In a game filled with turnovers and missed shots while referees’ whistles filled the gym, Warrenton Head Coach Greg Williams measured his team’s performance less by style of play and more by effort. So it was easy to see why Williams was so happy following his team’s 47-40 win over Christian Monday in the first round of the Warrenton Winter Shootout.

“It wasn’t pretty,” he said, “but they got the job done.”

Already missing senior point Rylie Cox, and with senior forward Kayla Nelson in and out of the game with foul trouble, the Warriors found themselves up one with less than two minutes to play.

Sophomore Brooke Smith drove down the right baseline for a layup to give her team a 43-40 advantage.

The Warriors responded with a shutdown defense, and Smith hit two more free throws on the following possession to extend the lead to five.

Smith, who finished with 12 points, wasn’t the only underclassman to help Warrenton Monday night.

Freshmen Allison Gerard and Morgan Frye helped defensively while Nelson battled foul trouble.

“Morgan came out and just started grabbing rebounds, and that was really, really cool to see,” Williams said.

Ashtyn Dixon opened up the game with back-to-back 3-pointers while hobbling up and down the court at times.

The senior guard has been nursing a sore left hamstring and sprained right ankle, and her performance earned praise from Williams following the win.

“Ashtyn Dixon is playing on a bad hamstring and a sprained ankle and just playing with guts and heart,” he said. “She can barely stand on it, but she hit those two 3’s right off the start and she was diving for loose balls. That’s senior leadership right there.”

Dixon finished with 11 points.

Nelson added 14, and Allison Tonioli chipped in eight, including five in the fourth quarter.

To take advantage of a team without its best ball-handler, Christian deployed a full-court trap following made baskets most of the night.

And for most of the night, it worked.

The Warriors struggled against the pressure while trying to set up their offense.

Christian’s Kourtney Markham gave the Warrenton defense fits as well, knocking down 4-of-9 3-pointers to finish with 14 points.

Eagle forward Abby King led her team with 16 points, but neither player scored in the final 2:58.

“Everybody is kind of banged up right now, and we had some foul trouble too, but these kids just have great heart, and that’s why I love coaching them,” Williams said. “They come out and they compete.”

Wednesday night, the Warriors defeated No. 8 seed Francis Howell North, 59-44, to advance to the title game against No. 2 Eureka.

The championship game is set for Friday at 8:30 p.m.

“There was effort and intensity, which was great to see tonight,” Williams added. “We’re getting better, and we’ll get Riley back in a few weeks, so we could be getting ready to take off.”