Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
GOSHEN - Coaches love to scout. They spend their extra time whenever possible watching teams that are ahead on the schedule. They go so far as to send assistant coaches and other personnel to prepare scouting reports.
But sometimes you don't have to go too far to prepare for a future opponent.
Just ask Northridge coach Steve Austin.
All he had to do to give his Raiders the edge for their championship match against NorthWood was to watch the Panthers' first round, as Northridge rolled to a 59-46 Tuesday win. The Raiders won the 1998 Goshen Holiday Tournament, dethroning Goshen.
Austin took notes from Wawasee's adjustment late in Monday's first-round match and implemented a 2-3 zone into the Raiders' defensive scheme. The night before it frustrated the Panthers and, save for crucial Wawasee errors, may have kept them from winning the game.
The zone worked again against the inexperienced Panthers. NorthWood has been playing basketball for just a month due to football obligations.
Northridge held NorthWood to only four first-quarter points and only two in the first half of the second quarter.
The Raider defense worked again in the second half, keeping the Panthers from scoring until halfway through the third quarter.
All the while Northridge was being, well, Northridge.
Aaron Thomas was dominant in the middle, scoring eight of the Raiders' 10 first-quarter points and 19 overall. Rob Weirich was able to provide balance to the attack with a strong outside shooting performance by hitting 5 of 8, including three three-pointers.
With the aforementioned zone defense in control, NorthWood was forced to go outside to score points, since the two-three zone clogs the middle and forces teams to win on perimeter shooting.
However, the Panthers were cold from long range, as Aaron Huber went 0 of 7, and Charlie Roeder couldn't knock down the shot, either. Then Darin Nunemaker decided to take the Panthers on his shoulders. Quiet for the first half, Nunemaker went hot in the third, scoring nine unanswered points to cut the Raiders' lead to 10 in the final seconds of the third frame.
In the fourth, Northridge put the clamps down and turned Panther mistakes into easy Raider buckets.
"We need to shoot the ball better," said NorthWood coach Dan Gunn.
"We're not in our shooting groove yet. I think the first two or three shots were airballs."
NORTHRIDGE 59
NORTHWOOD 46
Northridge FG FT A S R Pts.
Thomas 7-9 6-8 1 0 10 19
Weirich 5-8 0-2 1 0 0 8
Pletcher 3-4 0-0 0 1 5 8
Anderson 3-5 1-2 0 1 3 7
Faze 2-3 2-2 0 2 3 6
Weldy 3-3 0-0 0 1 1 6
Totals 23-32 9-14 2 5 22 59
NorthWood FG FT A S R Pts.
Nunemaker 8-12 0-0 0 0 4 18
Doty 3-5 0-0 0 0 0 9
Roeder 1-4 5-6 0 0 6 7
Martin 3-10 0-0 0 1 2 6
Reed 1-2 2-4 0 0 5 5
Hochstetler 0-0 1-2 0 0 0 1
Huber 0-7 0-0 0 3 0 0
Bradley 0-3 0-0 1 0 0 0
Totals 16-43 8-12 1 4 17 46
Total fouls -ÊNorthridge 10, Northwood 14. Fouled out - none. Three-point field goals; - Northridge 5 (Weirich 3, Pletcher 2), Northwood 4 (Doty 2, Nunemaker 2). Turnovers -ÊNorthridge 14, Northwood 14.
