In a matchup of two top-15 teams, round 1 goes to the Dragons, though neither team will be pointing to this as their best basketball.  The first half was dominated by one thing - FOULS.  Both teams were in the bonus by the end of the first quarter - Warren Central was in the double bonus.  26 fouls were called in the first half on the two teams, and stars like Mason Ritter for Bowling Green and Isaiah Villafuerte for Warren Central spent significant time on the bench due to that foul trouble.  Ritter would ultimately foul out of the game in the fourth quarter.  Bowling Green led only once - 2-0 - but were rarely far behind in the first half, trailing by as many as seven, but typically hovering between 4 and 6 back.  Neither team could find the range, and it was just 24-18 Warren Central at the break.  Chappelle Whitney led the Dragons in that half with 11 and Kade Unseld only had five at the break.  The foul shooting was poor for the Dragons in the first half, going just 7/14 from the line.  Bowling Green was led by Deuce Bailey and Jace Wardlow with just five points apiece in the first half.  Ritter was scoreless.  He rectified that out of the break and scored the first six for the Purples, but they could only close within four.  It was still four at 32-28 when Warren Central used a 14-2 run to gain all the points and breathing room they'd need, and they coasted through a relatively tame fourth quarter.  Warren Central grabbed their first win at Bowling Green since 2018, their first against a DG Sherrill-led team at BG since 2014, and ended Bowling Green's overall 23 game home win streak.  Bowling Green's 39 points were their least at home since 2009, and if not for a three made with 35 seconds left, you'd have had to go back to their 17-15 win over Warren East in 1999 to find a lower score total (the infamous stall game for the Raiders). 

Bowling Green had many of the ingredients they needed to pull the upset.  They frankly uglied up the game, trying a very physical approach, and Warren Central responded in kind at times, leading to Dragon foul trouble.  But losing Ritter for a huge portion of the first half was a killer, and Bailey and MJ Wardlow never really found the range.  Obviously, a much better shooting performance is required for the Purples to actually take it down, but it all felt sort of possible at halftime.  It will be very interesting to see how things change for the second game, which will take on great importance now as we have already seen that South Warren is capable of playing with the Purples, and that's who Bowling Green will see in the district semifinals if they fall in that game with Warren Central.  Still, only so much of either team's hand will be shown in these meetings, as there is no doubt each expects to see each other four times overall.  Their next meeting is in three weeks.

Great synopsis!  I just think Warren Central is the better team this season.  That doesn't always equate to a win every time, as it's hard to beat a good team 4 times in a row.  And Bowling Green is a good team.  Do they have all the pieces on the bench now is my question.  Trevy Barber and Elijah Starks have been contributors.  I'm not in that circle to know.  But just don't seem to have quite enough to take down this Central team.

I think South is much improved and their new coach has them believing, but I don't think they are better than BG.  Overlooking them would be foolish, but think BG takes care of business there.  Trash talk alone should have BG more focused for the home game between the two in 11 days.

2 hours ago, Purple88 said:

I think South is much improved and their new coach has them believing, but I don't think they are better than BG.  Overlooking them would be foolish, but think BG takes care of business there.  Trash talk alone should have BG more focused for the home game between the two in 11 days.

They aren't better than Bowling Green.  I think it's similar to Warren Central/BG in that a single game scenario you could see anything potentially happening, but I certainly wouldn't predict it.  South had that first game right there for the taking after battling back from several deficits, but blew a layup with a minute left and that was their only shot.  I definitely don't see them going into BG and emerging with a win - Warren Central is the only district opponent who has done that since 2009.  And so in a district semifinal scenario, that would leave them trying to complete two firsts at once: first win over Bowling Green ever, and first district semifinal win ever.  Those are some powerful, pressure-filled scenarios that they'd have to knock out at the same time.  This Bowling Green team isn't really much more experienced than South is in those scenarios, but the culture is completely different.  Bowling Green has won in these spots for years - they haven't missed a region final since 2013, and haven't lost a postseason game to a region team other than Warren Central since 2008.  They expect to win and they know how.  South Warren has no idea that they truly can accomplish those things because they never have.  I think it would have really helped them to get that first win a couple weeks ago, just to get that pressure of trying to do both at the same time off. 

On 1/16/2023 at 7:25 AM, Purple88 said:

Great synopsis!  I just think Warren Central is the better team this season.  That doesn't always equate to a win every time, as it's hard to beat a good team 4 times in a row.  And Bowling Green is a good team.  Do they have all the pieces on the bench now is my question.  Trevy Barber and Elijah Starks have been contributors.  I'm not in that circle to know.  But just don't seem to have quite enough to take down this Central team.

I think South is much improved and their new coach has them believing, but I don't think they are better than BG.  Overlooking them would be foolish, but think BG takes care of business there.  Trash talk alone should have BG more focused for the home game between the two in 11 days.

Trevy Barber, Drevin Bratton, and Briar Griffin all did not feature in this game for BG.  One for disciplinary reasons, one for suspension, and one through injury. This certainly hurt the Purples on the night and limited their bench options greatly.  As for Elijah Starks, he transferred in season to Warren Central a week or so ago.  He is ineligible to play until next year obviously, but it is a loss as he started every game for BG last year as a sophomore and started a bunch this season.  That's 4 players who've all played somewhat significant minutes and 2 of those 4 started several games. What we saw last Friday night was Central at full strength.  Not saying they can't improve because they obviously can, but for the most part they are what they are.  BG has some pieces yet to return so their potential has yet to be reached.  Will that result in them being able to take down WC when it matters? I don't think so.  Central has the experience and the 7 seniors, BG has no seniors and not much experience winning those big games.  But those roles should reverse after this season for a while.