Warsaw Tigers Continue Turnaround
January 13, 2018 at 5:36 a.m.
Warsaw Tigers Continue Turnaround
By Dale [email protected]
Wertz’s one-armed heave from near the volleyball line at the Tiger Den Friday night swished through the net to end the first quarter, brought the crowd to its feet and gave the RedHawks an emotional high and a 12-11 lead.
The story of Friday night’s Northern Lakes Conference boys basketball clash, however, was how the host Warsaw Tigers responded.
In an impressive 53-35 victory, Warsaw’s third win in a row and fourth in the last six games, the Tigers outscored Goshen 27-10 in the middle two quarters and find themselves in the mix for a fourth consecutive conference title.
Warsaw improved to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in the NLC, while Goshen dropped to 3-7 and 0-3. Goshen has not won in Warsaw since the 1987-88 season, a 39-38 victory at what is now Lakeview Middle School.
“That was what I talked about at halftime ... our reaction heading into the second quarter,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle. “It didn’t rattle us. It’s a heck of a lucky play, but we had a great second quarter. It would have been easy for our players to sit around and kind of get dejected.
“In the first quarter, I know we only scored 11 points, but we didn’t turn the ball over. That’s been huge for us to start games, actually getting shots. We got shots, and then I just think we played a solid game all the way through tonight. I’m happy with how we played.”
Warsaw outscored Goshen 17-4 in the second stanza and later led by as many as 22 points a number of times.
The Tigers shot 69 percent from the field in the first half and 57 percent for the game, all while only turning the ball over three times in 32 minutes of action.
After making 7 of 14 field goal attempts in the first half, the RedHawks finished the game just 13 of 38 and were outrebounded 29-19.
“The recipe to beat Warsaw, at least for us in the past, we can’t just chuck a bunch of threes,” said Goshen coach Michael Wohlford, whose team was 6 of 18 from the arc.
“Our focus was to get the ball inside, and they did a great job not fouling us ... we only took six free throws, they took 14. We didn’t hit some open shots we got. I really thought we played stylistically the way we need to play to win. They shot 57 percent and we shot 34 percent.
“Sometimes it just comes down to (shooting). Offensive rebounds were close to the same. We missed a lot of open shots. We maybe took five bad ones, but I think they did too, they just shot really well.”
Junior Nolan Groninger led Warsaw with 16 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals. Senior Zach Riley tossed in a career-high 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and a pair of assists.
The Tigers have improved dramatically since a five-game losing streak that included a 28-20 gut-check loss to Wawasee in the conference opener.
In Friday’s win over Goshen, Warsaw had an assist on 18 of 21 made field goals. The Tigers have also shored up some of their defensive downfalls.
“I told the kids in between the first and second quarters that we looked like a basketball team ... we got shots, we didn’t turn the ball over,” said Ogle.
“I like that phrase. It’s a good way to describe a good team ... they look like a basketball team. More and more we look like we know what we’re doing.”
Memorial improved to 3-0 in the NLC with a win at Wawasee Friday, while Warsaw, Northridge and NorthWood are 2-1.
Northridge, a team Warsaw beat 58-49 in Middlebury last week, topped NorthWood 58-55 in triple overtime Friday.
“I thought we could still win the conference this year. I didn’t think we were the favorite, but I thought we were capable of winning it,” said Ogle, whose team has won 23 of its last 24 NLC games.
“After the Wawasee game, I had to assume we’d get better. So now with the wins over Northridge and Goshen we are back in the thick of things. If we can go to Concord a week from tonight and play well in that game, then that would set up another big game in Nappanee (against NorthWood) on Jan. 26.
“We’re back in it. We’re definitely gonna be a factor in the conference, and after the Wawasee game you wouldn’t necessarily have thought that.”
Bryant Robinson led Goshen with 10 points and five rebounds, while Will Line tallied eight points and four assists.
The Tigers won the JV game 42-23. Keagan Larsh led the hosts with 18 points.
Warsaw hosts Fort Wayne Snider tonight in a non-conference clash, while Goshen travels to Elkhart County rival Jimtown on Tuesday.
WARSAW 53, GOSHEN 35
G 12 4 6 13 – 35
W 11 17 10 15 – 53
Goshen – Ryan Harmelink 0-0 0-0 0, Zack Barker 0-0 0-0 0, Austin Cain 1-1 0-0 3, Will Line 3-10 1-2 8, Brockton Yoder 1-3 0-1 2, Joseph Good 1-5 0-0 3, Phillip Wertz 1-1 0-0 3, Eric Newell 0-3 0-0 0, Simon Myers 0-1 0-0 0, Porter Revoir 2-7 0-1 4, Ben Bontrager-Singer 0-0 2-2 2, Bryant Robinson 4-7 0-0 10. Totals 13-38 3-6 35.
Warsaw – Nolan Groninger 6-10 3-6 16, Brian Elliott 2-4 0-0 5, Deandre Adkins 2-2 0-0 4, Trevor Rumple 0-1 0-0 0, Dane Stookey 1-1 0-0 2, Zach Riley 5-8 5-8 15, Nick Marsh 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Grose 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler Metzinger 2-5 0-0 4, Jaylen Reese 1-4 0-0 2, Blake Marsh 2-2 0-0 5, Connor Lennox 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-37 8-14 53.
Three-pointers – Goshen 6 (Robinson 2, Cain, Line, Good, Wertz), Warsaw 3 (Groninger, Elliott, B. Marsh); Rebounds – Goshen 19 (Robinson 5), Warsaw 29 (Riley 9); Turnovers – Goshen 7, Warsaw 3; Fouls – Goshen 14, Warsaw 11; Fouled out – none; Records: Goshen 3-7 (0-3 NLC), Warsaw 6-7 (2-1 NLC)
JV – Warsaw 42, Goshen 23
Warsaw – Keagan Larsh 18, Wyatt Amiss 8, Jaylen Coon 5, Tedros Berelsman 5, Austin Spice 2, Connor Lennox 2, Noah Bohnenkamper 2
Wertz’s one-armed heave from near the volleyball line at the Tiger Den Friday night swished through the net to end the first quarter, brought the crowd to its feet and gave the RedHawks an emotional high and a 12-11 lead.
The story of Friday night’s Northern Lakes Conference boys basketball clash, however, was how the host Warsaw Tigers responded.
In an impressive 53-35 victory, Warsaw’s third win in a row and fourth in the last six games, the Tigers outscored Goshen 27-10 in the middle two quarters and find themselves in the mix for a fourth consecutive conference title.
Warsaw improved to 6-7 overall and 2-1 in the NLC, while Goshen dropped to 3-7 and 0-3. Goshen has not won in Warsaw since the 1987-88 season, a 39-38 victory at what is now Lakeview Middle School.
“That was what I talked about at halftime ... our reaction heading into the second quarter,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle. “It didn’t rattle us. It’s a heck of a lucky play, but we had a great second quarter. It would have been easy for our players to sit around and kind of get dejected.
“In the first quarter, I know we only scored 11 points, but we didn’t turn the ball over. That’s been huge for us to start games, actually getting shots. We got shots, and then I just think we played a solid game all the way through tonight. I’m happy with how we played.”
Warsaw outscored Goshen 17-4 in the second stanza and later led by as many as 22 points a number of times.
The Tigers shot 69 percent from the field in the first half and 57 percent for the game, all while only turning the ball over three times in 32 minutes of action.
After making 7 of 14 field goal attempts in the first half, the RedHawks finished the game just 13 of 38 and were outrebounded 29-19.
“The recipe to beat Warsaw, at least for us in the past, we can’t just chuck a bunch of threes,” said Goshen coach Michael Wohlford, whose team was 6 of 18 from the arc.
“Our focus was to get the ball inside, and they did a great job not fouling us ... we only took six free throws, they took 14. We didn’t hit some open shots we got. I really thought we played stylistically the way we need to play to win. They shot 57 percent and we shot 34 percent.
“Sometimes it just comes down to (shooting). Offensive rebounds were close to the same. We missed a lot of open shots. We maybe took five bad ones, but I think they did too, they just shot really well.”
Junior Nolan Groninger led Warsaw with 16 points, six assists, four rebounds and four steals. Senior Zach Riley tossed in a career-high 15 points to go along with nine rebounds and a pair of assists.
The Tigers have improved dramatically since a five-game losing streak that included a 28-20 gut-check loss to Wawasee in the conference opener.
In Friday’s win over Goshen, Warsaw had an assist on 18 of 21 made field goals. The Tigers have also shored up some of their defensive downfalls.
“I told the kids in between the first and second quarters that we looked like a basketball team ... we got shots, we didn’t turn the ball over,” said Ogle.
“I like that phrase. It’s a good way to describe a good team ... they look like a basketball team. More and more we look like we know what we’re doing.”
Memorial improved to 3-0 in the NLC with a win at Wawasee Friday, while Warsaw, Northridge and NorthWood are 2-1.
Northridge, a team Warsaw beat 58-49 in Middlebury last week, topped NorthWood 58-55 in triple overtime Friday.
“I thought we could still win the conference this year. I didn’t think we were the favorite, but I thought we were capable of winning it,” said Ogle, whose team has won 23 of its last 24 NLC games.
“After the Wawasee game, I had to assume we’d get better. So now with the wins over Northridge and Goshen we are back in the thick of things. If we can go to Concord a week from tonight and play well in that game, then that would set up another big game in Nappanee (against NorthWood) on Jan. 26.
“We’re back in it. We’re definitely gonna be a factor in the conference, and after the Wawasee game you wouldn’t necessarily have thought that.”
Bryant Robinson led Goshen with 10 points and five rebounds, while Will Line tallied eight points and four assists.
The Tigers won the JV game 42-23. Keagan Larsh led the hosts with 18 points.
Warsaw hosts Fort Wayne Snider tonight in a non-conference clash, while Goshen travels to Elkhart County rival Jimtown on Tuesday.
WARSAW 53, GOSHEN 35
G 12 4 6 13 – 35
W 11 17 10 15 – 53
Goshen – Ryan Harmelink 0-0 0-0 0, Zack Barker 0-0 0-0 0, Austin Cain 1-1 0-0 3, Will Line 3-10 1-2 8, Brockton Yoder 1-3 0-1 2, Joseph Good 1-5 0-0 3, Phillip Wertz 1-1 0-0 3, Eric Newell 0-3 0-0 0, Simon Myers 0-1 0-0 0, Porter Revoir 2-7 0-1 4, Ben Bontrager-Singer 0-0 2-2 2, Bryant Robinson 4-7 0-0 10. Totals 13-38 3-6 35.
Warsaw – Nolan Groninger 6-10 3-6 16, Brian Elliott 2-4 0-0 5, Deandre Adkins 2-2 0-0 4, Trevor Rumple 0-1 0-0 0, Dane Stookey 1-1 0-0 2, Zach Riley 5-8 5-8 15, Nick Marsh 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Grose 0-0 0-0 0, Tyler Metzinger 2-5 0-0 4, Jaylen Reese 1-4 0-0 2, Blake Marsh 2-2 0-0 5, Connor Lennox 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-37 8-14 53.
Three-pointers – Goshen 6 (Robinson 2, Cain, Line, Good, Wertz), Warsaw 3 (Groninger, Elliott, B. Marsh); Rebounds – Goshen 19 (Robinson 5), Warsaw 29 (Riley 9); Turnovers – Goshen 7, Warsaw 3; Fouls – Goshen 14, Warsaw 11; Fouled out – none; Records: Goshen 3-7 (0-3 NLC), Warsaw 6-7 (2-1 NLC)
JV – Warsaw 42, Goshen 23
Warsaw – Keagan Larsh 18, Wyatt Amiss 8, Jaylen Coon 5, Tedros Berelsman 5, Austin Spice 2, Connor Lennox 2, Noah Bohnenkamper 2
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092