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Though the overall series is now even, Wednesday evening's girls basketball game with Warsaw and Fort Wayne Northrop was anything but close.
Allowing the Bruins just five points combined through the second and third quarters, the Class 4A No. 9 Tigers dismantled Northrop 51-25.
Warsaw has won seven straight over Northrop, knotting the overall series at 12-all.
"Defensively, this is the best we've played," said Warsaw coach Will Wienhorst, now three career wins away from 400. "We've been working on our defense. After we lost to Tippe Valley we knew we had a lot of work to do."
Since opening the season at rival Valley, losing the game and the state's No. 1 ranking, Warsaw has won by margins of 15, 25 and 26.
The Tigers led 15-8 after the first quarter of play Wednesday, and after consecutive baskets by the Bruins to start the second stanza, Warsaw went on a 24-1 run capped off by a Michelle DeGeeter basket with 7:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Northrop freshman Chasitee Caldwell cut the score to 15-12 with her basket at the 5:36 mark of the second quarter, but the Bruins didn't score another field goal until junior Shacora Johnson put the ball through the hoop with 7:05 remaining in the game.
By then Warsaw was in front 39-15.
Northrop's only point of the entire third quarter came at the free throw line with 4:38 to play when Caldwell hit the second of a two-shot opportunity.
The Bruins managed to get off just three shots in the third quarter and turned the ball over nine times in the frame.
"We've been working on our 1-on-1 defense," said Wienhorst. "I thought we played good defense."
Of Northrop's 19 total turnovers, 15 were steals by the Tigers.
Six-foot-1 senior center Michelle DeGeeter led Warsaw in steals with four, while senior Jaclyn Leininger and sophomore Julie Seiss had three each and junior Rebekah Reichard two.
The win improved Warsaw to 3-1, while Northrop fell to 1-3. The Tigers have won 24 of their last 27 games.
Leininger led Warsaw in scoring with a game-high 16, while DeGeeter added 12 and Reichard eight.
The Tigers missed a handful of "bunnies" and had a few shots blocked, but still managed to shoot 18 of 37 (48.6 percent) from the field. The Bruins, on the other hand, were a dismal 10 of 41 (24.4 percent) from the field.
"When you hit your shots you look good," Wienhorst said. "We missed some bunnies and had some shots blocked, but I thought we moved the ball well. To the person who doesn't know basketball as well, if you score 80 points you're good. We didn't score 80 points, but I thought we moved the ball well. Ball movement is everything. We moved the ball well, we just didn't shoot as well as I thought we could have. We had some really good looks, we just had some blocked."
Johnson led the Bruins in scoring with eight, while Banks added seven and Caldwell five.
The Tigers are in action again Saturday evening when they travel to Huntington North, a team Warsaw beat 56-55 in overtime last year. Huntington North is 4-1 after losing 52-50 Wednesday to 3A No. 5 Fort Wayne Luers.
"It'll be a good measuring stick for us," Wienhorst said of Saturday's game. "It'll be a good atmosphere, and we'll see what some of our young kids can do."
NO. 9 (4A) WARSAW 51, NORTHROP 25
Northrop (1-3) 8 4 1 12 - 25
Warsaw (3-1) 15 12 10 14 - 51
Northrop FG FT R S Pts.
* Harris 0-5 0-0 3 2 0
* Gerke 0-1 0-0 2 0 0
* Johnson 4-8 0-0 6 1 8
* Banks 3-10 1-2 9 0 7
* Rahrer 1-8 0-0 2 1 3
Caldwell 2-4 1-2 2 0 5
Gray 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Ward 0-1 0-2 1 0 0
Gates 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Sherrill 0-2 2-4 3 0 2
Totals 10-41 4-10 28 4 25
Warsaw FG FT R S Pts.
* Mayer 1-3 0-0 3 1 2
* Seiss 2-4 0-0 3 3 4
* Reichard 2-5 4-5 3 2 8
* Leininger 5-10 6-6 3 3 16
* DeGeeter 5-7 2-3 5 4 12
Braddock 0-1 1-2 1 1 1
Durcholz 0-1 0-0 0 1 0
Clay 1-2 0-0 1 0 3
Smith 1-2 0-2 1 0 2
Abbitt 1-2 1-1 1 0 3
Sand 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Heiman 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Kindig 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Totals 18-37 14-19 23 15 51
Three-point goals - Northrop 1-6 (Rahrer 1-1, Harris 0-4, Gerke 0-1), Warsaw 1-5 (Clay 1-1, Leininger 0-1, Braddock 0-1, Abbitt 0-1, Sand 0-1). Fouls - Northrop 18, Warsaw 12. Fouled out - none. Turnovers - Northrop 22, Warsaw 19.
JV - Warsaw 57, Northrop 16
Warsaw scoring - Kiser 12, DeGeeter 10, Clark 10, Logan 8, Scherer 7, Hathaway 4, Francis 4, Conley 2
