HUNTERTOWN — The traits that helped the Warsaw girls basketball team go on a four-game winning streak were absent Wednesday night at Carroll. Looking lethargic from the start, the Lady Tigers (6-8) shot 37 percent (20-54) and committed 21 turnovers in a 47-44 loss to the Carroll Lady Chargers (4-11). “We came out sluggish tonight,” Warsaw coach Michelle Harter said. “We were not moving on the flight of the ball like we had been doing. We were a step slow. We were reacting after they caught the ball instead of being there on the catch. We had also been winning 50/50 balls in our last few games, and tonight, we just didn’t secure the 50/50 balls when we had the opportunity.” Making the loss even tougher to swallow was the fact that Carroll didn’t exactly play well, shooting worse than Warsaw at 36 percent (17-47) and also committing more turnovers, with 23. The difference in the game may have been Carroll’s three-point shooting, as it converted 7 of 18 attempts, while Warsaw was 2 of 13. The three-point line was most important to the Lady Chargers in the third quarter, as they made 4 of 6 in the frame, leading to a 35-35 game going into the fourth. In the final quarter, Carroll built its lead to 44-39 with 1:15 remaining, but Warsaw senior Brooklyn Harrison connected on a three-pointer with 1:02 to play, cutting the lead to 44-42. Following a Carroll turnover, Harrison converted a layup off an assist from senior Nikki Grose, knotting the game at 44-44, erasing a five-point deficit in 26 seconds. However, Carroll sophomore Kierstin Murphy hit two free throws with 21 seconds left and Warsaw followed with a turnover. With the ball back in Carroll’s hands, junior Beth Schaefer made 1 of 2 free throws, building the lead to 47-44, where it stayed as Warsaw turned the ball over once again on its ensuing possession. Warsaw actually had a chance at a tie after Murphy missed two free throws with two seconds remaining, but Harrison’s half-court shot was just off. Despite the strong effort at the end of the game, Harter would have liked to have seen it earlier. “We just need to come out more focused and with more energy every night,” she said. Grose led the Lady Tigers with 15 points, 11 rebounds, five steals and three assists, but had her struggles from the field, converting just 4 of 15 in the first half. “She has to get it into her head that she’s going to attack the basket strong and go toward the basket, up strong with her shoulders to the backboard,” Harter said. “She’s fading away too much. There’s no reason for her to do that. She needs to go up strong and have the opportunity for a three-point play.” The offensive load fell on Grose’s shoulders early as Harrison picked up two fouls in the first quarter, leaving her on the bench in the second. With Harrison on the bench, Warsaw went through a four-minute stretch without scoring in the second quarter and Carroll took advantage with a 7-0 run. Against Northridge Saturday night, Harrison also picked up two early fouls, and the offense struggled without her out in that one too, going almost 12 minutes without a score. Based on the past two games, a theory could be made that the offense runs smoother with her on the floor. “We need to make sure we’re being more patient defensively and we’re not reaching in and picking up some quick fouls, because that does hurt us,” Harter said. “Brooklyn’s been doing a great job for us. She’s a playmaker out there defensively, and that kind of hurts us when I don’t have the opportunity to rotate her back in there.” Back on the floor for the second half, Harrison finished the game with 15 points on 7-of-16 shooting, while also posting three steals. As much regression as there was in the game, Harter hopes something good can come out of it going into Saturday’s Northern Lakes Conference game at Goshen. “It’s a good teaching tool for us to break some things down and show the girls some of the things we need to work on and make adjustments,” she said.
