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DUNLAP - A week after picking up a massive Northern Lakes Conference victory over previously undefeated Goshen, the Warsaw boys basketball team hit the road to take on fellow NLC foe Concord. It truly was a game of runs, with the final one belonging to the visitors. The Tigers picked up a 56-51 win to move to .500 in conference play.
“Really proud of the composure, especially in the second half. We answered them whenever we needed to,” Warsaw head coach Matt Moore said. “We know that the things we need to improve on are in our control, and we’re chipping away piece by piece.”
Three straight midrange jumpers by the home side were enough for the Tigers to call for a timeout less than two minutes into the game. The team’s first field goal wouldn’t come for another three minutes, but it wasn’t all bad news. Following the early burst, the Minutemen had not gotten another shot to fall since. With the defense beginning to step it up, the Tigers tied things up on their next possession on a three from Sam Lara.
The Warsaw run got up to nine, allowing the visitors to take their first lead of the night. After going over six minutes without a basket, Concord finally got a look to fall in the final seconds of the first, as Parker Schrock buried a corner three to tie things up at nine heading into the second.
The more time that ticked off the clock, the more the Tigers seemed to get comfortable offensively. Over the next three minutes, the team unleashed another long run, this one 12-1, to go up by double digits. Defensively, the visitors were doing everything you could ask for, holding the Minutemen to just one shot per possession and making sure it was contested.
Drew Jones, playing in just his third game in returning from injury, was showcasing how badly Warsaw missed him in his time away. The sophomore was doing a little bit of everything as halftime approached. He was aggressive on both ends, finding a way around defenders as he got his shot at the rim, while also actively pursuing blocks and steals.
“He’s active. He disrupted a lot and he’s such a good passer,” Moore said. “That’s where he’s most valuable to us right now, finding open guys and creating good looks.”
Warsaw junior Colton Sales fades back for a shot in the second quarter of Friday night's game at Concord...Nieter
After scoring just five points over the last eleven minutes, Concord finished off the first half as well as it started it. Down by 12 with just a few minutes remaining, the home side ripped off seven straight points to tighten things up drastically. Even after a great stretch for the visitors, it was a five-point game at the break.
The home side continued to keep the pressure on their opponent as the third quarter got rolling, matching both Tiger baskets in the first three minutes. The chess match continued as both sides exchanged blows, with the difference between the two hovering between two and five for practically the entire quarter.
It looked as if it would remain a five-point affair heading into the fourth, but Reese Breveard hit a huge triple from the wing with just four seconds left in the period to make it a two-point game. Warsaw had done enough to stay in front, but had plenty of opportunities to end defensive possessions with stops and turnovers. The Minutemen were the hungrier team in the quarter, coming up with most loose balls as well as key offensive rebounds to make it a one-possession game.
Perhaps sensing that things had gotten a little too close for their liking, the Tigers came out with a renewed energy to begin the fourth, scoring seven straight points over the first two minutes of the period. Mydin Burgher, who was compounding a great first half with an even better second one, answered a potential run-stopping triple by Breveard at the other end by immediately going down and answering at the other.
“The veterans that have been in those battles, those moments are never too big for them. They’ve seen other guys get it done and now it’s their turn,” Moore said. “When you get those opportunities, you love to take advantage of them.”
With a little less than four minutes to go in the game, the Warsaw lead was still at nine and the Minutemen shots that had been falling consistently a quarter ago were no longer doing so. The 2-3 zone the visitors were employing was making it incredibly difficult for Concord to get any looks off, leading to precious seconds ticking away.
With just 90 seconds left in the game, Burgher’s second three of the quarter resulted in the dagger. It put the Tigers up by eleven, an advantage they would not surrender. The visitors were able to hold on from there, picking up their second conference victory in a row.
Warsaw (7-8, 2-2 NLC) hosts Garrett on Saturday.
