Tigers Rally, But Lose Fifth Straight
December 18, 2017 at 5:44 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
In a 55-50 high school boys basketball loss in the Tiger Den, the hosts scored first, but that was their only lead of the game.
Crown Point responded to sophomore Brian Elliott's two-point basket with a 13-0 run and led 19-6 after one quarter of play, 28-19 at halftime and 36-30 heading into the final frame.
A night after scoring just 20 points in an eight-point loss to rival Wawasee, a loss that ended Warsaw's 21-game Northern Lakes Conference win streak as well as Wawasee's 42-game NLC skid, the Tigers scored 20 points in the fourth quarter Saturday night.
Though disappointed with his team's fifth-straight loss, a skid that includes four consecutive losses in the Tiger Den, Warsaw coach Doug Ogle took some positives from his team's rally.
The Tigers, who Ogle said have been mired in a shooting slump, outscored the Bulldogs in each of the final three quarters and shot 43 percent from the field overall and were 13 of 14 at the free throw line.
In the loss to Wawasee 24 hours earlier, Warsaw made just 26 percent of its shot attempts and didn't shoot a free thow.
"We were trying to do the very best we could do to not have a hangover from the Wawasee game," said Ogle, whose team fell to 2-5. "It seemed like, through the first quarter, we were not mentally where we needed to be.
"And then from the second quarter on we had some good things happen, offensively especially. If we could have played a little better defensively in the first quarter, also offensively, because we had some turnovers ... I think five in the first quarter.
“So, we got off to a really bad start, but after that we saw some things happen. We finally shot better. That was a breakthrough.”
Crown Point shot pretty well, too, making 57 percent of its shot attempts.
The Bulldogs were 17 of 30 from the field overall and 10 of 13 from three-point range.
Crown Point was 7 of 9 from the arc in the first half.
“We shot the ball well early,” said Crown Point coach Clint Swan, whose team improved to 2-3.
“When we shoot the ball well we’re pretty hard to guard, because we’ve got some guys who can get to the basket. We were able to extend their defense a little bit and take advantage of that. Thank God we had the start that we did, or we would’ve come out of here with a loss.”
The Tigers trimmed the deficit to four a number of times in the second half, but Crown Point had an answer each time.
With 20 seconds remaining, a free throw from senior Jack Grose brought Warsaw within three, 51-48.
Crown Point responded with a pair of charity tosses by Elias Gerodemos to push the lead back to five.
A bucket by junior Nolan Groninger trimmed the Bulldogs’ advantage to three, 53-50, with 5.6 seconds remaining.
Gerodemos accounted for the final five-point margin with two more free throws.
Just as Warsaw is trying to find an identity with a young team after the graduation of Indiana All-Star Kyle Mangas, Crown Point is trying to find its way with a young team in the post-Sasha Stefanovic era. Stefanovic, also an Indiana All-Star, is playing at Purdue University.
“We’re really young, and I think maybe a week ago we’d have lost this game,” said Swan. “We’re just not real experienced in those types of games. After last night’s tough loss (to Munster), I think our guys just kind of grinded it out there at the end and made the plays we needed to make in order to win the game.
“Warsaw was killing us on the boards, and I think that’s what kept them in the game. We needed to get a couple critical stops, and we were able to do that.”
The Tigers outrebounded Crown Point 25-15, including an 11-3 advantage on the offensive glass.
Groninger led Warsaw with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, while classmate Tyler Metzinger chipped in with 10 points and Grose nine.
Sam Snodgrass paced the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Kenny Mills and Gerodemos tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Tigers have two games before the Christmas break. They host Whitko Wednesday night, then play at 2A No. 3 Westview (6-0) Saturday.
“We are looking forward to a couple days of practice, and then playing Whitko Wednesday night,” said Ogle. “They play zone, and besides River West they also have a 6-foot-6 junior, Spencer Sroufe, that was impressive at times when I saw them. He can score in the basket area and has length.
“We’re looking forward to that game, and then we have a tough opponent Saturday in Westview.”
Warsaw won Saturday’s JV game 46-36.
Jaylen Coon led the Tigers with 14 points, while Blake Marsh chipped in with 12.
CROWN POINT 55, WARSAW 50
CP 19 9 8 19 – 55
W 6 13 11 20 – 50
Crown Point – Matt Hanlon 0-1 0-1 0, Chris Karakozis 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Geisen 0-0 0-0 0, Sam Snodgrass 7-13 2-3 20, Sam Krutz 1-2 0-2 3, Elias Gerodemos 3-5 4-4 12, Sam Decker 2-5 1-3 5, Kenny Mills 4-4 2-2 13, Vince Smith 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 17-30 11-17 55.
Warsaw – Nolan Groninger 3-9 8-8 14, Brian Elliott 3-7 0-0 7, Deandre Adkins 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Rhoades 0-1 0-0 0, Trevor Rumple 0-1 0-0 0, Zach Riley 3-6 0-0 6, Trenton Sands 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Grose 3-8 1-2 9, Tyler Metzinger 4-6 2-2 10, Jaylen Reese 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 17-40 13-14 50.
Three-pointers – Crown Point 10 (Snodgrass 4, Mills 3, Gerodemos 2, Krutz), Warsaw 3 (Grose 2, Elliott); Rebounds – Crown Point 15 (Snodgrass 5), Warsaw 25 (Adkins 5); Turnovers – Crown Point 10, Warsaw 9; Fouls – Crown Point 13, Warsaw 16; Fouled out – none; Records: Crown Point 2-3, Warsaw 2-5
JV – Warsaw 46, Crown Point 36
Warsaw – Jaylen Coon 14, Blake Marsh 12, Keagan Larsh 7, Connor Lennox 5, Tedros Berelsman 5, Wyatt Amiss 3
In a 55-50 high school boys basketball loss in the Tiger Den, the hosts scored first, but that was their only lead of the game.
Crown Point responded to sophomore Brian Elliott's two-point basket with a 13-0 run and led 19-6 after one quarter of play, 28-19 at halftime and 36-30 heading into the final frame.
A night after scoring just 20 points in an eight-point loss to rival Wawasee, a loss that ended Warsaw's 21-game Northern Lakes Conference win streak as well as Wawasee's 42-game NLC skid, the Tigers scored 20 points in the fourth quarter Saturday night.
Though disappointed with his team's fifth-straight loss, a skid that includes four consecutive losses in the Tiger Den, Warsaw coach Doug Ogle took some positives from his team's rally.
The Tigers, who Ogle said have been mired in a shooting slump, outscored the Bulldogs in each of the final three quarters and shot 43 percent from the field overall and were 13 of 14 at the free throw line.
In the loss to Wawasee 24 hours earlier, Warsaw made just 26 percent of its shot attempts and didn't shoot a free thow.
"We were trying to do the very best we could do to not have a hangover from the Wawasee game," said Ogle, whose team fell to 2-5. "It seemed like, through the first quarter, we were not mentally where we needed to be.
"And then from the second quarter on we had some good things happen, offensively especially. If we could have played a little better defensively in the first quarter, also offensively, because we had some turnovers ... I think five in the first quarter.
“So, we got off to a really bad start, but after that we saw some things happen. We finally shot better. That was a breakthrough.”
Crown Point shot pretty well, too, making 57 percent of its shot attempts.
The Bulldogs were 17 of 30 from the field overall and 10 of 13 from three-point range.
Crown Point was 7 of 9 from the arc in the first half.
“We shot the ball well early,” said Crown Point coach Clint Swan, whose team improved to 2-3.
“When we shoot the ball well we’re pretty hard to guard, because we’ve got some guys who can get to the basket. We were able to extend their defense a little bit and take advantage of that. Thank God we had the start that we did, or we would’ve come out of here with a loss.”
The Tigers trimmed the deficit to four a number of times in the second half, but Crown Point had an answer each time.
With 20 seconds remaining, a free throw from senior Jack Grose brought Warsaw within three, 51-48.
Crown Point responded with a pair of charity tosses by Elias Gerodemos to push the lead back to five.
A bucket by junior Nolan Groninger trimmed the Bulldogs’ advantage to three, 53-50, with 5.6 seconds remaining.
Gerodemos accounted for the final five-point margin with two more free throws.
Just as Warsaw is trying to find an identity with a young team after the graduation of Indiana All-Star Kyle Mangas, Crown Point is trying to find its way with a young team in the post-Sasha Stefanovic era. Stefanovic, also an Indiana All-Star, is playing at Purdue University.
“We’re really young, and I think maybe a week ago we’d have lost this game,” said Swan. “We’re just not real experienced in those types of games. After last night’s tough loss (to Munster), I think our guys just kind of grinded it out there at the end and made the plays we needed to make in order to win the game.
“Warsaw was killing us on the boards, and I think that’s what kept them in the game. We needed to get a couple critical stops, and we were able to do that.”
The Tigers outrebounded Crown Point 25-15, including an 11-3 advantage on the offensive glass.
Groninger led Warsaw with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists, while classmate Tyler Metzinger chipped in with 10 points and Grose nine.
Sam Snodgrass paced the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Kenny Mills and Gerodemos tallied 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Tigers have two games before the Christmas break. They host Whitko Wednesday night, then play at 2A No. 3 Westview (6-0) Saturday.
“We are looking forward to a couple days of practice, and then playing Whitko Wednesday night,” said Ogle. “They play zone, and besides River West they also have a 6-foot-6 junior, Spencer Sroufe, that was impressive at times when I saw them. He can score in the basket area and has length.
“We’re looking forward to that game, and then we have a tough opponent Saturday in Westview.”
Warsaw won Saturday’s JV game 46-36.
Jaylen Coon led the Tigers with 14 points, while Blake Marsh chipped in with 12.
CROWN POINT 55, WARSAW 50
CP 19 9 8 19 – 55
W 6 13 11 20 – 50
Crown Point – Matt Hanlon 0-1 0-1 0, Chris Karakozis 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Geisen 0-0 0-0 0, Sam Snodgrass 7-13 2-3 20, Sam Krutz 1-2 0-2 3, Elias Gerodemos 3-5 4-4 12, Sam Decker 2-5 1-3 5, Kenny Mills 4-4 2-2 13, Vince Smith 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 17-30 11-17 55.
Warsaw – Nolan Groninger 3-9 8-8 14, Brian Elliott 3-7 0-0 7, Deandre Adkins 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Rhoades 0-1 0-0 0, Trevor Rumple 0-1 0-0 0, Zach Riley 3-6 0-0 6, Trenton Sands 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Grose 3-8 1-2 9, Tyler Metzinger 4-6 2-2 10, Jaylen Reese 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 17-40 13-14 50.
Three-pointers – Crown Point 10 (Snodgrass 4, Mills 3, Gerodemos 2, Krutz), Warsaw 3 (Grose 2, Elliott); Rebounds – Crown Point 15 (Snodgrass 5), Warsaw 25 (Adkins 5); Turnovers – Crown Point 10, Warsaw 9; Fouls – Crown Point 13, Warsaw 16; Fouled out – none; Records: Crown Point 2-3, Warsaw 2-5
JV – Warsaw 46, Crown Point 36
Warsaw – Jaylen Coon 14, Blake Marsh 12, Keagan Larsh 7, Connor Lennox 5, Tedros Berelsman 5, Wyatt Amiss 3
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