Warren Central claims 14th District championship over Bowling Green
The No. 1 Warren Central Dragons downed the No. 12 Bowling Green Purples in a 75-56 win to claim the 14th District title on Friday night. The Dragons have completely disproved the it’s hard to beat a team twice theory, as Friday was its third time claiming victory over the Purples this season.
“They just wanna win,” Warren Central head coach William Unseld said of his group. “That’s what they’ve always done, they just win, and they’re ready for the moment.”
Rivalry Matchup
It’s no question that these teams are rivals. When two top-15 programs are in the same city, you can bet each team wants to get a win over the other. Not only for the stat sheets but also for the power. Being able to continuously assert dominance in your city, district, region and state gives a team that “let the work speak for itself” mentality. The Dragons carry this energy with them, and we can only assume they will continue to throughout the 4th Region tournament.
With that being said, Bowling Green played one heck of a game. They’ve had a chip on their shoulder all season, eager to get that win over their biggest rival and toughest competitor. Although it didn’t happen tonight, they will advance to the 4th Region tournament with the possibility of meeting the Dragons for the fourth time this season.
Coming in Hot
Kade Unseld, who was a huge contributor for the Dragons, led the scoring at 18. Chappelle Whitney followed at 17 and Omari Glover finished at 16, all of whom were named to the 14th District All-Tournament team. These guys were all gas, no breaks to start the first quarter.
Unseld opened the scoring for all teams and Warren Central set the tone from there. The Dragons played diligently and weren’t going to give up any easy buckets.
Although the Purples trailed 25-13 at the end of the first, their energy never died down. They had answers for a lot of buckets by the Dragons in the second quarter and closed the first half trailing by 11 at 39-28.
Staying on Top
Both teams kept their energy up through the third quarter, but this was when Warren Central began to break away and stretch their lead even further.
The Dragons used their extensive athleticism to move the ball constantly. Their maturity and team chemistry allowed for success on both sides of the ball. After Unseld hit a three to close the third quarter leading 64-42, the rest was history for the Dragons. They played a decisive final eight minutes of the game, showcasing their high basketball IQ and feel for the court.
“They’re very mature, they’re focused,” Coach Unseld said. “We’re playing our best basketball right now.”
Unseld, a South Carolina alum, says he lets a lot of his players do the coaching. He credits a lot of the Dragons’ success to the fact that they’re self-reliant and can navigate the waters on their own when the going gets tough.
“They’ve learned how to win without me,” Unseld added. “Now, when I need to inject and let them know what they need to do, that’s just a bonus. We’ve got great kids who understand about winning.”
The Warren Central Dragons lead Region 4 with an 11-0 record. The regional tournament will take place next week at E.A. Diddle Arena at Western Kentucky University.
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