FORT WAYNE – Warsaw boys basketball coach Doug Ogle was not pleased at all with his team’s effort Friday night at Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. “I’m just at my wit’s end on how we didn’t compete tonight – mentally and physically,” he said after his team fell 77-63. “I had hopes that we’d compete harder than we did.” The Tigers (10-9) did compete in the opening quarter, building an 18-15 lead. “Warsaw’s a very disciplined team,” Luers coach James Blackmon said. “We allowed them to do the things we had talked about stopping before the game. In the first quarter, we allowed them to get into their offensive sets. They did a really good job and got high-percentage shots. Our goal in the second quarter was to try to mix it up a little bit, as far as creating traps early. Our guys uptempo-ed the game and got some early shots off our defense.” Speeding up the pace, Luers (12-6) forced seven turnovers in the second quarter, leading to an 18-3 advantage and a 33-21 lead at the half. That margin proved to be the difference, as Warsaw just couldn’t chip into the deficit in the second half. “I was just really, extremely disappointed in our competitive spirit and poise in the second quarter,” Ogle said. “We come into the game sick and we’re a little bit injured, so we’re not full strength, but those guys suited up. When you suit up, it’s on. I don’t know what to say, other than I’d like to think our guys are made of more than what they showed in that second quarter.” And without effort against a Luers team with at least two Division-I players, you probably aren’t going to win. Indiana University-commit James Blackmon Jr. showed why he’s ranked No. 47 on the rivals.com list of juniors, posting 34 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals. Blackmon Jr.’s freshman brother, who’s already getting looks from major programs, netted 11 points and had four boards, but the recent addition of senior Randon Jackson was also key. Transferring from Marion, the 6-foot-4 Jackson just became eligible to play last week, and in his second game with Luers, recorded 20 points, eight rebounds and blocked three shots. “We’re fortunate to get Randon Jackson these past two games,” Blackmon said. “We’re happy now that he’s on the court,” he added. “He makes a difference. When you get a kid that’s athletic, he can put the ball on the floor, he can rebound and he does a good job of starting the fast break with his ball handling. We’re a different team.” Jackson’s athleticism was on display, as six of his 20 points were scored off alley-oop dunks from Blackmon Jr., one coming on an in-bound play. “Obviously, they’re very good,” Ogle said. “They have offensive firepower and Randon Jackson adds another dimension to their team – which is a real problem for any opponent. “They already had enough to worry about with the two Blackmons, and with him (it’s even harder),” Ogle added. For Warsaw, senior Jared Bloom had it going on offense, scoring 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, but struggled to get more shots against the Luers’ defense. The win is Luers’ fifth-straight, while Warsaw has sputtered lately, losing five of its last seven. “We’ve (played) good teams here at the end, which is good to let you know where you stand,” Ogle said. Warsaw’s last test of the regular season is Friday night at home against Carroll, which features another Division-I prospect in sophomore Chandler White. Carroll (8-12) has lost to strong Fort Wayne teams, and without effort, Warsaw could be in trouble. “When it starts to roll bad, we just don’t have enough leadership and poise,” Ogle said. “When (junior Jordan) Stookey and Bloom don’t handle the ball well, we don’t have a chance. We just can’t beat anybody good.”
F.W. BISHOP LUERS 77, WARSAW 63 W 18 3 22 20 – 63 L 15 18 26 18 – 77 Luers – James Blackmon Jr. 8-18 13-14 34, Tyrell Johnson 0-1 1-2 1, Randon Jackson 8-16 4-4 20, Vijay Blackmon 3-10 2-2 11, Tony Shelton 0-0 0-0 0, Solomon Smith 0-0 1-1 1, Austin Mack 1-1 0-0 2, Austyn Rybicki 0-1 0-0 0, C.J. McCarter 3-4 2-3 8. Totals 23-51 23-26 77. Warsaw – Jared Bloom 9-13 2-4 23, John Swanson 5-8 1-2 11, Taylor Cone 3-7 0-1 6, Jordan Stookey 2-8 2-3 6, Rashaan Jackson 2-9 2-3 6, Darren Walcott 0-1 0-0 0, Quim Romans 0-0 1-2 1, Trae Furnivall 0-1 0-0 0, Nate Pearl 1-3 0-0 2, Jason Ferguson 2-4 0-0 4, Jake Mangas 1-1 0-0 2, Peyton Long 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 25-55 10-17 63. Three-point goals – Luers 8-21 (Blackmon Jr. 5, V. Blackmon 3), Warsaw 3-14 (Bloom 3); Team Fouls (fouled out) – Luers 19, Warsaw 21 (Jackson); Turnovers – Luers 13, Warsaw 17; Rebounds – Luers 34 (Blackmon Jr. 8), Warsaw 32 (Cone 6); Assists – Luers 15 (Blackmon Jr. 6, V. Blackmon 6), Warsaw 11 (Stookey 5); Steals – Luers 9 (Blackmon Jr. 5), Warsaw 5; Blocks – Luers 4 (Jackson 3), Warsaw 2; Records: Luers 12-6, Warsaw 10-9 JV – Warsaw 42, Luers 27 Warsaw – Nick Sands 10, Long 9, Mangas 6, Riley Rhoades 6, Tim Swanson 3, Jonny Hollar 3, Cody Freeman 2, Paul Marandet 2, Ben Linky 1
