Defense, said coach Michelle Harter, has kept Warsaw’s varsity girls basketball team in games this season. Defense was certainly the name of the Lady Tigers’ game Saturday night, and it led them to a dominating 53-14 win over Northern Lakes Conference and Kosciusko County rival Wawasee. How dominating was Warsaw’s defense? The visiting Lady Warriors had more turnovers (18) than points and scored eight of their 14 points in the first quarter. After the opening stanza, Wawasee scored four points in the second quarter, none in the third, and the only points for the Lady Warriors in the final frame were a pair of free throws from junior Kylee Rostochak with 1:34 remaining. In all, the Lady Warriors were 4 of 37 from the field overall, 2 of 10 from three-point range, and 4 of 9 at the free throw line, as they fell to 3-8 on the season and 0-2 in NLC play with their sixth-straight loss. The Lady Tigers, who have won five of their last seven games, improved to 6-5 overall and 1-1 conference action. “What a defensive effort,” said Harter. “Our defense has been tremendous this season, and it’s kept us in games. The girls did a fantastic job tonight.” Harter admitted her team’s defensive focus was centered around stopping Rostochak, who scored all eight of Wawasee’s first-quarter points and 10 of the Lady Warrior’s 14 total points, though she was 3 of 16 from the field. “The girls worked together and did a great job finding people and making them take shots that were contested,” said Harter. “Our focus was to try and frustrate Kylee (Rostochak). Vicki Harris did a great job on her tonight.” Sophomore Hannah Haines scored two points for Wawasee, while sophomores Seaquinn Bright and Aubrey Schmeltz each made a free throw. While the Lady Warriors struggled offensively, Warsaw finished the game 19 of 29 (66 percent) from the field overall, 5 of 11 from the arc, and 10 of 16 at the charity stripe. The Lady Tigers outrebounded Wawasee 31-20, and also scored 23 points off Lady Warrior turnovers. Senior Vicki Harris and sophomore Madi Graham led Warsaw with 13 points each, while sophomore Dayton Groninger added 10 points in the win. Graham scored all 13 of her points in the first half, with 11 of them coming in the first quarter as she outscored Wawasee by three points in the opening frame by herself. Graham, who recently battled an illness and missed a game, made 3 of 4 three-point attempts in the first quarter. “Madi Graham got us off to a great start tonight,” said Harter. “She’s been a calming effect on the floor for us. It’s great to have her healthy again. “Vicki Harris has done a tremendous job defensively for us,” continued Harter. “Now she’s starting to show what she can do offensively. She’s helping us on both ends of the floor.” Harris’ performance also included five assists, four rebounds and three steals. Senior Erin Clemens chipped in with five points in the win, while classmates Pam Miller and Jodie Carlson scored four points each, and sophomores Mariah Rivera and Kilee Slone finished with three points and one point, respectively. The Lady Tigers led 17-8 after one quarter of play, 34-12 at halftime and 42-12 at the end of the third quarter. Warsaw is in action again Dec. 30 when they host Lowell at 10 a.m. in the annual TCU Lady Tiger Classic. The Lady Warriors are off until Jan. 3, when they host Brebeuf at 11:45 a.m. in the Wawasee Shootout.
