Though the schools are seperated by less than 20 miles on a map, the varsity girls basketball teams from Triton and Warsaw seemed worlds apart on the court Wednesday night. Using its trademark suffocating defense, Warsaw held the visiting Lady Trojans to 11 points in the first half, 32 percent shooting for the game and cruised to a 52-32 victory. "That was a big key for us," Warsaw coach Michelle Harter said of her team's pressure defense. "We wanted to come out defensively and apply pressure. I don't think Triton had seen teams play defense the way we do. We were able to get some steals, and we created offense with our defense." Triton was guilty of 16 turnovers in the game, 13 of which were steals by the Lady Tigers. Warsaw turned those Triton turnovers into 24 points. The Lady Tigers improved to 8-1 with their seventh-straight win, while Triton fell to 8-2 with its second-straight loss. "They're good at what they do," Triton coach Adam Heckaman said of of the Lady Tigers. "They're long up front with their guards, and it's hard to prepare for that size. We don't have that kind of size, and we don't see it a lot." Warsaw started three girls that are 6-foot or taller, and brought a fourth off the bench. The Lady Trojans, though their heights were not listed on the roster, were visibly smaller than the hosts. "We let them dictate what we did," said Heckaman. "We were a little intimidated, and I think their size had a lot to do with that. We don't see a lot of teams with that size, and it bothered us." Wednesday's game marked the 22nd meeting between Warsaw and Triton, with the Lady Tigers owning a 20-2 record. The Lady Trojans' last win in the series came in the 1986 sectional. In Wednesday's 20-point win, Warsaw led 14-8 after one quarter of play, 26-11 at halftime and 39-24 at the end of the third quarter. The third quarter was Triton's most productive offensively, as it scored 13 points. The Lady Trojans scored just 19 points in the other three quarters. "They type of defense we play, we like to get up in your face," said Harter. "We wanted to make it difficult for their ball handlers to see." Triton finished the game 12 of 37 from the field overall, 5 of 13 from three-point range, and 3 of 4 at the free throw line. The Lady Tigers were 19 of 40 overall, 4 of 10 from the arc, and 10 of 13 at the charity stripe. Junior Lindsay Baker led Warsaw with 11 points, while senior Sarah Heagy and sophomore Nikki Grose scored 10 points each and senior Lauren Burish added nine points. Junior Shana Anderson led the way for Triton with 11 points, while sophomore Taylor Hatfield scored 10 points and junior Breanna Lemler added six. Triton will be in action again Jan. 4 at Oregon-Davis. Warsaw will host the Lady Tiger Tournament Dec. 27. The Lady Tigers will play Perry Meridian at 10 a.m., while Class 4A No. 1 Hamilton Southeastern will clash with South Bend Washington at approximately noon. The consolation game is scheduled for 6 p.m., followed by the championship game at 8 p.m.
