Mark Thomas’ emphasis on defense and uptempo offense couldn’t have manifested itself much better in the first three minutes of his Warrenton career.

The Warrenton boys basketball team smothered Wright City in the opening minutes, turning missed shots into layups and 3-pointers.

The Warriors led 17-2 midway through the first quarter, and cruised to a 74-45 opening-night win.

“That’s what we’re trying to do this year,” Thomas said. “We’re really focusing on the defensive end of the ball, and hopefully that transitions into easy offense. Because right now we’re not running our plays really well.”

The apparent lack of execution in half-court sets wasn’t obvious to the naked eye as the Warriors knocked down four 3-pointers in the first quarter.

Junior Jake Tonioli and senior Dylan Chandler led the team with two 3-pointers a piece in the opening frame.

“He played well for us, and I think a lot of guys got their feet wet tonight,” Thomas said of Chander’s 19-point game. “We’re really concentrating on distributing the ball and playing together.”

Warrenton’s emphasis on layups or 3-point attempts didn’t stop after the first quarter, as the Warriors hit seven 3’s overall Friday night.

The change in philosophy wasn’t just born out of a lack of inside depth or batch of skilled shooters, but a shift in offensive strategies at every level of the game.

Over the last several years, coaches have appeared to realize that the difference in a long 2-point jump shot and a 3-point shot isn’t worth the 50 percent decrease in points.

“That’s what we’re looking for,” Thomas said. “To be honest, there are a couple of guys who are allowed to shoot that mid-range shot, and everyone else we want a layup or a 3-pointer. I just feel like it’s a better style of basketball for us and it really gives us a better opportunity to rebound, which is something we need to work on because we gave up too many offensive boards tonight.”

A tough night on the offensive glass appeared to be Thomas’ only complaint on the night, as he implored his players to block out throughout the game.

“It’s tattooed in my brain right now,” he said, “so we’re going to work on that Monday.”

The Warriors head to the Winfield BOOM Classic Tuesday as the No. 1 seed, and square off with No. 8 North County Christian in the first round.

“I was proud of the guys,” Thomas said of his team’s effort against Wright City. “They came out and played hard, and it was a good win against your county rival. They came out and brought a lot of energy, and I liked seeing the crowds for both teams. It was a good night.”