By Josh Holland:
Spartans 85
Raiders 81
In the second game of the District 14 double header between Warren East and South Warren, South got off to a hot start from the opening tip.
Stacker directed the ball from midcourt to Dayton Gumm for a layup just three seconds in to the game. Gumm would add eight more points on the fast break to lead his team out to a 19-9 run to start the game. Warren East used the long ball to get back in to the game as Dylan Whitney hit two threes and Mackenzie Strange added one from the corner.
After the deep ball helped pull even, Kaleb Britt took control. He had two threes of his own in the first half and was effective driving in the lane for the lefty runner. Britt lead all scorers at the half with 19 points.
The teams traded buckets right before the half as Dylan Gaines sank two free throws and Gumm responded by going the length of the court in two seconds for a layup before the clock expired to pull the game to an East lead of 38-34.
East started the second half with a short run to get their lead to the largest of the game at 44-38 before Dayton Gumm and South battled back South tied the game at 55 in the final moments of the third quarter but East scored a quick three points in the final minute of the quarter to take a 58-55 advantage into the final period.
The Spartans started the fourth quarter the same way they started the first, fast. Behind consecutive three-balls from Michael Hicks, South used a 12-1 run to gain their first lead of the second half at 67-59.
After scoring only one point in the third period, Britt along with Antwan Gilbert, lead East on a comeback. Gilbert had six points in the final frame and Britt scored six as well finding himself at the free throw line with a chance to give East a one-point lead.
However, East could not regain the advantage and South jumped back out to a four point lead behind free throws from Dayton Gumm. East wouldn’t get it closer than two for the remainder of the game.
Warren East hosts Bowling Green on Friday night for their final district game while South travels to Franklin-Simpson Thursday.