NAPPANEE - The Wawasee Warriors had the Lakeland Lakers where they wanted them, but a reserve pushed Lakeland over the top.
Trailing 56-54 with 3:28 remaining, Lakeland junior John Sirk hit back-to-back three-pointers, pushing his team in front 60-56, and was part of an 11-0 run that helped the Lakers (17-5) take the 68-61 win in Sectional 21 action at NorthWood High School Wednesday."John hit some big shots," Lakeland coach, and father of John, Tim Sirk said. "I'm glad he did. They were big shots, and someone had to hit them, because they were taking away Tanner (King)."
After scoring 43 points in an 83-68 home win over Wawasee on Jan. 31, the Warriors (7-14) "limited" King to 23 points in the sectional.
"Tournaments are won by seniors," Wawasee coach Phil Mishler said of King. "He did a nice job of making sure he got his team through it. Our seniors also did a good job of giving all they had to take it away from them."
Wawasee senior Wes Kaiser led his team with 15 points and three steals, and left Tim Sirk feeling good about his graduation.
"Kaiser is an excellent player," the Lakeland coach said. "He is a senior right? So, I'm glad he's gone. All of them played well."
Early on, it appeared Lakeland may be able to run away with the game, hitting its first four shots, while Wawasee missed its first six attempts, leading to an 11-0 lead.
"That was everything we didn't want to happen right there," Mishler said.
However, Wawasee responded with 25-3 run over the next six minutes, taking a 25-14 lead with 6:26 remaining in the first half.
Making the run possible for the Warriors was zero turnovers, but after committing their first with just over five minutes remaining in the half, they went on to have 21 in the game.
"We got a little tired and the pressure got to us a little bit more," Mishler said of the surge of turnovers. "I think our inexperience also showed in how to play with a lead, or to play within striking distance - especially in such a big game."
Even with the turnovers, the Warriors never trailed by more than a point and were right where they wanted to be, up 56-52 with 3:47 remaining.
"We just wanted to be within striking distance," Mishler said. "Just so, that if we could get on a run, we'd be able to possibly get the victory at the end."
With the four-point lead, Wawasee then saw Lakeland rip off 11-straight points over the next two minutes, building a 62-56 lead with 1:21 remaining.
Down the stretch, Lakeland made its free throws, sealing its pass into Friday's 7:30 p.m. semifinal game against NorthWood, a team it defeated 68-38 on Jan. 20 at home.
Following King's 23 points, John Sirk had 15 points off the bench, but it was junior Kole Heller's 15 rebounds that really caught his coach's attention.
"Kole Heller had some really big rebounds for us and played great defense," Tim Sirk said. "A lot of times, that stuff is unsung. I thought he did a great job."
Wawasee sophomore Trevor McKibben matched Kaiser's 15-point effort, while sophomore Riley Stichter had an 11-point, 12-rebound game and senior Dylan Ringler posted 13 boards to go with his five points.
"The main experience is the (underclassman) got to see the seniors' faces after they lost," Mishler said. "It's always tough for seniors. A lot of the younger players don't realize how final it is. It's just over - for the rest of your life. I think they got to see that, and saw the hurt in their eyes. I hope that burns into their memories this summer, and we have some good workouts."
