SOUTH WHITLEY - Rarely does a basketball game end, and both coaches are happy. But that was pretty much the case in the Wawasee-Whitko girls basketball clash Thursday.

The Warriors came away with a 52-48 win over the Wildcats, which made Wawasee coach Mark Sumpter happy. But Whitko's effort in the second half in which the Wildcats outscored the Warriors 30-25 made Whitko mentor Ray Davis smile.

Comments from both coaches were very similar after the game.

"It is a good win," Sumpter said. "It is a momentum-builder going into the sectional."

"I talked to them after the game and told them that if they take that second-half effort into Carroll (Whitko's first-round sectional opponent) and play four quarters, we will be fine. We had some kids play well tonight, and we just have to get that for four quarters and not two," Davis said.

After turning the ball over seven times in the first three quarters, the Warriors had seven in the fourth quarter alone. Those miscues led to plenty of chances for Whitko, as it got the running game going.

"They came out and put good pressure on us and made us turn the ball over a few times," Sumpter said. "And they were pushing the ball up the floor and getting layups. Our big kids weren't getting back. They knew what to do with the ball. In the second half, they just outran us."

Whitko still trailed 50-39 in the fourth quarter, but the Wildcats rallied behind the outside shooting of Tisha Rowland. Back-to-back jumpers, one being a three-pointer, from Rowland made the score 50-44. Whitko would get to within 52-48, but could get no closer over the final minute.

After dominating play inside for the first three quarters of the game, Wawasee seemed to abandon its inside game and start bombing from outside. After hitting 19 of 40 in the first three quarters, Wawasee connected on only 3 of 8 (38 percent) in the fourth.

"We put up some ill-advised shots, some hurried shots," Sumpter said. "You can't do that against a Whitko team. They will just run it down your throat in the other direction. We didn't work the ball."

Lydia Carpenter paced Wawasee with 22 points and did her damage inside on 10-of-13 shooting. She added six rebounds and five blocked shots.

"We tried to double-down on her (Carpenter), and then she started to come out and then drive and get those little 10-footers," Davis said. "It is hard to help when she is shooting that far out. But I would rather her shoot from 10 feet than 3 or 4 feet. She is just a very good player."

BrieAnn Starkweather had 16 points and 10 boards for Whitko. Point guard Brittany Waybright had seven assists for the Wildcats. That gives her 96 this year, which breaks the school record set by Sheila Hutchinson in 1995.

"In the first half, our guards weren't hitting shots like they have been all year," Davis said. "They were really shutting Brie off inside. When we started to hit in the second half, they had to come out and guard us, and that left the middle open."

Wawasee finishes the regular season at 11-9. Whitko finishes at 8-12. Wawasee will open sectional play at its own place Tuesday against Northridge at 6 p.m. Whitko battles Carroll at Carroll Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. [[In-content Ad]]