Warsaw’s Jennifer Walker-Crawford heads to the hoop against Wawasee Saturday night. The Lady Tigers rallied to beat their county rivals, 43-33.

WARSAW – The experience factor factored in Saturday night just at the right time for the Warsaw girls basketball team.

The veteran Tigers made all the clutch plays at crunch time to rally past rival Wawasee 43-33 for a key Northern Lakes Conference victory.

Warsaw, sparked by seniors Jennifer Walker-Crawford and Lindsay Baker, closed the nip-and-tuck contest with a 13-2 run in the final 3:25 to  remain undefeated on the season.

Baker had a huge steal and layup to put her team up for good at 33-31 and then she hit 4-of-4 free throws in the final minute. Walker-Crawford, who led Warsaw with 16 points and 12 rebounds, also hit 4-of-4 free throws in the game-ending run.

The Tigers, who start three seniors, took advantage of three critical turnovers in the final 2:30 by the youthful Warriors, turning up the heat with defensive pressure and traps.

Warsaw turned in a stellar effort from the free throw line. The hosts hit 16-of-19 for the game, including a phenomenal 15-of-16 effort in the second half. Walker-Crawford was 6-of-7 from the stripe and Baker 4-of-4 for the winners. Wawasee was 7-of-8 from the line and had 14 turnovers to just seven for the Tigers.

“Our experience did kick in in the fourth quarter,” said Warsaw coach Michelle Harter, whose team trailed at halftime and after the third quarter for the first time all season. “Our defense got more aggressive. The girls responded and did a better job in our traps and threw Wawasee off rhythm.

“We attacked the basket well in the last three minutes and the girls stepped up to the line and hit free throws with confidence. Our girls have shot a lot of free throws and we have changed up how we shoot them in practice. It’s more competitive now and I think that helps them to relax when they shoot them in games.

“It was senior leadership there with Lindsay late in the game with the steal and the free throws. I challenged her at halftime and she responded. This is huge No. 1 I think for our confidence. This was a different situation. We had not been down late in games. The girls stuck to the plan and worked together. They did not get frustrated.”

Liz Jackson of Wawasee heads in for a lay-up Saturday night at Warsaw.

Wawasee, with a pair of freshmen starters, led 20-19 at halftime as standout KiLee Knafel had 11 points. The Warriors bumped their lead to 28-21 on a pair of Knafel free throws with 4:39 to play in the third period. Walker-Crawford then hit two free throws and Baker nailed a key trey, her only one in seven attempts, to get Warsaw right back into it at 28-26 at the end of three quarters.

Knafel finished with 16 points, but none in the fourth quarter and just one basket in the second half. The IUSB bound guard now has 1,381 career points, third in school history, and closing in on Taylor Goshert’s total of 1,417. Knafel entered Saturday night’s game averaging 28.4 points-per-game on the season. She averaged 25 ppg. as a junior.

“I thought we did a good job on Knafel,” said Harter, her team now 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the NLC. “We lost her a couple of times in the first half.”

Wawasee, which lost 67-38 to Warsaw last year, has lost three tough ones in a row after a 6-0 start. The Warriors, who were 6-16 last season, lost to NLC foe Goshen 39-35 at home and at a much-improved South Bend Adams team 49-48 in overtime last weekend.

“I’m so proud of our girls tonight,” said veteran Wawasee coach Kem Zolman. “They came out with good focus and intensity and showed a lot of heart tonight. They are making huge strides and the thing I look at is how we’re progressing.

“They are gaining so valuable experience now. Right now, it’s tough. But, it will pay off in the end. It’s on the job training for our young kids right now. But, this will turn some eyes. People will say Wawasee can play some basketball.

“All three of these losses have come at the end of the games.  It’s the little things at crunch time like making sure you reverse the ball and get it where it needs to be late against pressure and traps. But, we can get out of it (the three-game losing streak) with this group. I’m not worried about that with them.”

Senior Cassie Martinez had 10 points for Wawasee, who had just four players score in the contest.

Eryn Leek of Warsaw looks for a teammate as Wawasee’s Liz Jackson defends her Saturday night in Warsaw.

Both teams struggled shooting the ball Saturday night. Wawasee finished 11-of-29 from the field, including 4-of-13 in the second half. Warsaw was 13-of-40 overall, including 4-of-14 in the final half. The Tigers were also just 1-of-11 from 3-point range.

Junior Nikki Grose had six points and eight rebounds. Junior Brooklyn Harrison added six key points off the bench for the winners.

Warsaw took the junior varsity contest by a 30-10 final. Courtney Farling and Megan Kratzsch each scored eight points for the Tigers. Megan Grindle led Wawasee with four points.

Warsaw plays at Triton Wednesday. Wawasee plays Brebeuf and host Norwell in the Norwell Shootout on Dec. 29.

Wawasee standout KiLee Knafel is guarded closely by Jennifer Walker-Crawford of Warsaw Saturday night. Knafel scored 16 points to lead the Warriors.