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Wawasee took the first step, but in the end it was Warsaw's varsity boys basketball team that got off on the right foot Friday.
The visiting Warriors jumped out to a 13-6 lead in the first quarter, but with lack of execution, Wawasee scored just five points in the second and seven in the third. As Wawasee struggled, Warsaw took control and posted a 59-42 win.
The 17-point victory ups the Tigers' overall season record to 5-1, while Wawasee falls to 3-3. The game was the Northern Lakes Conference opener for both teams.
"We blew the game in the last 58 seconds of the second quarter," Wawasee coach Phil Mishler said. "It was just non execution. The last 58 seconds of the first half, the first part of the third and the last part of the fourth, that's why we lost."
The host Tigers closed out the first quarter with a five 5-0 run, cutting Wawasee's advantage to 13-11. After Warrior junior Kyle Lantz drilled a three-pointer to start the second stanza, the Tigers came back and knotted the game at 16 and 18 before closing the first half with a 6-0 run for their 24-18 lead.
"I think there was a couple important things early," Warsaw coach Al Rhodes said. "They hit a couple shots early and did a good job on the offensive boards. We were kind of like a fighter back on our heels. Considering our poor field goal percentage, I was happy to be up at halftime."
Though they finished the game 21 of 42 from the field, the Tigers were 9 of 22 in the first half. Wawasee shot 13 of 32 for the game, including a dismal 3-of-14 performance from the arc.
"We wanted to go inside to Clint (Custer), but we couldn't get it in there," Mishler said. "Our guards had a hard time with the pressure Warsaw put on them. We need to get our inside game started before we start outside."
While the Warriors struggled to get the ball in the paint efficiently, Warsaw used the inside play of senior Jerad Shaw and junior William Knepper in the third quarter to open the game up.
The 6-foot-4 Shaw scored eight of his game-high 16 points in the third quarter, while Knepper added four points and an Energizer Bunny-type of play.
"William has great basketball awareness," Rhodes said. "He plays with a high level of energy and is an excellent defender. There was one stretch there where him and Shaw really played together. Shaw had an excellent game. We saw a really nice effort from Jerad."
To go with his 16 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Knepper finished the game with six points and nine rebounds. Scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter, senior Chris Clay added 15 points in the win. Juniors Ryan DeGeeter and Erik Fussle added six points each, while seniors Brad Seiss and Greg Clay scored four each.
Wawasee cut the deficit to 10, 46-36, when Ben Knisely made good on a pair of free throws with 2:08 remaining, but Warsaw finished the game and the Warriors with a 13-6 run.
"Credit Wawasee for coming back," Rhodes said. "It was a 10-point game going back and forth. We gave them a little life by missing some free throws."
The Tigers made just 5 of 11 charity tosses in the final frame and shot 16 of 28 from the free throw line for the game.
Juniors Kyle Lantz and Knisely led Wawasee with 12 points each, while Custer had seven, freshman Kory Lantz six and junior Stephen Conrad five.
Warsaw hosts Elkhart Central tonight, while Wawasee is off until its date with NorthWood Tuesday in the opening round of the Lake City Bank/Northern Lakes Conference Holiday Tournament.
WARSAW 59, WAWASEE 42
Wawasee (3-3, 0-1) 13 5 7 17 - 42
Warsaw (5-1, 1-0) 11 13 17 18 - 59
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts.
Ko. Lantz (G) 2-5 2-3 2 1 6
Conrad (G) 2-6 0-0 2 1 5
Ky. Lantz (F) 3-5 4-6 4 1 12
Custer (F) 2-8 3-4 8 1 7
Knisely (C) 4-8 4-5 5 1 12
Trobaugh 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Stichter 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Totals 13-32 13-18 22 5 42
Warsaw FG FT R S Pts.
Seiss (G) 1-2 2-5 2 1 4
G. Clay (G) 1-4 2-4 2 0 4
C. Clay (F) 6-8 3-4 3 4 15
Shaw (F) 6-11 4-4 4 3 16
DeGeeter (C) 2-5 2-4 1 0 6
Walmer 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Datta 1-1 0-2 2 0 3
Fussle 0-3 2-2 1 1 2
Knepper 3-6 0-0 9 0 6
Kindig 1-1 1-3 2 0 3
Scott 0-1 0-0 0 0 0
Moore 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 21-42 16-28 26 9 59
Three-point goals - Wawasee 3-14 (Ky. Lantz 2-3, Conrad 1-5, Custer 0-3, Ko. Lantz 0-2, Knisely 0-1), Warsaw 1-5 (Datta 1-1, Shaw 0-2, Seiss 0-1, C. Clay 0-1). Fouls - Wawasee 21, Warsaw 16. Fouled out - none.
JV - Warsaw 49, Wawasee 34
Warsaw scoring - Adam Griggs 14, Michael Weinhorst 13, Todd Braddock 12, Michael Moore 6, Thomas Burnworth 4
Wawasee scoring - Brent Lamb 8, Travis Schrader 7, Chris Trobaugh 6, Tyler Ort 5, David Slabaugh 4, Ryan Kauchak 4
Whitko Gives Patrick Bitter Homecoming
By Mike Madison, Times-Union Sports Correspondent
SOUTH WHITLEY -ÊHomecomings are supposed to be somewhat cordial but Whitko had a few other things in mind for its former coach, Bill Patrick, and his Tippecanoe Valley Vikings as they came to visit Friday night.
Whitko took advantage of good defense, a patient offense and excellent free throw shooting to pick up its first victory of the season, 59-57, over Valley.
It was Hoosier Hysteria at it's best as the crowd was large and loud, and it only got louder as the evening went on and the game wasn't decided until the last seconds.
The Wildcats took a 16-9 first-quarter lead and at halftime still led 26-21.
"We just didn't play very well the first half," said Patrick, "I thought Whitko played well. Their kids played smart and they played hard."
Leading the way for the Wildcats were Alan Robbins and Brad Walpole. They combined in the first half for 23 of Whitko's 26 points. They not only scored but they took care of the ball.
Valley spent the second half clawing back into the game and quickly drew to within three, 33-30.
But two free throws from Walpole restored the eight-point Wildcat lead, 41-33.
David Beyers hit two threes for Valley in the closing seconds of the third, but Walpole converted a three-point play with under five seconds left to give Whitko a 46-42 lead going into the fourth.
Beyers hit a basket to tie the game at 50, and from then on no one led by more than two as the teams traded baskets.
With 2:08 left, Whitko's Ben Garber got called for a hook as he moved toward the basket. He took exception to the offensive foul call and was then whistled for a technical.
Trey Eaton converted both free throws to give Valley its first lead at 56-54.
Valley turned the ball over on the possession and then Blaine Hartzler made one of two free throws for Whitko to bring the Vikings within one at 56-55.
Then Valley turned the ball over again, this time with 53 seconds remaining and a one-point lead. Garber scored for Whitko on a drive to the basket to give the Wildcats a 57-56 lead.
With 31.9 seconds remaining, Valley's Brandon Harmon made 1 of 2 at the line to tie the game at 57 and then it was time for some Whitko heroics.
With 12.5 seconds remaining Whitko called a time out, and the Wildcats then called another on the inbound play when they couldn't find anyone open.
Whitko inbounded the ball and missed a shot but the there was tieup on the rebound and Whitko got the ball on the alternate possession.
Marc Walter took the in-bound, passed to Derrick Day who hit the game winner with less than three seconds remaining.
After the game, Whitko coach Don Zawlocki said, "These kids really have played hard. We just did some things better tonight. We shot the ball better and we defended pretty well. I was proud of our effort.
"When they took the lead our kids didn't panic, they just stuck to what they were doing and they made some big shots down the line. I was really proud of them.
"To come in 0-4 and play this hard and have the lead and then lose it and then get it back. The credit goes to the kids. I am really happy for them."
WHITKO 59, TIPPECANOE VALLEY 57
Valley (5-1, 0-1) 9 12 21 15 - 57
Whitko (1-4, 1-0) 16 10 20 13 - 59
Valley - Harmon 0 1-2 1, Hartzler 0 1-2 1, Byers 5 0-0 12, Cody 2 0-0 5, Sterk 0 0-0 0, Wise 1 1-2 3, Eaton 9 8-9 27, Frantz 1 2-4 4, Kramer 0 0-0 0, Bruner 0 0-0 0, Stutzman 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 13-19 57.
Whitko - Walter 0 2-2 2, Lopshire 0 0-0 0, Day 4 1-1 10, Walpole 4 3-3 13, Garber 3 3-4 9, Spangle 0 0-0 0, Woods 1 3-3 5, Hobbs 0 0-0 0, Robbins 6 8-8 20. Totals 18 20-21 59.
Three-point goals - Valley 4 (Beyers 2, Eaton 1, Cody 1), Whitko 3 (Walpole 2, Day 1).
Squires Pick Up Fourth Win
Times-Union Staff Report
WABASH - After building a seven-point, 32-25, lead at the half Friday, Manchester's varsity boys basketball team topped host Southwood 60-53.
The win improves the Squires to 4-2 overall an 1-0 in the Three Rivers Conference, while Southwood falls to 3-2 and 0-1.
Dustin Simcoe led Manchester with 16 points, while Barry Hicks and Anthony Sorg added 12 each. Matt Stoops chipped in with nine, while Brent Westendorf finished with six and Blake Harper four.
Senior Cory Rogers led Southwood with a game-high 17, while added nine and Robert Enyeart and Nathan Holley eight each.
Manchester will be in action again Dec. 28 and 29 in the Wabash County Tournament at Wabash.
MANCHESTER 60, SOUTHWOOD 53
Manchester 19 13 13 15 - 60
Southwood 17 8 14 14 - 53
Manchester - Hicks 4-9 1-2 12, M. Sorg 0-1 1-2 1, A. Sorg 3-6 6-8 12, Carandante 0-0 0-0 0, Stoops 4-5 0-0 9, Simcoe 4-11 8-9 16, Westendorf 2-7 2-4 6, Harper 2-7 0-0 4. Totals 19-46 18-25 60.
Southwood - Ehret 0-0 0-0 0, Moran 2-2 2-2 7, Halderman 0-2 2-2 2, Kroft 1-6 0-0 2, Shaw 3-8 2-2 9, McKee 0-4 0-0 0, Schoeff 0-1 0-0 0, Holley 4-9 0-0 8, Rogers 8-13 1-1 17, Enyeart 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 22-51 7-7 53.
Three-point goals - Manchester 4-11 (Hicks 3-5, Stoops 1-2, M. Sorg 0-1, A. Sorg 0-2, Westendorf 0-1), Southwood 2-10 (Moran 1-1, Shaw 1-4, Halderman 0-2, Kroft 0-1, McKee 0-1, Schoeff 0-1). Rebounds - Manchester 24 (Simcoe 7), Southwood 26 (Shaw 8, Enyeart 8). Turnovers - Manchester 8, Southwood 14. Fouls - Manchester 8, Southwood 17. Fouled out - none.
