On Indiana high school basketball’s opening night, the Arsenal Tech Titans applied defensive pressure to Warren Central from the tip. Tech opened a 20-point first-half lead before coasting to an 81-68 home victory.

 

Against Crispus Attucks in a scrimmage and tonight against WC, Tech displayed the ability to pressure opponents at all five positions and turn mistakes into points. Tech raced to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes before Tae Davis balanced Warren Central. The Louisville signee used his size and athleticism all night to produce. His driving dunk brought the Warriors within 12-7 of the Titans. For the rest of the first quarter, it was all Tech.

 

RaSheed Jones and Matthew Spears converted open looks and scored inside off feeds from Reggie Bass. Jones and Spears combined for 15 first-quarter points as Tech opened a 26-12 advantage. Things kept snowballing for the Titans from there.

 

Tech found a barrage of three-pointers from Dayveon Turner and Tylan Harris in the second period. It seemed like the senior guards could not miss in the second frame. Turner and Harris were lights out in the quarter.

 

Warren Central senior Chandler Jackson found a rhythm in the second period after a slow start. He took some of the scoring burden off Davis. Despite that, Tech kept expanding its lead.

 

The game's highlight came late in the half as Tech rushed out on a break, and Bass threw a pass off the backboard to a trailing Antonio Lisenbee. The senior forward caught the pass and flushed it home before getting a technical foul.

 

The highlight play capped a sensational first half by Tech to begin the season. Everything was clicking – defense, passing, shooting, chemistry, energy. It was fun to watch them execute at that level in the first game of the year against a quality opponent.

 

Warren Central is not a team to back down from a challenge. D’Andre Davis Sr. had his team come out of the locker room with energy, and the Warriors started to climb back into the game. Tae Davis, Jackson, and Paul Chandler made it a game back locking up Tech. Cordale Edwards and freshman Jevon Guess scored to make it a nine-point game, but Warren never got closer.

 

Bass took over in the fourth quarter for Tech driving to the basket and setting up his teammates. He opened the game back up and erased all Warren Central hope. Bass finished with 14 points, seven assists, and three rebounds. Unfortunately, he did go down with a leg injury late in the game and did not return.

 

Warren Central’s pressure bothered Tech without Bass in the lineup, but it was too little, too late for WC. Tech won comfortably 81-68.

 

Jones led Tech with 17 points. He also had five rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. Turner tallied 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Harris 12 points on four threes, and Lisenbee recorded 11 points, eight rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. Matthew Spears added nine points.

 

Davis led Warren Central with 25 points and five rebounds. Jackson added 20 points and five rebounds, and Chandler added eight points and three steals. Guess contributed four points, four rebounds, and three assists in his first high school game.