Wawasee’s Jairus Boyer gets clobbered by Concord’s Grant Magnuson on the way to a hoop and some harm in Friday night’s game at the Hardwood Teepee. (Photos by Mike Deak)

SYRACUSE – The Wawasee boys basketball team is close. But that notion, however, isn’t helping them win many basketball games of late.

The Warriors, which led for most of the first three quarters of its game Friday night against Concord, suddenly couldn’t buy a basket in an eventual 33-30 overtime loss to the Minutemen.

Zak Linnemeier grabs a loose ball away from Concord’s Ethan Cain.

Wawasee stormed out to a big early lead, using a pair of and-ones from Jairus Boyer to help build a 10-2 advantage, only for Concord to take its first lead, 21-19, with 1:20 left in the third after Matt Auger dropped in a shot. From there, neither team led by more than four points the rest of the way.

A slick pass from Cayden Wegener to Boyer for a layup gave Wawasee a 24-21 lead in the fourth, but Concord’s Michael Johnson immediately hit a jumper to pull Concord back to one. Luke Shoemaker’s layup gave the Minutemen a short 29-27 lead, only for Jacob Hand to come back and hit two free throws for the Warriors to tie it up, which is how it would stay through 32 minutes.

A hustle play by Grant Lucchese on a missed shot was saved back to Johnson, who put in the bunny for a 31-29 Concord lead in OT. Shoemaker would hit two free throws for Concord’s largest lead of the night at 33-29. Aaron Evans hit a free throw for the Warriors, and six opportunities in the final stretch saw Wawasee miss four shots and commit a turnover.

“I know we lost the game, but my heart is telling me we won,” said Wawasee head coach Jon Everingham. “You worry about a team that has faced some adversity and worry about them falling off the wayside and crashing and burning. I think what we found out tonight is that we don’t have quit and we are going to fight out every game.

“If we can find a way to put that ball through the hoop from three-point range, we really have an opportunity to be a strong team at the right time.”

Concord’s Michael Johnson blocks Jacob Hand’s three-point attempt late in overtime.

Wawasee saw its second half shooting woes bite down hard, as the team was 4-20 from the floor (20 percent), factoring into an 11-36 overall (31 percent) night from the floor. Wawasee was a frigid 2-18 from behind the three-point arc, only making 1-12 after the half, that coming on an Evans make to start the fourth quarter.

Evans led the team with 10 points, four rebounds and two steals. Boyer, after scoring six points in the first quarter, would wrap with just eight total. Jacob Hand was held scoreless from the floor on six shots, but did have eight rebounds, a category Wawasee did win 26-20.

“I’m so proud of our guys for coming out and fighting like they did tonight,” Everingham said. “I’m not sure that we have had a game since Warsaw that we have fought like we did tonight. I think this game meant something to our guys and we came out and really fought. We still aren’t shooting the ball really well and it’s hurting us.”

Johnson led the Minutemen (5-9, 2-3 NLC) with 16 points and six rebounds, while Shoemaker, Magnuson and Gabe Andreini all had four points.

Marshall Miller hit two threes in the second half, his second giving Wawasee the lead for good in a 33-30 Warrior JV win. Miller scored just the six points, but drilled a triple with just over a minute remaining for the eventual game-winner.

Kam Salazar paced Wawasee with 10 points and Ethan Hardy added six points and 10 rebounds. Shemari Southern had 10 points and four steals for the Minutemen junior squad.

Wawasee (4-11, 1-4 NLC) will host Lakeland Saturday night.

Wawasee alum and current WHS assistant principal Vince Beasley was recognized before the game as part of the 2018 class for the basketball program’s Ring of Honor. Beasley graduated from Wawasee in 1995, scored 662 career points, and helped Wawasee to a sectional title his senior season.