Westminster Christian takes tourney title
A team doesn't usually increase its lead when scoring 7 points in a quarter.
But thanks to its stifling defense that is exactly what the Westminster Christian boys basketball team did Saturday night.
The Warriors held Indian Creek to only 2 points in the second quarter to increase a 4-point, first-quarter advantage into a 9-point halftime lead, 19-10. Then the Warriors went 10-for-12 from the field in the third quarter to put the game away and capture the 4th annual Warrior Thanksgiving Classic title with a 63-45 victory over the Timberwolves.
"I was really pleased with the way we played defensively for three quarters," Westminster coach Bruce Firchau said. "We really got after it."
The Warriors (4-0) used an 8-0 run to take a 10-4 lead after a Luke Carani offensive rebound and putback with 2:10 left in the first quarter. Westminster led 12-8 after the first. Carani, an all-tournament selection, added a free-throw line jumper to give the Warriors a 14-8 lead. Cal Herrmann scored Indian Creek's only basket of the second quarter with 5:35 left. Westminster scored the last five points of the half for a 19-10 lead.
"We wanted to get them out of their system," Carani said. "We take pride in our defense. It's really something that we wanted to come out and show we can do."
Westminster had six different players score at least 3 points in the third quarter, scoring 23 points in the quarter to increase its lead to 43-22. Brandon Cork and Josh Beachler each led the way with 5 points in the third.
The lead grew to as many as 25 early in the fourth. The Timberwolves (3-1) cut the deficit to 12, 55-43, with 1:49 left, but the Warriors scored the next 8 points to put the game away.
"We wanted to come out and compete. Last year we struggled a bit," Carani said of the Warriors' 2-2 record in last year's tournament. "It's good to start out the year strong."
Herrmann led the Timberwolves with 15 points, 10 in the fourth quarter. Seth Sanderson added 14. Herrmann and Sanderson were named to the all-tournament team.
Ian Dutcher, also an all-tournament pick, scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the Warriors. Carani added 12 points, Cork 11 and Andrew Mason 9.