Two of the top ten boys basketball teams in the state met on Friday night in front of a packed house at the Tiger Den, as No. 9 Warsaw and No. 3 Northridge renewed their rivalry. The game was excellent, with both teams having their fair share of big moments. The Raiders were up seven late, but it was the Tigers with the last laugh, handing the visitors their first loss of the season with a 64-59 comeback win.
“I can’t emphasize enough how good of a basketball team they are. They make us better, that’s a part of being rivals. We’re lucky to have a rival like them,” Warsaw head coach Matt Moore said after the win. “Bird needed Magic, MJ needed Prince, Warsaw needs Northridge and Northridge needs Warsaw. That was an excellent basketball game.”
Both teams attempted to establish themselves in the interior to begin the game, with each side opening up the scoring with a shot in the paint. After some stifling defense by the Raiders in the opening minutes, the Tigers were able to figure out some things offensively, having three players account for seven points in the first three minutes.
Turnovers were an issue in the early going for the home side, as more than a few possessions went by the wayside due to some poor ball control. The Warsaw defense was able to do the same to Northridge on the other end though, as the fast-paced nature of the visitors led to some sloppy play as well.
Finally, with just under three minutes to go in the first, the Tigers took their first lead of the game on Brandt Martin’s second triple of the evening. It didn’t last long, as the teams traded buckets in the final minutes of the period, with neither side able to find a definitive edge. Things were tied up at 14 in the final seconds as Robbie Finlinson drove into the lane and was fouled at the buzzer. He’d make both shots at the line to give the Tigers a 16-14 lead after one.
Luke Bricker began the second quarter with a layup on the team’s first possession to give him six points early on. This was followed up by six straight points by the Raiders that quickly put them back in front. With the strong defense of the visitors causing Warsaw problems once more, the home side was forced to call its first timeout of the game.
The offense picked up once again in the latter half of the quarter, as Finlinson and Martin each hit shots from deep to put the Tigers back in front. Northridge did well to match the offense as the lead kept changing hands. The pace at this point was blistering, as the teams racing up and down the court was comparable to a tennis ball in the middle of a long rally.

    Senior Brandt Martin of Warsaw shoots a three-pointer from the top of the key...Nieter

The final minute of the first half saw Warsaw deciding to take its time and wait for a good shot. Bricker attempted to beat the buzzer with a tough fadeaway at the elbow, but it rolled around the rim and out to conclude the first 16 minutes of play with the Raiders up 31-28. Martin led all scorers with eleven.
A big start to the third quarter for Northridge, specifically 6’6” center Brady Scholl, allowed Northridge to open up its biggest lead of the night to this point at seven. Martin finally put his team in the second half with a midrange jumper two minutes in, which led to a mini run that saw the home side cut the deficit to three on a layup by Carson Gould. Moments later, a steal and score made it a one-point game.
Martin stayed hot, hitting a big triple from the top of the key with four minutes left in the third to erase the Raider lead and put the Tigers back up on top. Not fazed at all, the visitors quickly jumped back in front as the contest continued to get more and more exciting by the possession. It was obvious that two of the top ten teams in the state were giving everything they had.
The end of the third quarter saw Warsaw go through another drought, and Northridge was able to take advantage. The visitors extended their lead back up to five in the final minute of the period. The home team was unable to get off a shot as the clock winded down, putting the Raiders up 46-41 with just eight minutes to play.
Down but not out, the Tigers were able to tighten things up with an and-one for Martin to make it a two-point game with six and a half minutes to go. Warsaw was able to stay within one possession, but each time the team needed a stop for a chance to tie or take the lead, the visitors came away with a big shot.
Soon, less than four minutes remained in the game, and the home side now trailed by five. With less than three minutes to go, the Raiders had extended their lead to seven. Martin, who had come in clutch all night long, did so again with a three to cut it down to four with two minutes left. For good measure, he’d add two free throws with 1:23 left to make it a two-point game.
“Everybody is exhausted at that point. Those are the moments you talk to your guys about. Finishing plays,” Moore said. “It all starts with our ability to get that first miss and we started to do that at the right time,”
On the next possession, the Tigers finally got the stop they were looking for, and took full advantage of it. It was none other than Martin who got the ball at the other end and buried yet another triple to give Warsaw the lead with less than a minute to go in the contest.
“That’s why you take all of those shots in the offseason. Do you know how many shots Brandt Martin has taken just for that one? Thousands,” Moore said. “The work you put in when nobody is looking makes sure you can get it done when all eyes are on you.”
The crowd erupted into a frenzy moments later as Scholl was called for a charge on the other end, which was followed up by a great pass from Finlinson to a streaking Bricker. He dunked it home to give Warsaw a three-point lead. Scholl answered with a layup on the other end to make it a one-point game once more with 16 seconds left.
The ensuing inbound was tricky for the Tigers. The ball went to Martin, and he was trapped in the corner. Trying to escape, he dribbled the ball off of his leg and out of bounds to give the Raiders a chance to win it. One last time, the Warsaw defense came up big, with Mydin Burgher poking the ball free to Samuel Lara, who was fouled and made two huge free throws to go back up by three with five seconds left. Perhaps just as important, Scholl fouled Lara, his fifth of the game.
Northridge had one final chance to tie things up, but Bricker came away with a steal, and made the final two free throws to put things on ice.
Martin led all scorers with a career-high 27 points. Bricker scored 18.
Warsaw (10-3, 2-0 Northern Lakes Conference) is at home Tuesday against Penn.