4A Regional: Warsaw 46, Crown Point 33

Warsaw likes to impose its tempo on the game. It was surprising to see Warsaw give up 17 points in the first quarter to South Bend Riley on Saturday morning. The Tigers locked down and held the Riley to 59 points in regulation. Warsaw took things to another level Saturday night against Crown Point.

Warsaw wasted no time imposing its will on the game. Paul Marandet had 37 points in the morning game. Early on, it looked like Marandet was going to duplicate that performance. He scored the first seven points of the game.

Those seven points happen to equal the complete Warsaw scoring in the first quarter. Normally if a team scores seven points in the first period, they would be fighting uphill the rest of the way. In the regional championship, Warsaw led 7-2 after the first eight minutes. Warsaw held Crown Point to 1-10 from the field in the first quarter.

Warsaw had held opponents to 40 or fewer points 18 times on the season entering Saturday's game. There was a good chance of adding to that number after Warsaw held Crown Point to nine first half points. Crown Point stars Grant Gelon and Sasha Stefanovic combined for three points in the first half of play.

The Crown Point student section chanted “This is boring,” many times throughout the game. That was not the first time the 24-1 Warsaw team had heard that chant. Marandet and his teammates embrace it has the other team gets anxious.

“When we are up five, we're really up like 15. It's hard to come back,” said Paul Marandet.

Paul Marandet and Kyle Mangas have been leading the way for Warsaw all season long. Marandet was strong in the first half, but Mangas struggled. He was scoreless on five shot attempts. Mangas changed that early in the third quarter. The 2017 guard scored 11 points in the period on his way to a big second half.

“In the first half, I wasn't letting the game come to me,” said Kyle Mangas. “I was being too impatient. Then in the second half, I was finding myself open after coming off screens and just had to knock down open shots.”

Remarkably, Crown Point still had a chance in the fourth quarter despite scoring only 14 points in the first three periods. Crown Point was able to turn Warsaw over more frequently. The Bulldogs had a tough time getting the ball to go through the net, though. Gelon hit all three of his three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Warsaw was too tough. The Tigers won 46-33 to advance to the 4A semi-state (final four teams). Paul Marandet and Kyle Mangas finished with 18 points each. Marandet was 30-31 from the free-throw line in the two games on Saturday.

Indiana University signee finished with a team-high nine points. Andrew Kenneally added six points.

Warsaw will play McCutcheon next week.