Warhorses vanquish Red Raiders in playoff opener
Owen advances with 71-62 victory over Andrews
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 26, 2025
A style of basketball that led to an 18-6 regular season record and a second place finish in the Western Highlands Conference continued paying off, Feb. 25, as No. 10 Owen toppled No. 23 T.W. Andrews, 71-62, in the opening round of the postseason.
Led by 28 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds from junior guard Asante Martin, the Warhorses advanced to the second round of the NCHSAA 2A Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament for the first time since 2017.
Owen was tested early by the Red Raiders, who established a 33-20 advantage midway through the second quarter. An aggressive Warhorse perimeter defense forced a series of Andrews turnovers, as the home team cut the lead to 4 before the half.
“The third quarter is when we win,” head coach Joe Valencia told his team at the break. “We just got to go out there and knock it out. Whoever brings the most energy is going to win the game.”
The team responded with a flurry of buckets in the opening minutes of the frame, as a contested floater by senior Jack Wesley Burk, who finished the contest with 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, cut the tally to 38-36. Martin evened the score with a layup in traffic on the team’s next possession.
Senior point guard Eli Lewkowicz, who registered 11 points and 6 assists against the Red Raiders, then put the Warhorses ahead, 41-38, with one of two 3-pointers in the game. He followed that with a steal and assist to Martin, pushing Owen’s lead to 5.
Andrews battled back to within 2 points, before a 3-pointer by senior Tony Burgin, who finished 3 for 6 from the behind the arc, extended the Owen lead. While the Red Raiders again the cut the lead to 2 in the fourth quarter, a quick Warhorse burst, accentuated by tough bucket and subsequent free throw for Burk, put Owen ahead, 67-60.
The Warhorses, who hit 11 of 20 free throw attempts in the contest, overcame constant pressure by the Andrews defense in the final minute to clinch the victory in front of the crowded gymnasium.
The victory was “huge” for the players, according to Valencia, as he exited the adjacent auxiliary gym where his players cheered loudly after the game.
“These guys are laying the foundation to put Owen basketball back where it needs to be, and I couldn’t be more proud of them,” he said. “They have taken it upon themselves to do all the things necessary to succeed. They buy in and they believe.”
Valencia credited his players’ ability to remain within the flow of the game for Owen’s strong second half showing.
“They took care of the basketball and ran the offense,” he said. “They didn’t force shots, and took only good shots most of the game.”
Those opportunities come from sharing the ball, he continued.
“We know who will be where, and if they get to their spot it will be a high percentage shot,” Valencia said. “And, when you look at the numbers, we had two guys with 6 assists and another with 5. That’s not easy to do in high school basketball, and that means we’re sharing the ball all the time.”
Owen will head to Shelby at 7 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28, to face the No. 7 Golden Lions in the second round. Shelby enters the contest with a 19-7 mark, following a 69-53 victory over R-S Central in the postseason opener.
“We’ll be tested again,” Valencia said. “We have to work hard in practice, come in and dump the tank everyday. That’s the way we’ve been doing things all season, so we’re going to stick with it.”
Photos of Owen’s victory in the first round of the 2025 NCHSAA 2A Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.