CARMEL – The Warsaw Tigers didn't beat No. 4 Carmel Saturday night. What they did on their trip to the north side of Indianapolis, however, is further prove they can play with the best boys basketball teams in the state. Despite struggling in the first half and trailing by 13 points at intermission, Warsaw made a game of it in the third and fourth quarters before falling 45-40. The Tigers cut the deficit to three points in the final 10 seconds, but Carmel, the Class 4A state champion in 2012 and 2013, made a pair of free throws when Warsaw fouled to keep its hopes alive. With the five-point victory, the Greyhounds improved to 19-2 and extended their win streak to six games. Warsaw saw its five-game win streak end, as the Tigers fell to 17-4 on the season. “We had a bad first half,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle, whose team trailed 12-6 after one quarter of play and 27-14 at halftime. “We didn't shoot well, and Carmel shot well. That's why we were down 13 at halftime. “We played much better in the second half, and Tim Swanson got hot,” continued Ogle. “We just played better in the second half.” The Tigers were outscored 12-6 in the first quarter and 15-8 in the second stanza. Carmel's first 18 points of the game came from the arc. After making 6 of 10 three-point attempts in the first half, however, the Greyhounds were 0 of 5 in the third and fourth quarters. The Tigers were just the opposite, as they were 0 of 5 from the arc in the first and second quarters and 5 of 9 in the second half while they rallied. Swanson led the long-range parade for Warsaw, making 4 of 6 attempts en route to a team-high 14 points. Senior Rashaan Jackson and sophomore Kyle Mangas scored nine points each in the loss, while junior Paul Marandet scored four points. Senior Jake Mangas and junior Riley Rhoades rounded out Warsaw's offense with two points each. “It was a good learning experience,” said Ogle. “Carmel is very good. We didn't play bad, we just needed to play a little better in the first half, and maybe we could've won. We're disappointed, but we know we competed with a team as good as Carmel, and Carmel is a very good team. That should help us moving forward.” Warsaw also took Homestead, currently No. 2 in Class 4A, to the wire before falling 60-59 on Dec. 5. The Tigers close the regular season Friday by hosting No. 10 Carroll (21-2). “Carroll is not like Carmel, they don't have the height and length, but they're a top 10 team,” said Ogle. “Carroll is a very good team, and they'll help prepare us for the sectional.” Ryan Cline, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard headed to Purdue, led Carmel with 17 points and seven rebounds, while Keegan Culp added 14 points and four boards. The Tigers finished the game 15 of 32 from the field overall and 5 of 7 at the free throw line. Carmel made 15 of 31 attempts from the floor and 9 of 11 at the charity stripe. The Greyhounds outrebounded Warsaw 21-14, but lost the turnover battle 7-3.
