As he accepted his medal for being named to the Winfield BOOM Classic All-Tournament Team, a wave of relief consumed Randy McRoberts. 

The Warrenton senior had not been concerned about whether he would earn such accolades. He was simply thrilled to have played an entire week of basketball pain free.

McRoberts, who spent the entire fall battling inexplicable back problems, helped guide the Warriors to a third-place finish in the tournament Saturday with a 53-46 win over Timberland. 

“It was great to get that award, and I think that definitely validated my return,” said McRoberts. “I think this tournament was the start of me playing 100 percent again.”

McRoberts led the way with 18 points and six rebounds. 

He finished the three-game week with 40 points and 19 boards. For the first time in a very long time, he is playing a sport without paying a price.

“It feels really great to be healthy again,” said McRoberts. “At the beginning of the season I was really questioning if I would be able to play.”

The Warriors outlasted the Wolves in an aggressive back-and-forth game that was in question until the final moments. McRoberts was pivotal in helping his team capitalize on transition buckets, finishing 8-of-11 from the field, all from inside the lane.

“He’s a real catalyst for us and switching more to a hybrid big role instead of a three guard,” said Warrenton Head Coach Mark Thomas. “He’s going to be a big part of who we are this year.”

Warrenton slowed down the game in the final minutes and severely limited Timberland’s looks at the basket, forcing them into long possessions when quick points were needed.

“We worked on keeping them out of the lane and showing with our bodies first, making it a group effort on defense,” said Thomas.

The teams traded control of the game. Instead of exchanging leads, they swapped entire surges of momentum. After falling behind early, the Warriors tied the game at 15 heading into the second quarter. They went on an 8-2 run to begin the period and closed out with 3-pointers by Dylan Smith and Brenden Smith to take a 29-22 halftime advantage.

“I was proud of the way our guys kept working together and didn’t let the emotional roller coaster happen,” said Thomas. “We never got to a point where we were letting our emotions dictate us.”

Warrenton came out cold from the field to begin the third quarter, as Timberland exploded on an 8-0 run. The Warriors responded by scoring the final six points of the period to secure a 44-38 lead they would never relinquish. 

“It was a good win for us — a good learning win,” said Thomas. “We were by no means happy with the way we played the whole game.”

Warrenton improved to 3-1 with the win but was unable to defend its tournament title from a year ago after falling to O’Fallon Christian during semifinal play on Thursday.

Senior Caleb Strauss scored 13 points and grabbed nine boards for the Warriors, while junior Jake Tonioli added 10 points.