Maybe it was nerves caused by the first game of the season. Maybe it was youth and inexperience shown by a team with seven sophomores, three of whom were in the starting lineup. Whatever led to the slow start and an early nine-point deficit, Warsaw's varsity girls basketball team overcame it Saturday in a 47-41 win over the visiting Huntington North Lady Vikings. Opening the season with a win over Hungtington North for the third time in four seasons, Warsaw trailed 13-4 in the first quarter but closed the gap to 20-18 by halftime and used a 25-8 run from the middle of the second stanza to early in the fourth quarter en route to the victory. “That says a lot about this team,” said Warsaw coach Michelle Harter. “They didn't get down or get rattled when things weren't going our way. They have confidence in themselves and each other, and they didn't panic. There's a lot to be said about a team with confidence.” With the come-from-behind win in the varsity game, Warsaw swept all three of Saturday's games with the Lady Vikings. Coach Rob Reneker's freshmen team won 25-23, and coach Mindy Stookey's junior varsity squad was a 44-34 winner. In the nightcap, sophomore Dayton Groninger led the way for the Lady Tigers with a game-high 17 points and six rebounds. After scoring two points in the first quarter, Groninger netted 11 of Warsaw's 12 second-quarter points. “Dayton is a scorer,” Harter said of her standout 5-foot-10 guard. “She didn't quit when she missed some shots early in the game. She was able to adjust and started attacking the basket.” Sophomore Madi Graham added 10 points and six boards in the win, while senior Jodie Carlson chipped in with nine points. Groninger wasn't the only Warsaw player to adjust their game and start attacking the basket. As a team, the Lady Tigers were 6 of 21 from the field in the first half, including a 2-of-9 effort from three-point range. In the second half, however, Warsaw improved to 10 of 24 overall and 3 of 6 from the arc. “I think there were some nerves early, and the excitement of playing against someone other than ourselves in practice everyday,” said Harter. “The girls adjusted and relaxed in the second, third and fourth quarters.” Seniors Pam Miller and Erin Clemens chipped in with five and four points, respectively, for Warsaw, while sophomore Kilee Slone rounded out the team's scoring with two points. Junior Madi Canady led Huntington North with 15 points and five rebounds, while classmate Sarah Fryman chipped in with nine points and five boards, and fellow junior Hannah Stoffel contributed seven points and five boards. The Lady Vikings finished the game 17 of 39 from the field (44 percent), but struggled handling the ball and turned it over 23 times. Warsaw scored 18 points off those turnovers. The Lady Tigers are in action again Tuesday when they host Fort Wayne Luers, and then again Friday when they host county rival Tippecanoe Valley.
WARSAW 47, HUNTINGTON NORTH 41 HN 13 7 8 13 – 41 W 6 12 18 11 – 47 H. North – Hannah Tillett 0-1 0-0 0, Sarah Fryman 4-9 0-0 9, Rachael Anderson 2-5 0-0 6, Aly Grabner 2-6 0-1 4, Madi Canady 6-9 2-3 15, Hannah Stoffel 3-9 1-3 7. Totals 17-39 3-7 41. Warsaw – Page Desenberg 0-0 0-0 0, Kilee Slone 1-6 0-0 2, Vickie Harris 0-4 0-0 0, Jodie Carlson 3-8 1-1 9, Dayton Groninger 5-10 5-6 17, Pam Miller 2-5 1-2 5, Madi Graham 3-7 3-4 10, Erin Clemens 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 16-45 10-13 47. Three-pointers – H. North 4 (Anderson 2, Fryman, Canady), Warsaw 5 (Carlson 2, Groninger 2); Rebounds – H. North 26 (Fryman 5, Canady 5, Stoffel 5); Turnovers – H. North 23, Warsaw 19; Fouls – H. North 12, Warsaw 16; Fouled out – none; Records: H. North 0-1, Warsaw 1-0 JV – Warsaw 44, H. North 34 Warsaw – Alyssa Atkins 17, Kenzie Welk 11, Mariah Rivera 10, Abby Glass 2, Maddy Martz 2, Lauren Shaffner 2
