As it turned out, the Warrenton girls' basketball team saved its best for what wouldn’t be its last on Monday.
In perhaps the team’s most complete game of the season, Warrenton led from the …
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As it turned out, the Warrenton girls' basketball team saved its best for what wouldn’t be its last on Monday.
In perhaps the team’s most complete game of the season, Warrenton led from the first seconds all the way through the final buzzer in the 46-36 win over Holt in the teams’ Class 5 District 4 quarterfinal on Monday at Fort Zumwalt South.
Senior forward Savannah Miller said that Warrenton (11-16), for the second straight season, found its mojo at exactly the right time as the Warriors beat Holt to open district play for a second season in succession.
“We knew that this was one that mattered,” Miller said. “We know that, if we win, we keep going. We need to work hard to carry what we had tonight on to (the semifinals).”
With the win, Warrenton earned a second straight semifinal berth against host and top-seed Fort Zumwalt South. The two teams will square off at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
On Monday, Warrenton scored the first seven points of the game. And kept going because everyone did their part, according to junior guard Sophia Benke.
“We all have different roles and we show up in those roles when we need to,” Benke said. “Our seniors really did a lot tonight.”
While the team’s seniors – Zoe Duncan, Makayla Witthaus, Miller and Natalie Scheibe – each ‘showed up’ in their own way on Monday, the hard-nosed efforts of Witthaus and Miller helped Warrenton not only race to the lead, but keep it.
The pair had eight points in the first quarter as the Warriors started strong, opening a 16-11 lead by quarter’s end.
Warrenton then gained a double-digit lead as a 3-pointer from junior guard Sophia Benke made it 21-11 with six minutes left in the half. The advantage was 24-17 at halftime.
“Our main goal tonight wasn’t just winning,” Benke said. “We wanted to make sure our second half was as good as our first half, because that’s what we struggle with.”
Warrenton, indeed, played a strong second half, never losing its lead.
Coach Hannah Logan said that complete effort is what the team has been seeking all season.
“We’ve really been focusing on not getting ourselves into any kind of hole,” Logan said. “We have bad stretches that put us into holes and we aren’t able to get out of it.”
In the end, Warrenton never lost its lead, making 9-of-13 free throws in the second half, including 6-of-10 in the fourth quarter, to keep Holt at bay.
Miller led the team with 17 points in the win.
“That’s cool,” Miller said. “I was just trying to get my job done.”
Benke added 12 points in the win while Witthaus pitched in eight.
With the win secure, Witthaus said the team’s main goal is to see just how long it can extend the season.
In the district semifinal last year, Warrenton was tied with South at 18-all before dropping the 44-18 decision.
“We didn’t want to lose tonight, so we had to come out and have everybody compete,” Witthaus said. “That’s what we’re going to need again.”
