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Lockdown defense carries Tigers to rout of Warrensburg, 47-28
The Nevada Tigers are a force to be reckoned with.
Friday night’s 47-28 beatdown of visiting Warrensburg was an eye-opening experience for the Wynn Gym crowd as the Tigers put on a defensive clinic few could have imagined.
Warrensburg, entering the contest at 5-1, including a victory over perennial West Central Conference power Kansas City Center, opened the contest by misfiring on their first six shots and turning the ball over eight times.
With 1:07 remaining in the first Nevada senior forward Clay Gamyman took a pass in the right corner after being freed up on a screen, jetted towards the basket, and lifted off for a vicious slam, giving the Tigers an 8-2 lead.
Trailing 10-4 Warresnburg opened the second quarter equally as woeful from the field, clanking their first three shots. Nevada took advantage as Gayman hit a 12-foot jumper near the left baseline, followed by a Hunter Mason drop-step lay-in on the right block, increasing the Tigers lead to 14-4.
A Peyton Long trey trimmed Nevada’s lead to 14-7. Nevada responded as freshman point guard, and super-sub, Logan Applegate, dropped the final seven points of the first half.
Applegate’s diverse offensive skillset was on full display as he exploded to the basket on a driving lay-in, followed by a mid-range jumper. Applegate concluded the half with a 3-point swish from the right corner, with guard Will Johnson picking up the assist.
The Tigers led the low-scoring affair 21-14 at the break..
The Tigers opened the second half in style as senior Braeden Hinton lobbed a perfect alley-oop pass from the left wing over the top of the Warrensburg defense into the hands of Gayman. The prized forward flushed the ball through with authority for an eight point lead. On the ensuing possession Dalton Nappe’s triple cut Nevada’’s advantage to 23-17
The Tigers responded with a 7-2 run, punctuated by a Gayman block that led to a 3-on-1 fastbreak and Carter Swearingen lay-in. Gayman’s third dunk of the contest handed the Tigers a 36-21 lead at the end of three.
Early in the fourth Applegate’s no-look pass in transition led to a Hinton lay-in, putting Nevada in front 40-23. The backbreaker came with 5:24 remaining as Hinton stuck a three from the right wing, giving the Tigers an insurmountable 45-23 lead.
Gayman was held to 10 points under his season scoring average but still dominated the contest, finishing with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks. Applegate chipped in 9 points, 4 assists and 2 steals, while senior forward Hunter Mason added 6 points.
The West Central Conference victory ups Nevada’s record to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in WCC-play, while Warrensburg falls to 5-2 (1-2 WCC).
During his postgame radio interview Gray said Thursday’s superb effort ranked as the best half-court, man-to-man defense he’s “seen from this group.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of our defensive effort,” said the fourth-year Tiger head coach. “Really taking away everything Warrensburg wanted to do. They were constantly trying to make adjustments to find ways to score. It was one of the finest defensive performances we’ve had in the last three or four years.”
Gray said his squad was “locked in mentally.”
“On the defensive end, when you’re locked in mentally, it makes the physical side of it so much easier — and it sure looked that way tonight.”
Added Gray: “Warrensburg has some good 3-point shooters, and I thought we did as good of job as we’ve done all year getting out to shooters and getting a hand in their face.”
Gray had high praise for Applegate, who provided a major lift for the Tigers off the bench.
“He’s a spark every time he comes into the game,” noted Gray. ”Logan has a great basketball mind, and a good feel for the game. He’s able to really read things from the bench and see how the opponent is defending. And then when he comes in, he’s ready to attack. Most teams don’t realize what he’s capable of.”
Nevada’s junior varsity (3-5) fell to Warrensburg, 33-30. For Nevada, junior guard Jayden Ast finished with a team-high 10 points, while Noah Cheaney added 7, and Trey Beachler, 6.
Nevada, however, took two of the three contests, as the Tiger freshman team dispatched Warrensburg 42-28, improving to 8-0. Nevada was led by freshmen Logan and Lane McNeley, who tallied 11 points apiece. In addition, Applegate logged two quarters in the freshman game, dropping in 10 points.
Up next
Nevada returns to the court tonight at 7 p.m., as the Tigers are slated to tangle with host Webb City in the 4-State Challenge’s headline matchup.
Correction: This version of the story is updated from the print edition, which incorrectly states the game took place Thursday night