Swanson Stars As Tigers Crush Central [VIDEO]
WARSAW – The Warsaw boys basketball team was dialed in from long distance Tuesday night.
No one more so than smooth operator Tim Swanson of the Tigers.
Sharpshooter Swanson turned in a career performance as host Warsaw whipped Elkhart Central 71-37.
Swanson, a junior guard, drained 4-5 from deep in scoring a game and career high 19 points as the Tigers bested the Blue Blazers.
Warsaw, which improved to 8-3 with its seventh win in the last eight games, shot a blistering 10-15 as a team from beyond the 3-point arc.
Senior Nate Pearl netted 3-3 from deep in scoring 11 points for the Tigers. Senior Rashaan Jackson, despite limited minutes, continued his outstanding play of late with 14 points. Classmate Jordan Stookey added 13 points.
Senior Moses Marandet had five points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Tigers.
Warsaw shot 23-42 overall from the field in the rout. Central, which drops to 3-6, finished 11-41 overall from the field and was just 4-21 from distance.
The Tigers bounced back in a big way after a tough 58-56 Northern Lakes Conference loss at Northridge Friday night on a buzzer-beater by Pete Smith of the Raiders.
Warsaw took control from the opening tip. The hosts forced Central into turnovers on three of their first four possessions in bolting to a 16-1 lead. The Blue Blazers did not make their first basket until 2:52 remained in the opening period.
The dynamite duo of Jackson and Stookey set the tone for the Tigers. Each scored nine points in the first quarter as Warsaw took a 21-5 lead.
“To start the game like we did tonight was important,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle. “I was concerned about this game. I could sense that it could be a game we may be flat coming off the loss at Northridge. I couldn’t have asked for a better start.
“I tried to impress on our players that they need to appreciate every opportunity. To us, this was an important game. We’re trying to get better as a basketball team. The sectional starts seven weeks from tonight.
“We just got on a roll tonight. This game was really an aberration because Central is much better than they played tonight. They’re not going to shoot that poorly and we’re not going to shoot 10-15 from three like that.”
The Tigers entered play Tuesday night shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc for the season as a team (41-128).
Warsaw, which has now won 12 straight versus Central dating back to the 2003-04 season., led 34-12 at halftime. The hosts hit 6-8 from deep in the opening half.
Swanson, who entered the game averaging five points-per-game, put on a shooting show in the final frame with 11 of his points as the Tigers outscored Central 22-7 in the fourth quarter. Swanson entered the game 12-24 from deep on the season, ranking second in treys for the Tigers (Pearl had 13).
“Swanson is a good shooter,” said Ogle. “He’s shot the ball well this season.”
“It was nice to have a game that was not stressful and to have the opportunity to play a lot of guys tonight.”
Langston Johnson, a sophomore guard led Central with nine points.
The Blue Blazers entered play Tuesday night averaging 63 points-per-game. Their 37 points versus Warsaw was a season low, eclipsing the previous in a 57-46 loss to South Bend Riley.
The two teams could meet again in the Class 4-A Elkhart Sectional come March at North Side Gym in Elkhart. Warsaw defeated Central 45-44 in double overtime last year en route to the sectional title.
The Warsaw junior varsity team suffered its first loss of the season Tuesday night. A driving bucket by Quincey Washington with just 2.4 seconds to play lifted Central to a 40-39 win.
Kyle Mangas scored 13 points to lead the JV Tigers, who are now 8-1 on the season. Evan Schmidt had seven points and Ben Linky six for Warsaw. Langston Johnson scored 11 points and Cornell Conner 10 for Central.
Warsaw hosts NLC foe Goshen Friday and entertains Fort Wayne Snider Saturday. Central hosts NIC foe Mishawaka Friday and hosts Wawasee Saturday.