Westminster’s Firchau notches No. 499

Victory No. 499 was not a pleasant one for Westminster Christian boys basketball coach Bruce Firchau.

The Warriors’ 58-46 nonconference home win Tuesday over Kirkland-Hiawatha was like sitting through a “root canal,” according to Firchau.

“Our team has not listened very well to anyone on the coaching staff,” Firchau said. “They have been poor at listening. I thought tonight exemplified that.”

Firchau will get his first chance at win No. 500 next Tuesday in the Class 1A Hinckley-Big Rock regional quarterfinals against Faith Lutheran.

“I don’t comment on that sort of thing,” Firchau said. “We don’t talk about that here.”

Firchau was upset Tuesday about almost every aspect of the way the Warriors (15-12) played, especially with the lack of team defense. The Hawks were able to get into the paint at ease. Eight of Hiawatha’s 10 baskets in the first half were in the lane and the Hawks had a 2-point lead, 22-20, at halftime.

“We could not seem to be able to stop penetration,” Firchau said. “We didn’t seem to be the least bit interested in playing team defense.”

Westminster played better defensively in the second half, holding Hiawatha to 7 of 23 shooting. But it was the shooting of Will Woodhouse that carried the Warriors.

Woodhouse, a junior guard, scored 25 of his game-high 33 points in the second half. He hit 4 3-pointers in the final 6:20 of the third quarter to turn a tie game, 25-25, into a 40-33 victory after the third.

“I was just shooting, trying to get the team back in the game,” said Woodhouse, who admitted the Warriors did not play well defensively.

Woodhouse’s hot shooting continued in the fourth. A layup and another 3-pointer in the opening 1:20 of the quarter gave the Warriors a 46-33 lead. The lead never fell below 8 the rest of the game.

Woodhouse also had 6 rebounds. Robert Kleczynski added 8 points and 5 rebounds.

Marek Mlodzianowski led the Hawks with 13 points. Grant Nelson had 10 points.