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Headed into the team’s final game before Christmas, the Warsaw boys basketball squad looked to find some answers for the offensive woes that had plagued the group so far this season. Facing off against Merrillville at the Tiger Den, the Tigers were able to get off to a fast start and never looked back, going wire-to-wire for a 72-41 victory.
“We did a lot of things well tonight. We were able to use our defense and turn it into offense,” head coach Matt Moore said. “The guys needed to see some shots starting to fall and they got that tonight.”
The Tigers were able to control the pace to begin the game, going on a 6-0 run over the course of the first three minutes. A good chunk of Warsaw’s success in the first period came from the team’s ability to win the battle on the offensive glass, which allowed the home side to put up multiple shots each time they were on offense.
Defensively, the Tigers were playing extremely well as a unit. With floor general Sam Lara barking out orders from all over the court, Warsaw was moving with intensity and was making it very difficult for the Pirates to get into any sort of rhythm.
“I thought the communication piece was missing the last couple games, and tonight we saw what our defense can be when it's working,” Moore said. “A lot of guys are stepping into roles and I thought our bench did a great job tonight making sure there was little drop off when they entered the game.”
Lara, along with senior Mydin Burgher, did a little bit of everything for their team as the home side extended its lead to double figures late in the first. With 30 seconds left in the opening period, a layup by Jaron Courtois gave the Tigers 16 points in the quarter, matching the team’s halftime total in Saturday’s loss to Carroll. They weren’t done there, as Lara found an open Sam McDaniels in the corner with four seconds left to give Warsaw a commanding 19-2 lead after one.
Merrillville began the second quarter a lot better than it started the first, as the visitors went on a 6-0 run in the first two minutes to get within eleven and force a Tiger timeout. Even after a white-hot opening period, the offensive struggles that have plagued Warsaw in the early season returned here. It took over four minutes for the home side to score their first points of the quarter, which allowed the Pirates to get back within single digits.
The extended drought didn’t end up costing the Tigers too much, as the team defense of the home side returned to form and got back to forcing turnovers. Burgher was a handful to deal with on the defensive end, coming up with six steals in the first half, most of them directly leading to his team-high 13 points.
When the halftime buzzer sounded, Warsaw held a comfortable 16-point lead. The team’s 30 first-half points were its most this season. The previous high was 20.
The lead only grew as the second half got rolling, extending past 20 as Burgher continued to take over the game. The senior was hitting shots from all over the court as he reached the 20-point mark with five minutes to go in the third.
Five straight points for McDaniel put him in double figures and ended a short drought for the Tiger offense. Merrillville wasn’t able to take advantage of this dry spell, as the Warsaw defense was doing a great job protecting both the paint and perimeter.
Warsaw senior Jaron Courtois shoots over the defense of Merrillville's Josiah Jones during the second quarter...Nieter
A pair of free throws by Gabe Ioane gave Warsaw 51 points through three quarters, matching their season high. With an 18-point lead and just eight minutes to play, things were looking good for the home side.
McDaniels continued to have the hot hand, as the senior hit two more triples in the opening minutes of the fourth to give him four in the game. Lara, who had begun facilitating after a hot start shooting the ball, joined his teammates in double figures early in the quarter on a breakaway layup.
Next, it was Ioane’s turn to make an impact. The 6’6” sophomore scored on three straight possessions for Warsaw as the team’s lead ballooned past 30. With the game well out of reach, the starters were given a loud ovation when they left the court with 90 seconds remaining.
Burgher (29) and McDaniels (16) each had career highs. Lara had 14 for the second straight game.
“When you see the ball go in, it changes a lot of things mentally for guys,” Moore said. “It’s good for these guys to see what they’re capable of.”
Warsaw (2-4) will compete at the Shenandoah Holiday Classic on Friday.
