South Warren entered postseason play following a stretch of its basketball of the season, even including the defeat in the regular season finale to a top seeded Region 3 Daviess County team. The five game winning streak that preceded the solitary loss began on the road at Greenwood High School, and it was an emphatic, dominant win. How fitting then, for South Warren to face the Gators one more time to open the 2016 District 14 Tournament at Bowling Green High School.
The first matchup occurred back in December and Greenwood controlled the contest, was the better team, and South Warren continued to struggle as the Spartans worked to learn Tony Hopper’s system. The second was a blowout in favor of SWHS. The third would play out like neither of its predecessors, and in the process provided one of the most wide-open, entertaining games of the season.
South Warren started strong, building an eight-point advantage at the end of the first quarter, but watched senior Brandon Stacker pick up two fouls, which made him a non-factor. He finished the first half scoreless, and while fellow senior Dayton Gumm had an excellent half, Greenwood played a terrific second quarter. The Gators outscored South Warren 19-6 and led 31-26 at the break. Greenwood’s Stephen Sanders had a 14-point half of his own, which helped build the lead, along with stellar defense on the perimeter.
The second half saw the return of Stacker, who would not commit another foul in the contest, and would score 14. South Warren tied the game at 33 and would lead 49-48 entering the fourth quarter. The game would be tied again at 52, and in fact one final time at 62, but South Warren just kept finding a way. Dylan Beckham played through foul trouble to score 16 points and Dayton Gumm finished with a 32 point night, enough for a Bluegrass Cellular STBN Player of the Game honor.
Greenwood’s Dawson Crump only hit two field goals in the first half, but he exploded in the second, finishing with 21 for the night. Unfortunately for the Gators, he fouled out with just over a minute to play, a questionable call in the backcourt that sent Gumm to the free throw line.
It was a hard fought victory for South Warren, who won the game 70-66, and earned the right to challenge top seeded Bowling Green on Wednesday night. Greenwood’s season ends at 12-18 and South Warren moves to 14-14. Several Gator careers ended after the loss, though Dawson Crump will return as a senior in the fall.
FINAL: South Warren 70, Greenwood 66
SW: Gumm 32, Beckham 16, Stacker 14
GW: Crump 21, Sanders 21
