The Warren Central Lady Warriors conclude their 2019-20 season after losing to Lawrence North in Sectional semifinals, 34-45, ending with a final record of 16-7 and 4-3 in conference play.

     This loss marks the end of the girls’ journey, however, the girls were able to have a strong season and showed improvement from last year. While last season the girls were able to remain undefeated in conference play, this season they were not able to accomplish that goal. At the beginning of the season, the ladies were unable to find their footing and often found themselves behind in games. However, as the season continued on, the team was able to become more consistent, going on a six-game win streak prior to concluding their season.

     Before facing the Lawrence North Wildcats in the regular season, the girls had a six-game win streak after defeating schools like Zionsville, 83-25, and Franklin Central, 53-42, during home games. In addition, the girls were also able to defeat conference opponents Lawrence Central, 64-52, and North Central, 44-42. While both of these were close games, the ladies never let their energy down and pushed hard to secure these wins. 

     “What I believe the team is most proud of is always having each other back and having each other backs during the tough losses as well as the successful wins,” senior K’Ja Talley said.

      Showing major improvement from the first half of the season, where the girls consistently struggled to stay constant against the teams they faced, the team played cohesively and were strong opponents against everyone and gained momentum as they crossed into postseason play.

     During the semifinals, the Lady Warriors and Lady Wildcats played a hard and close game that ultimately ended with the conclusion of one of the team's seasons. In the first half, the Warriors were up 18-15; however, by the end of the third quarter, the Warriors had fallen behind. Despite their best efforts in the fourth quarter, they were outscored by nine points by the conclusion of the game, putting an end to their season.

     While losing in Sectionals is tough for teams, the Lady Warriors believe they had a formidable season as they were able to defeat a variety of teams including the Pike Red Devils, the Carmel Greyhounds and the Lawrence Central Bears, as well as accomplish multiple things as a team and as individuals.

     Standout freshman Sanaa’ Thomas was also able to claim and secure varsity playing time. Throughout the season, Thomas was one of the top scorers for the Warriors with an average of 6.2 points per game, often reaching double digits, and playing 23 total games. Thomas proved to be a strong addition to the team and was supported by teammates, staff and parents alike. 

     Although the team will be losing strong players due to graduation, they look to continue to be strong next year. Senior India Perry hopes to leave a lasting impact on the future players that go through Warren Central Girls Basketball.

     “I will inspire the players for next year by telling them to make a name for yourself on and off the court because when you do people are not just going to look at you as just a player, they are going to look at you outside of that,” Perry said. “Character is everything and you always want people to see you as your character not a category.”