In a word, Warsaw boys basketball coach Doug Ogle described the message at halftime of Friday’s Northern Lakes Conference game with NorthWood as inspiring. The same could be said for Warsaw’s play in the third and fourth quarters. Looking like a completely different team than they did in the first half, the host Tigers used an 18-2 run in the third quarter and dominated the Panthers over the final 16 minutes of a 67-51 win. “I spoke for a few minutes, I wasn’t a happy camper,” Ogle said of the mood in the locker room at halftime, as the Tigers trailed 20-19. “(Assistant coach) David Wayne gave an inspiring talk to the guys. It was very good. It reminded me of what John Snyder used to do when he was on the staff. Coach Wayne talked about claiming it, owning the second half. Not just wishing for it, but going out and taking it. The guys really listened to him.” They sure did, as the Tigers scored 26 points in the third quarter after scoring just 19 the entire first half. Warsaw opened the second half with an 18-2 run, turning a 22-19 deficit into a 37-24 advantage. The Tigers led 45-34 after three quarters of play and outscored the Panthers 48-31 in the second half. Prior to Friday, NorthWood was giving up an average of 51 points per game. “It was a combination of their play and our play,” said NorthWood coach Aaron Wolfe, a former middle school teacher and junior varsity coach in the Warsaw system. “Warsaw played well in the second half, and they benefitted from some poor play by us.” Senior Jared Bloom led the Tigers with a game-high 22 points to go along with six rebounds, but the second half belonged to junior teammate Jordan Stookey. After not scoring in the first half, the 6-foot-1 guard scored 10 points in the third quarter and finished the game with 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds. “Stookey played well in the second half,” said Wolfe. “We extended our defense, and we were very unsuccessful in the second half. They got a lot of layups.” Senior John Swanson scored 10 points and grabbed five rebounds for Warsaw, while junior Nate Pearl added eight points. The Tigers finished the game 23 of 45 (51 percent) from the field and 19 of 24 from the free throw line, while NorthWood was 19 of 44 (43 percent) from the field and 9 of 12 at the charity stripe. The Panthers struggled mightily from the arc, making just 4 of 15 attempts from three-point range, and were out-rebounded 34-17. Senior Tommy Klem led NorthWood with 17 points and seven rebounds, while juniors Zach Zurcher and Jonathan Wilkinson scored 13 points each. As a result of the 16-point win, Warsaw improved to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play, while NorthWood fell to 11-3 and 3-2. “We know we’re not gonna win the conference, but we can be a factor,” said Ogle. Concord sits atop the NLC with a 5-0 mark, while Goshen, NorthWood and Warsaw are all 3-2. Elkhart Memorial, Northridge and Plymouth are 2-3 and Wawasee is 0-5. The Tigers are in action again Friday when they host Memorial.
