Not only did the Warsaw Lady Tigers come out with a different starting lineup Saturday night, they brought a new focus to the court. A night after a disappointing loss at Triton, a program Warsaw hadn't lost to since 1986, the Lady Tigers bounced back with a win 57-50 win over Class 4A No. 12 LaPorte. With the win, the Lady Tigers improved to 8-7 on the season, while the Lady Slicers fell to 11-3. Warsaw entered the game with LaPorte on a two-game skid, having lost 65-40 to Class 3A No. 2 St. Joe and 42-27 to 1A No. 6 Triton. Saturday night, however, the Lady Tigers appeared to be on a mission. “We came out mentally focused and ready to go,” said Warsaw coach Michelle Harter. “The girls stepped up tonight and met the challenge against a good LaPorte team.” In Friday’s game in Bourbon, the Lady Tigers struggled offensively and scored just 27 points. Saturday, they shot a respectable 45 percent from the field overall, 21 of 24 from the free throw line, and had 27 points by halftime. Warsaw led 14-7 after one quarter of play, 27-18 at halftime and the game was tied 36-36 at the end of the third quarter. LaPorte’s third-quarter rally was in large part due to junior guard Kyleigh Kubik, who scored 12 points in the frame and 21 in the game. Sophomore Nicole Kozieczny finished the game with 14 points for the Lady Slicers. “You know Kubik is going to get her points,” said Harter. “Our focus was to make her work to get her points. I thought the girls did a nice job making her work to get her 21 points.” Kubik banked in a three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining, cutting Warsaw’s lead to 51-48. The Lady Tigers, who got 20 points from sophomore Dayton Groninger and 12 from senior Vicki Harris, made 13 of 14 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. LaPorte, on the other hand, made 13 free throws the entire game. Desenberg and classmate Madi Graham scored six points each, while Miller and Clemens chipped in with four points each. Clemens led the team in rebounds with six, while Desenberg added four rebounds, four steals and three assists. Warsaw is in action again Saturday at Northern Lakes Conference foe Northridge.
