Heading into the extremely competitive tournament that is IHSAA 4A Sectional 4, the Warsaw Tigers (17-5, 4-3 NLC) have plenty of reasons to be confident about their chances. They’re 4-1 against the sectional field. The team is one of four teams in the tournament to boast at least 15 wins. Warsaw ended the regular season to the tune of five straight victories and is playing its best ball as the tournament gets ready to tip off.
But there is one more factor that gives both the team and head coach Matt Moore the confidence to bring home Warsaw’s first sectional title since 2017: The Tigers are 8-3 in games decided by five points or less this season, with seven of those wins coming on the road. Against the sectional field, that number in close games jumps to 3-0, which includes an overtime win over Penn and a Carson Gould buzzer beater to take down Northridge.
“I think the biggest takeaway we’ve had from the number of close games we’ve played is our players’ belief that we will find a way to win,” Moore said. “There have been many opportunities for us to lose our poise but our focus has remained intact and our group does a good job in those moments not getting too high or too low.”
Sectional 4 will begin Tuesday night at Elkhart’s Northside Gym, with the first game pitting Northern Lakes Conference co-champion Concord (17-4, 5-2 NLC) against Goshen (8-12, 2-5 NLC). The second game will see Northridge (18-5, 5-3 NLC) facing off against Penn (16-5, 9-2 Northern Indiana Conference). Warsaw waits on the top half of the bracket and will face the Concord/Goshen winner, while Elkhart (3-17, 2-8 NIC) awaits the winner of the other quarterfinal game. The Minutemen were the lone team in the field to defeat the Tigers in the regular season, winning 56-45 back on January 19.
Out of the four wins Warsaw has over the rest of the sectional field, three of them came on the road, part of 10 victories away from home for the “Cardiac Cats” this winter.
“We have played well on the road all season long and I think that is one area we can lean into that the others in our sectional may not be able to,” Moore said. “All of our potential opponents have great coaches and know their strengths so for us to continue to have the success we’ve had, we must live inside our strengths as a team and look to give one another confidence in our execution.”
Warsaw played its final regular season game a week ago, defeating longtime rival Tippecanoe Valley 62-50 last Tuesday. With the Tigers’ next game not coming until Friday night, Moore is not worried about the extended time off leading to a rusty start.
“We would always prefer the extra time to prepare and get healthy. We have a group that is focused and heading into a week’s worth of practices I believe we will be able to work out some areas we haven’t had the time or opportunities to,” Moore explained.
The Tigers average exactly 60 points a night, with three players averaging double figures. Leading the pack is Luke Bricker, who averages just over 16 points a game. Brandt Martin averages just over 14, but that number has been closer to 20 over the last few weeks. The sharpshooting Robbie Finlinson rounds out the top three with 10 points per contest. Warsaw’s lone senior, center Luke Yeager, averages 8.5 points a game but uses every inch of his 6’8” frame to get good looks at the rim, leading to a shooting percentage of 68%.
“Yeager has been fantastic with what he has brought to our team this year,” Moore said. “He has played well and has been a reliable leader in our locker room all season long. He is a great representative of Tiger basketball.
Gould serves as the team’s primary ball handler, which has led to a team-high 125 assists this season. Trai Davis is another important piece off the bench that provides the team with rim protection and rebounding. Mydin Burgher is a speedy, physical guard who can change the game in the blink of an eye.
“We need Luke, Brandt and Robbie to play well. When they have, we have had good success against everyone on the schedule,” Moore said. “Carson and Trai have provided us both with exciting moments as well as stability during trying times. Drew Sullivan and Mydin are both guys that give us a big boost as well. When we’re in sync and defending at a high level, we’re a fun team to watch compete.”