SYRACUSE – After Whitko closed to within a point at halftime, Wawasee turned up its defensive intensity in the third quarter and held the Wildcats to two made free throws in the period. On the other end of the floor, Warrior Stori Bright hit 5 of 6 field goals in the quarter en route to a game-high 14 points. The end result was a 62-39 win for the Warriors in high school boys basketball action Saturday night. Whitko’s Tanner Gaff hit a buzzer-beating layup to bring his team to within 24-23, but it was the last field goal for Whitko for more than 11 minutes. Meanwhile, Wawasee was able to penetrate the Wildcat defense, getting 16 of its 20 points in the stanza in the paint. It was a matter of making halftime adjustments, according to Wawasee head coach Steve Wiktorowski. “(In the first half) I was especially unhappy with our defense. I just didn’t think we were moving and covering the way we need to, and we had some real breakdowns in our press,” Wiktorowski said. “So we discussed those things at halftime and they really responded well. We came out, got running, and I thought Stori was really tough on the boards. He did a great job of converting offensive rebounds into points for us. We moved the ball better but most importantly I thought we were tough to play against on the defensive end. “We were taking ourselves out of it defensively in the first half, and we did a much better job in the second half.” Whitko head coach Roger Fleetwood concurred regarding the defensive pressure, but also thought his team’s recent schedule wasn’t doing the Wildcats any favors. “They upped the ante,” he said. “The bottom line is they were more athletic than us and a better team than us, but they upped the pressure and took us out of being able to do anything. “I also think it had something to do with the fact that was our fourth game in eight days. I thought we looked tired in the second half, and we had to expend a lot of energy just to play with them in the first half. Whitko had a couple of good looks at the basket to open the second half, but couldn’t get the ball to fall, or an offensive rebound, and Fleetwood felt Wawasee’s momentum fed off its success. “Cole (Kessie) had a wide open three in the corner to tie the game on our first offensive possession,” said Fleetwood. “If he makes that, I’m not saying it makes a difference (in the outcome of the game), but it gets us off the schnide. River (West) had an open three, we missed a little two-footer and a couple of free throws. We didn’t turn the ball over, but we got nothing. We needed to get something out of that, especially with the way they upped their pressure. “Their defensive pressure changed the game. If we can score in the first two or three possessions, maybe their defensive pressure might have given in a little bit. You know how kids are; if they come out and stick you, they just keep sticking you. If you score on them early, then maybe they kind of let down a little bit and you can hang around for a while. But the bottom line was they were a better basketball team.” Wawasee will take a 5-1 record into Friday’s game with visiting Warsaw in the Northern Lakes Conference opener for both teams. Whitko, 0-5, visits Tippecanoe Valley Friday in the Three Rivers Conference opener for each squad. Saturday’s game in Syracuse was delayed twice due to illness. A Whitko player became sick to his stomach in the second quarter, and a person in the stands required assistance from emergency personnel after passing out in the third period. The player returned to the game, and the fan was taken out of the gym by stretcher but smiled and waved to the crowd as she left.
