Accustomed to an up tempo, quick-triggered style of play, Warrenton met its match on Tuesday against the host team of the Hermann Tournament. The Bearcats lured the Warriors into a deliberate …
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Accustomed to an up tempo, quick-triggered style of play, Warrenton met its match on Tuesday against the host team of the Hermann Tournament. The Bearcats lured the Warriors into a deliberate offense, forcing them to play much slower than usual. The result was a trip to the loser’s bracket for Warrenton, who fell 54-47 despite a late rally. “(Hermann) did a good job of slowing it down and walking it up the court,” said Jeffrey. “That’s not something we want, and it’s something we’ll talk about and work on.” The fourth-seeded Warriors are slated to face Wright City on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the consolation bracket. On Tuesday, Hermann’s determined attempt to deny the Warriors the ball in the paint was effective. Warrenton had prevailed during the previous matchup between these two teams, but the long- range ball had also been falling effectively. With just three treys falling on Tuesday, the Warriors were left with no choice but to attack the bucket. But Jeffrey says it wasn’t his team’s offensive effort that set the Warriors back. Moreso, it was a few timely mistakes and key offensive rebounds given up that spelled their fate. “Our shooting didn’t cost us the ballgame,” said Jeffrey. “It was little mistakes and some of those same things we’ve been working on.” Jeffrey was especially pleased with his team’s defensive effort. The effects of Warrenton’s pressure didn’t become evident, though, until the second half. “I still believe we’re a good basketball team, and we’ll prove it,” said Jeffrey. Hermann jumped out to an 11-7 advantage after one quarter. The Bearcats limited Warrenton to just one field goal in the second period, with sophomore T.J. Lafaver converting on a layup. The Warriors’ ability to knock down five of six free throws during that stretch kept them within striking distance. Having played out of their comfort zone in the first half, the Warriors began to force the issue in the third quarter. They played with a noticable increase in intensity and brought the pressure on defense. “I was very impressed with the defensive effort,” said Jeffrey. “There was not a problem with that whatsoever. Whenever you can guard it 28 or 30 foot from the basket, that’s a plus. We did make them create a few turnovers and take some ill-advised shots.” Hermann began to take ill-advise shots and exhibit a panicked state in its halfcourt attack. Senior Scotty Lathrop converted a conventional three-point to tie the game at 21-21 with 3:51 left in the third quarter. Senior David Dent followed with a trey to give the Warriors a brief lead, before Hermann closed out the period with its own run. The Bearcats handled themselves on the offensive boards to maintain control, leading 32-27 heading into the final period. Warrenton climbed to within on two multiple occasions during the fourth quarter, including with 1:13 remaining. The host team managed to knock down 21 of its 24 charity shots, making the escape into the semifinal round. “I don’t think there’s many teams that play harder than this team,” said Jeffrey. “I still believe that we’re the best 3-11 team in the state.” Lathrop led the Warriors with 13 points, while Isaac Boedeker added 12. Warrenton shot 10 of 14 overall from the free-throw line.