Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
SYRACUSE -ÊWawasee boys basketball coaching staff members wear cream colored three-button shirts with green collars and the words "Wawasee Boys Basketball" surrounding the word "PATH."
The team took the first step on the path by doing something Tuesday night that has not happened since the 1996-1997 season. They won the first game of the season against Fairfield, 62-58.
Wawasee started on the right foot when Andrew Packer netted the first basket of the game at the 7:40 mark in the first quarter. Fairfield tied the game at 2-all, but then the Warriors kicked into gear and went on an 11-5 run to take a 15-7 lead.
However, that lead was short-lived as Fairfield fought back and took an 18-15 lead. A basket by Greg Abbs just before the buzzer made the score 18-17 at the end of the first frame.
The Warriors and Falcons battled back and forth through the second quarter of play with neither team taking a lead of more than three points at any time in the quarter.
At the halftime break, the score sat at 42-38 in Fairfield's favor.
While both Fairfield and Wawasee were shooting around 50 percent in the first two frames, the third quarter was a different story. Fairfield was 3-of-11 shooting (27.2 percent) for six points, while Wawasee was 1 of 14 (7.1 percent) from the field and 2 of 2 from the free throw line for just four points in the quarter.
"We had some trouble with open shots," said Wawasee coach Phil Mishler.
Wawasee woke up in the fourth quarter. Justin VanLue, Packer and Brian Adkins scored the first three baskets of the fourth stanza to give the Warriors thier first lead of the second half, 43-42.
Jason Graber restored the Fairfield lead (44-43) with a two-point basket at the 5:06 mark.
At the 4:39 mark, Fairfield turned the ball over on a 5-second violation and Wawasee gained the momentum it needed for another run.
Over the next 1:04, Packer, Scott Beasley, Beau Brumbaugh and Travis Speicher combined for nine points and Wawasee took a 52-44 lead with 3:15 left to play.
But once again, Fairfield fought back. With 20.1 seconds left to play, Wawasee held a 59-58 advantage over Fairfield.
At the 14.7 mark, Beasley stepped to the free throw line and sank two bonus shots to give the Warriors a 61-58 lead.
Then Fairfield missed its next shot, and Packer pulled down the rebound and was fouled. He missed the first and hit the second charity shot to give Wawasee a four-point lead with 1.9 seconds left in the game to give Wawasee the 62-58 victory.
Packer led the Warriors with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Beasley added 12 points and Adkins scored 10.
"We wanted to try to go inside more," said Mishler. "We challenged Andrew before the game. He needs to be our go-to guy in there to open up our outside shots."
Ten of 11 Warriors saw court time in the first quarter of play, and all 11 played throughout the game.
"When you play with that intensity, full court of half-court," said Mishler, "the guys are going to get tired no matter what. It takes an 11-man roster to play the style we are playing, and that worked to our advantage in the end tonight."
Wawasee, 1-0, plays at Angola Saturday. Fairfield is 0-1.
WAWASEE 62, FAIRFIELD 58
Fairfield 18 18 6 16 - 58
Wawasee 17 17 4 24 - 62
Fairfield FG FT R S Pts.
*Bernaert (G) 8-20 0-1 4 0 18
*Shultz (F) 6-14 2-2 2 0 15
*Beachy (G) 2-7 2-2 2 0 7
*Walter (C) 2-5 2-3 9 0 6
*Garber (F) 1-1 0-0 0 1 2
Werner 3-3 0-1 5 0 6
Borntrager 0-1 4-4 0 0 4
Weldy 0-0 0-1 1 0 0
Funkhouser 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 22-51 10-14 23 1 58
Wawasee FG FT R S Pts.
Packer (C) 6-9 3-4 12 1 15
Adkins (F) 2-9 3-6 2 3 10
Brumbaugh (F) 4-5 0-1 1 2 8
Doty (G) 2-7 0-2 0 0 4
Speicher (G) 0-3 4-4 1 2 4
Beasley 4-8 2-2 0 1 12
VanLue 2-7 0-0 2 1 4
Klenke 1-5 1-2 1 1 3
Abbs 1-1 0-0 2 0 2
Farrell 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Popenfoose 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 22-54 15-23 21 11 62
Three-point goals -ÊWawasee 3-11 (Doty 0-2, Speicher 0-2, Klenke 0-1, VanLue 0-2, Adkins 1-1, Beasley 2-3), Fairfield 4-14 (Bernaert 2-8, Beachy 1-4, Shultz 1-2). Fouls - Wawasee 20, Fairfield 23. Fouled out -ÊBernaert. Turnovers -ÊWawasee 13, Fairfield 22.
JV -ÊWAWASEE 47, FAIRFIELD 46
Wawasee (1-0) scoring -ÊEric Gingerich 2, Kyle Lantz 13, Stephen Conrad 12, James Stucky 3, Ryan Stichter 3, Clint Custer 10, Adam Packer 4
Fairfield (0-1) scoring -ÊCorey Camacho 9, Doyle Schrock 5, Tim Sisson 5, Trennen Kidder 16, Travis Wright 11
