Two hot teams - Mishawaka (11-2) and Westview (13-3) - met Tuesday night. Leading scorer Mason Yoder missed the game for the Warriors. Until the fourth quarter, that did not seem like much of a factor. 

 

Maddux Yohe started the game with two quick buckets for Mishawaka. His scoring and defensive activity gave the Cavemen a jolt. On the first possession, he created a steal. That was a problem for Westview all game. In the opening period, the Warriors committed seven turnovers as Mishawaka jumped out to a 16-9 lead.

 

After a slow start, Brady Yoder scored the first five points of the second. Better ball-handling and shooting in the second period helped Westview turn the tide. Defensively, Westview locked down Mishawaka in the stanza as well. A minute and a half in, Yohe scored to extend Mishawaka's lead to 18-14, but the Cavemen only managed six points in the quarter. Yoder connected on his second three of the period to stretch Westview's lead to 27-20. Mishawaka's leading scorer Trent Johnson scored before the half to cut the Westview lead to five.

 

Johnson, a senior averaging 23 points per game, did not score in the first quarter and did not make a field goal until that final possession score in the first half. Westview contested each of his shots and made him work for any scoring opportunity. He found a rhythm in the third. He made consecutive short-corner jumpers before finishing a drop-off pass from Sacario Thomas for a layup. That stretch by Johnson pulled Mishawaka within two points of Westview.

 

To begin the fourth, Brendan Williams scored the first two buckets for Mishawaka to tie the game. Williams tallied eight of his ten points in the fourth quarter. With Mishawaka gaining confidence, Westview could not buy a bucket. Not only that, but the offensive rebounds were running dry as well. Despite being a small team, Westview collected 14 offensive rebounds in the game but only scored eight points off the extra opportunities. 

 

With two minutes left, Lyndon Miller scored the last Westview points. By the sound of the fourth-quarter buzzer, Mishawaka outscored Westview 18-3 in the final frame for the 52-41 victory.

 

Johnson led Mishawaka with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Yohe added 11 points, and Williams scored ten. Thomas and DaVonn Parker recorded eight points. The Cavemen were just 1-8 from three.

 

Miller finished with 12 points, ten rebounds, five assists, two steals as well as seven turnovers. Luke Miller tallied 12 points and seven rebounds; Yoder finished with ten points.