These two Warsaw basketball fans,  Zack Reneker (left) and Andrew Shaw, show their support for their favorite Tiger players Kyle Mangas and Paul Marandet at the sectional final Saturday night in Elkhart.

ELKHART – There was no shortage of excitement on the fabled floor of North Side Gym Saturday night.

There was also no shortage of support in the stands for both Warsaw and Elkhart Central in what turned out to be a classic sectional finale.

The No. 5 Tigers topped the host Blue Blazers by a 38-35 count in the Class 4-A thriller.

Junior star guard Kyle Mangas played the hero for the Tigers as his three-point play on a coast-to-coast driving layup through traffic and subsequent free throw with 1.6 seconds left were the deciding points. Mangas then intercepted Central’s desperation inbounds pass to seal the sectional championship.

The title game, which gave Warsaw its’ first sectional crown since 2013 and the 39th in the long and storied tradition of the program, played out in front of about 4,000 stoked fans in the sixth largest gymnasium (7,373) in the Hoosier state.

The sectional atmosphere Saturday night was outstanding thanks in large part to the tremendous support that both teams received from their student sections. That fact was not lost on Warsaw coach Doug Ogle, who won his fifth sectional title in 14 years.

“Both Elkhart Central and Warsaw have a lot to be proud of with their basketball teams and with their fan support,” said Ogle during the chaotic celebration on the court following the game. “This looked like one of the largest crowds here for a sectional final in several years.”

The Tigers have received tremendous student support all season long. In fact, Ogle baked more than 200 of his famous “Cowboy” cookies to share with the students in attendance back in January when they packed their section for the biggest game of the season at NorthWood.

Two of the “biggest” fans among the large Warsaw contingent Saturday night were actually two of the smallest. Andrew Shaw, 5, and Zack Reneker, 7, had prime seats right behind the Warsaw bench and were highly-energized a full hour before tip-off Saturday night for the finale at North Side Gym. Shaw sported his orange Warsaw Tigers shirt with No. 3 Marandet on the back for Warsaw senior guard Paul Marandet. Reneker proudly showed off his matching shirt, adorned with No. 2 Mangas on the back of his for Warsaw junior guard Kyle Mangas.

Blue Blazers End Great Year

Central closed out its best season in 13 years with the heartbreaking loss to the Tigers.

The Blue Blazers, under the direction of second-year coach Randy DeShone, finished 16-8 for their most wins in 13 years. Central was just 5-17 a year ago, the fourth season in a row with six wins or less.

Central, which had lost at Warsaw 49-35 during the regular season, graduates six seniors.

Scouting Riley

The Tigers, who sit at 23-1, will meet a dangerous first-round foe at the Michigan City Regional come Saturday.

South Bend Riley will provide the opposition for Warsaw in the regional opener. The Wildcats are 22-5 after beating host Plymouth 60-54 Saturday night in the sectional final.

The Wildcats went 12-15 a year ago, but won both the Penn Sectional and Michigan City Regional before losing 90-69 to Homestead in the Huntington Semistate. Riley topped Northridge 71-56 and Crown Point 77-74 in the regional in 2015.

Riley is a quick and athletic team that loves to shoot the 3-point shot. The Wildcats are led by their 1-2 punch of 6-6 sophomore Damezi Anderson (17.7 ppg.), and 6-2 senior Reontre Lawrence (17.6). Junior Scott, a 5-9, junior, averages nine points and eight assists as the Riley point guard. He is the younger brother of former South Bend Washington and Notre Dame star Skylar Diggins, who now plays in the WNBA.  Through their first 24 games this season, Anderson had hit 68 treys, while junior Nate Marino has 55 triples and Lawrence, who is the team’s lone senior, 42. The Wildcats were 189-500 from distance heading into sectional play.

The Wildcats are coached by Mark Johnson, who previously coached at South Bend LaSalle. Johnson is 208-123 in his 14th season at Riley and 401-318 in his 32nd season overall.

Riley averages 72.3 points-per-game and their season low was 46 in a 56-46 loss to Columbia City in a tournament in December. The Wildcats have also lost to South Bend St. Joseph (88-75), Merrillville (79-68), Mishawaka Marian (77-74) and South Bend Washington (87-84). Riley has wins over NLC schools Northridge (77-55), Concord (75-48), Plymouth (64-63) and Elkhart Memorial (91-72) during their regular season.

Riley did lose to Warsaw by a 57-47 final last season in the Warsaw Tournament.

Good friends and huge Warsaw basketball fans Andrew Shaw (left) and Zack Reneker were all smiles at the sectional final.