outworked and ultimately outscored the 15-5 Eagles' team en route to the biggest win of the season for the Warriors and maybe the biggest win in two seasons under coach Jerry Davis.
"Wawasee's kids played hungry," Columbia City coach Chris Benedict said. "Wawasee wanted the game. They were more determined through the course of it."
Entering this game, it was Columbia City that has been enjoying a rejuvenation this season, and Wawasee that has continued to struggle after a 7-14 campaign last year.
But you couldn't tell on this night. This one game, the Warriors put everything together, while the Eagles played basically one quarter.
Wawasee entered the fourth quarter with a 38-25 lead and looked to be in control. But two things happened to the Warriors - the Eagles' press and Dave Richmond.
While the fullcourt pressure by City gave Wawasee fits, Richmond personally outscored Wawasee 10-0 to open the fourth and cut the lead to 38-35. The Eagles eventually got to 42-41 on a layup by none other than Richmond himself.
After the Warriors ran some time off the clock, Brody Stipp got a big three-point play for a 45-41 lead, and Jared Mahnensmith and Narron Graves combined to hit 3 of 4 free throws to help thwart an Eagle rally. But it wasn't over until Chad Graves' three-pointer hit on the front of the rim as time expired.
"To our kids' credit, when the game was tight, we came back and took some time off the clock, and then stepped up and hit some free throws," Davis said. "We got ourselves into position where they had to make shots every time down the floor. The last one doesn't go in, and that is the game. It is something new for us."
Columbia City outscored Wawasee 20-10 in the final frame with Richmond scoring 14 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth, but it wasn't enough for the Eagles.
"We played one quarter," Benedict said. "We got what we deserved. I don't want to take anything away from them. They outworked us. That is one of the few times this year I can actually say that a team outworked us from start to finish.
"You start that quarter (the fourth) in a 13-0 hole, basically," he said. "You have to expend a lot of energy to get back into it. Our kids did fight back, and they just didn't cash it in. But it is a good lesson about how hard you have to work during the course of everything."
Wawasee did it by being selective and patient on offense and stingy on defense. The Warriors attempted six fewer shots than the Eagles 39-33, but hit five more field goals 20-15. Wawasee's 20 of 33 (61 percent) performance from the field was a byproduct of just taking what the Eagle defense would give them than simply being "hot" from the field.
"When the shot goes in, it makes your team look different," Davis said.
And on defense, Wawasee clogged up the middle so City's two big guys, Richmond and Jason Elkins, didn't have the room to roam. After combining for 12 points and six rebounds in the first quarter, the duo had only three for the second and third quarters combined, and those all came from Elkins, as Richmond was held without a point until his big run in the fourth.
"Defensively, we took away their inside game," Davis said. "I thought we did a good job battling them in there. We took some things away from them.
"He (Richmond) is a player," he said. "Stipp was really having to work hard on one end defensively and come back on the other end offensively (team-high 15 points). That wears on you, and he played a lot of minutes tonight. That has a lot to do with fatigue, too. He is still bothered by a sore neck and didn't practice two days this week (Friday and Saturday). Richmond had quite a break in the third. He sat for a long time in that period. He was a little fresher at the end than Stipp was."
The Warriors outscored the Eagles 25-11 in the second and third quarters.
"Their mindset was just a heck of a lot tougher in those middle two quarters than ours was," Benedict said.
After winning on Senior Night, the Warriors won their second straight game this year.
"I am very pleased with the way we are playing right now," Davis said. "They are a good team. I won't take anything away from our kids. This is a big win. It is a big boost for our kids.
"We talked about sending our seniors out right this year," he said. "There is not a better feeling than to walk off that floor for the last time as a winner."
Wawasee is at Bremen Friday. [[In-content Ad]]