Just days after heading into the Tiger Den and earning an upset victory over Warsaw, the Wawasee boys basketball team set its sights on another big fish in the form of Columbia City. The game was a defensive battle that was close at times and extremely tight at others, but the Warriors were unable to make it two wins in a row, falling 42-35.
Defense ruled the game in the early going, as each team took its time getting into an offensive rhythm. The defense of the Eagles was especially stifling early, leading to the Warriors taking up plenty of time on their first few possessions passing the ball around the perimeter to try to find an open look.
Because of the stout work on the defensive end, Columbia City was able to take advantage, jumping out to a lead in the early going. After being held scoreless for the first three minutes of the contest, Wawasee was finally able to get it going, with senior Collin Ziebarth scoring four straight points to put his team on top for the first time.
Following the defensive battle that was the first quarter, the Eagles held on to a slim 9-6 lead. Columbia City was able to get that lead up to six before two plays that shifted momentum entirely.
The first was a steal by senior Mason Shoemaker. On the two-on-two fast break, he’d dish it to Maddux Everingham, who fought through some heavy contact to lay it in as well as draw the foul. The three-point play resulted in the Warriors tying up the game. A few moments later, the home side would keep riding off of the high of the play, and a Ziebarth three pointer would turn it into a 6-0 run.

    Wawasee senior Collin Ziebarth scores during the first quarter of Tuesday night's home game against Columbia City. Photo by Gary Nieter

Not long after, with the Wawasee lead now just one point, a Columbia City player jumped a passing lane to get an easy steal to set up a solo fast break. However, instead of laying the ball in, the Eagle guard attempted to dunk the ball. He failed to do so, and as the ball was being rebounded, the player was hit with a technical foul for hanging on the rim. Maddux would hit both free throws that followed, as well as a jumper to put his team up five, a six-point swing.
Thanks to those two massive plays in favor of the Warriors, Wawasee was able to take a three-point lead into the halftime locker room.
The lead wouldn’t last long, as Columbia City scored four points in the first 45 seconds of the third to go back on top. This would be a fitting start to a quarter that saw each team take the lead multiple times in a back-and-forth affair. Eventually, the visitors would be the ones to break this trend, getting back to suffocating the Warriors on the defensive end and using that to get it going on the offensive end once again. After an extended run, the Eagles were able to extend their lead to seven with just under three minutes left in the third.
With under two minutes to go in the quarter, senior Darius Lewis split a pair of free throws. The point was the first scored in the game by a Wawasee player not named Collin Ziebarth or Maddux Everingham. Trailing by six heading into the fourth and final period, the home side would need more players to contribute to get back into the game.
That observation would ring even more true as Maddux was called for his fourth foul just one minute into the fourth and was pulled from the game. Outside of a nice layup by Ziebarth in the first few seconds, the Warrior offense continued to stall until the five minute mark, when Weston Hoffert would sink a massive three-pointer to cut the lead down to three.
It remained a three-point contest as time continued to wind down. Attempting to hold onto its slim advantage, Columbia City began draining the clock during its possessions. With just under two minutes left, the Eagles dealt a crushing blow, as a made layup also resulted in a questionable fifth foul on Maddux, making it a six point game while also taking Wawasee’s second leading scorer out of the game.
The Warriors would not use this as an excuse to lay down. Following the controversial bucket, Ziebarth would score four straight points to make it just a two-point game once again with a minute left. After a made free throw by the Eagles and a layup for Myles Everingham, it became a one-point game with 30 seconds left. Columbia City would benefit from another odd call with 20 seconds left, allowing the visitors to go back up by three.
The Warriors would have a chance to tie it in the final seconds, but a last second attempt by Zierbarth would rim out. The visitors would convert on the all-important free throws to put the game on ice.
Ziebarth led Wawasee with 20 points. Maddux finished with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds while Hoffert added three points and Myles scored two.
Wawasee (4-3) is back in action Wednesday night at the Hardwood Teepee against Central Noble.