ELKHART – The Warsaw Tigers were strong in overtime Saturday.
Warsaw’s varsity boys basketball team gave up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, only to fire out of the gate in the extra period for a 54-43 win over Elkhart Central at historic North Side Gym.
“We didn’t play very well, and just kind of had to grit one out,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle.
The Tigers (11-4) led 13-6 after the first quarter and 18-14 at the break. They took a 15-point lead into the fourth, and were up 40-33 with less than three minutes remaining.
“They sure battled,” Ogle said of the Blue Blazers. “It would have been easy for them to cash it in there when we got up.”
Battle, they did.
Elkhart Central’s Kyran Pearson nailed a three-pointer, which was followed up by a bucket from Luke Teich.
Suddenly, it was a two-point game.
Teich stole the ball for a possession that resulted in another basket by Pearson.
The score was tied at 40 with 45 seconds left.
Warsaw had the ball and passed around for the last shot, but the Blue Blazers’ defense was sweltering.
Blake Marsh’s contested three-point attempt was no good at the buzzer, and the game headed into overtime.
“The only thing we really said at that break from regulation before going into overtime was that we didn’t lose the game,” Ogle said.
The Tigers came out determined. Following misses by both teams, Marsh was fouled on his way to a made basket.
He hit the and-1 free throw. A few possessions later, Jaylen Reese was fouled, and nailed both his free throws for the Tigers.
Trevor Rumple followed that up with a trey to give Warsaw a 48-40 lead.
The Tigers’ lead was never in doubt after that, and they pulled off the double-digit victory.
Nolan Groninger scored a game-high 21 points for Warsaw, while Rumple had 16.
