After finishing first and second in the Northern Lakes Conference this season, it was only right for the Warsaw and Northridge girls basketball teams, arguably the two best in the sectional field, to meet in the first round of IHSAA 4A Sectional 4. In an incredibly exciting, back-and-forth game that came down to the final possession, it was the Lady Raiders that avenged a loss earlier this year with a 57-55 victory.
The start was picture-perfect for Warsaw, as the Lady Tigers began the contest with poise and purpose. Starting at the defensive end, Warsaw held strong for 45 seconds without allowing a Northridge shot in a possession that ended in a jump ball. Following the stop, Warsaw wasted no time getting some points of their own on the board, as Brooke Zartman laced a three on the first shot attempt of the evening.
That would be only the beginning for the Lady Tigers, as Warsaw would use the quick start to catapult themselves into an 8-0 run, with all five of the following points being scored by Brooke Winchester. The hot start was enough for the Lady Raiders to need a moment to compose themselves, leading to a timeout just three minutes into the game.
The break would pay dividends for Northridge, as not long after, the home team began to string some nice offensive possessions together to begin to creep back into things. The Lady Raiders would get the lead down to two in the final minute of the first, but Joslyn Bricker was able to sink a last-second layup to make it a four-point game heading into the second.
The first four minutes of the second period would prove to be huge for Northridge, as the NLC runner ups were able to put together a run of their own to storm back and take their first lead of the night. They were aided by some sloppy play by the Lady Tigers, who were now playing tight after the whit-hot start. The first lead change of the game would be enough for Krebs to use his first timeout.
Just as the Lady Raiders had done the quarter prior, Warsaw received a boost following the break after three pointers by Bricker and Kelsey Wrenn gave the visitors the lead once more. Warsaw was able to stay there for the remainder of the half thanks to a huge effort from Winchester, who never slowed down after her hot start. It didn’t matter what Northridge threw at her, whether it was double or triple teams, the junior was getting hers, putting up a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in the first half alone.

Warsaw junior Brooke Winchester takes a hard foul during the Lady Tigers' sectional game against Northridge. Photo by Gary Nieter

Despite the extended run by the Lady Raiders, the Lady Tigers went into halftime the same way they headed into the second quarter: with a four-point advantage. Throughout the first half of the third quarter, that didn’t change much. The pace continued to be electric, with both teams racing down the court in an attempt to keep defenders on their toes, but most of the scoring was done in quick succession, with one team getting a big make and the other answering almost immediately.
This would continue until the final two minutes of the third, in which Winchester would go on another personal run. On back-to-back possessions, the forward would make a heavily-contested layup and a three pointer to extend the lead back up to eight, tying for the largest of the night. But as they had all night long to this point, the Lady Raiders would answer, getting it back down to four after a pair of layups. The final points of the period would be scored by Winchester at the free throw line, giving her 22 for the game and making it a six-point game with eight minutes to go.
It would not stay that way for long. With their season on the line, Northridge began the final quarter on fire, getting the lead to within two in the span of three minutes. The tightness began to show for Warsaw once again, and with the capacity crowd on its feet, things began to get tense. But after going scoreless for three quarters, Alexis Neely made her mark on the game with a pair of big shots to create some momentary separation.
But the Lady Raiders kept coming, hitting their second three of the quarter with just under four minutes to go to make it a one-point affair. After being held without a point since the opening possession, Zartman would reappear to make the biggest shot of the game: a three pointer that gave the Lady Tigers some breathing room with three minutes to go. The joy would be fleeting though, as the Lady Raiders would score the next six points, including a huge three pointer with 40 seconds left to give them their first lead of the second half. With their backs against the wall, the Lady Tigers would find something when they needed it most, as Bricker split a pair of defenders to tie the game on a layup with 22 seconds remaining.
This would give Northridge the final shot, and the Lady Raiders would take advantage. After burning up most of the clock, the home side was able to find a wide-open Gabby Gates cutting under the basket. With two seconds to go, the layup would be made, giving the Lady Tigers one final attempt to save their season.
They would not get a shot off. A full-court heave by Zartman would land in the hands of a Northridge defender, who ran out the clock.
Winchester led all scorers with 22 points and 17 rebounds. Bricker added 16 points while Zartman scored six. Braylie Chastain added four points and four rebounds.
Warsaw will return next season.