COLUMBIA CITY – Though making just their second starts at the varsity level, junior Jake Mangas and sophomore Paul Marandet looked like seasoned veterans for the Warsaw Tigers Saturday night. In a low-scoring affair at Donald S. Weeks Gymansium, Mangas scored a team-high 15 points, while Marandet chipped in with seven points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Their efforts, along with 10 points from senior Jordan Stookey, led the Tigers to a 46-35 win over the host Columbia City Eagles and helped them avoid their first 0-2 start since 1987. Both Warsaw and Columbia City are now 1-1. The Tigers have won eight of the last 10 meetings with the Eagles and now lead the series, which started in 1920, by a count of 69-40. “Paul Marandet played really well,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle, whose team never trailed in the game. “He's getting confidence. He ran the offense well, making five assists, and also played well on the defensive end, making some big steals. “Jake Mangas also played well,” added Ogle. “This was a big win for our confidence. We weren't happy about how we played at Tippy Valley, but I told the guys we can afford to be proud of this win.” The Tigers, who lost their season opener on a last-second shot at Valley Wednesday after leading for three and a half quarters, were 15 of 32 (47 percent) from the field overall and 13 of 19 from the free throw line Saturday. Warsaw was 12 of 16 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter alone as the Tigers pulled away. “Free throws were huge,” said Ogle. The fact the Tigers had just eight turnovers, compared to Columbia City’s 20, was also huge. Warsaw led 12-6 after one quarter of play, 21-17 at halftime and 28-25 at the end of the third quarter. A three-pointer by Columbia City junior Mason Coverstone cut the Tigers' lead to 39-35 with 1:11 remaining in the fourth, but Warsaw iced the game at the free throw line and scored the game's final seven points. After playing their first two games of the season on the road, the Tigers will be home Friday and Saturday, hosting Homestead and Huntington North. “We’re looking forward to playing a couple home games,” said Ogle. “This win is important for our confidence. It would be nice to get a couple wins at home and build some more confidence.” Senior Nate Pearl scored seven points in the win, while junior Tim Swanson chipped in with three and juniors Rashaan Jackson and Peyton Long rounded out Warsaw’s scoring with two points each. Brachen Hazen, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, led Columbia City with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Coverstone scored five points before fouling out. The Eagles finished the game 10 of 30 from the field overall, 3 of 15 from the arc, and 12 of 15 at the free throw line. “Hazen was a handful,” said Ogle. “I thought our defense on him was pretty good. Our defense on him was physical. A lot of different guys played well tonight. This is a good team win.”
WARSAW 46, COLUMBIA CITY 35 W 12 9 7 18 – 46 CC 6 11 8 10 – 35 Warsaw – Paul Marandet 3-3 1-2 7, Darren Walcott 0-0 0-0 0, Peyton Long 1-1 0-0 2, Cameron Hoskins 0-1 0-0 0, Nate Pearl 1-3 4-4 7, Tim Swanson 0-1 3-4 3, Jake Mangas 5-7 5-9 15, Jordan Stookey 4-11 0-0 10, Rashaan Jackson 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 15-32 13-19 46. Col. City – Cooper Parish 0-4 0-0 0, Matt Benedict 0-1 0-0 0, Brachen Hazen 6-10 7-9 19, Mason Coverstone 2-5 4-4 10, Justin Bachelder 0-4 1-2 1, Ryan Mosher 1-3 0-0 3, Parker Hazen 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 10-30 12-15 35. Three-pointers – Warsaw 3 (Stookey 2, Pearl), Col. City 3 (Coverstone 2, Mosher); Rebounds – Warsaw 12 (Stookey 5, Marandet 5), Col. City 27 (B. Hazen 7); Turnovers – Warsaw 8, Col. City 20; Fouls – Warsaw 14, Col. City 16; Fouled out – Stookey Records: Warsaw 1-1, Col. City 1-1 JV – Warsaw 35, Columbia City 30 Warsaw (2-0) – Kyle Mangas 19, Luke Wilson 9, Tyler Packard 4, Lucas Cone 3
