Warren East and South Warren competed at the highest level possible on Friday night at South Warren High School.
Multiple lead changes, many ties, numerous players stepping up – with all of those aspects, and in a back-and-forth game, the Raiders and Spartans went neck and neck from start to finish – and East was able to escape with a 74-68, grinded-out win in double overtime.
“It was huge,” Warren East coach Brandon Combs said. “Any win in District 14 is big, especially on the road. Hopefully we grew up a little bit tonight. It’s like I’ve told everybody, we’re still far from perfect. We’ve got a long way to go. Luckily, we gutted it out. I was pleased with our effort tonight.”
A trio of Raiders stepped up, as Tashawn Neal led the way with a game-high 28 points and 10 rebounds while Adante Barber and Treante Patterson each scored 14. Neal came out early and took control, propelling him to a breakout night and a much-needed Warren East (1-3) victory.
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“We were 0-3, and this was a big district game on the road,” Neal said. “It’s important to start 1-0 in district – and on the road. We fought and we pulled it out.”
The two sides exchanged baskets all throughout the first half.
After one quarter, South Warren led 10-8, but Warren East opened the second on an 8-2 run – powered by back-to-back threes by Neal and Brevon Whitney — to go up 16-12 at the 5:47 mark.
The Spartans and Raiders continued to go back-and-forth for the next six minutes with neither team getting ahead by more than three. After East had been in front for a little while, South retook a lead on a Tyler Martin three from the left wing.
Following Martin’s deep ball, the Raiders sprinted down the court and Neal drew contact on a left corner jumper and knocked down both free throws to give the Raiders a tight 26-25 advantage at halftime. At the break, Neal and Whitney each had 9 points while Martin had seven for South Warren.
Neal continued to dominate for the Raiders in the second half, scoring seven early points in the third quarter to give Warren East a 37-33 advantage. Eddie Bahic scored under the goal to cut South Warren’s deficit to two and then a three-ball had the Spartans down just one at 39-38 at the two-minute mark.
“He played well – he’s kind of growing into that role for us,” Combs said Neal. “He’s gonna have to continue to do that because we need him to kind of pack us for the bulk here early until some of these other gets acclimated and get some more minutes under their belt.”
After three periods of action, East carried a 44-42 advantage into the final quarter.
A three-point play by Bahic at the 7:38 mark of the fourth put South Warren up 45-44 but Neal responded with a three from the right corner to give him his 24th point and move the Raiders back in front.
Neal’s tough layup off the left side of the glass at the 4:40 mark pushed Warren East’s lead to 52-47 but a bucket by Moore and Bahic free throws put South Warren in front, 53-52, with 3:35 left.
“We were really frustrated coming into the game,” said Neal. “There were some fouls called tonight that shouldn’t have been fouls, but we stuck with it – and we won.”
After Treante Patterson a pair of free throws to put the Raiders up 56-54 with 4.3 seconds left, Gage Haggerty was fouled with 0.07 to tick. Needing to make both to send the game to overtime, Haggerty did just that and the Spartans and Raiders played an additional four minutes.
With 38.3 seconds left in the overtime period, Moore scored under the goal to even the score at 62-62. With a chance to win at the buzzer, Neal’s fadeaway jumper from the free-throw line rimmed out and the two sides entered a second overtime frame.
“We took care of the ball and did the things we had to,” said Combs. “The one thing I think we could’ve helped ourselves more on was the boards. We gave up several offensive rebounds and we were in bad shape some defensively, but like I said, we’re far from perfect. We’re in progress.
“We definitely got off to a good start tonight.”
An and-one by Thomas Maxey and a three by Adante Barber put East up 68-64, just before Moore followed up with a score, foul and foul shot of his own had South trailing 68-67 at the 2:20 mark. Another bucket by Barber – this one a tough runner in the lane – gave the Raiders a 70-67 advantage with 1:43 left.
“People hit important shots, we boxed out, hit late free throws and people did what they needed to do,” Neal said. “We pulled it out.”
Leading 72-68 with 13.5 remaining, Patterson knocked down a pair of free throws to finally seal it.
Both clubs have quick turnarounds, as they are in action Saturday in the second annual Rafferty’s Shootout at SWHS. Just after playing tonight, Warren East will meet Owensboro Catholic at Noon to tipoff the afternoon.
“What about that, man?,” Combs said. “So, we play again in about 12 hours. We’ll get back and get after it. We’re playing a really good team. We’re gonna be a little bruised and beat it, but we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”
Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield.
