Triton Athletics

Friday, December 20, 2025 WINAMAC, Ind. — Entering Friday night as the underdog in the eyes of the pundits, the Triton Trojans didn't just win; they made a statement. Fueled by a perceived lack of respect and orchestrated by senior point guard Landon Patrick's nine-steal masterclass, Triton utilized a suffocating defensive press and a clinical interior performance from senior forward Jayden Overmyer to dismantle the previously unbeaten Winamac Warriors, 54–32, in a Hoosier North Athletic Conference showdown. The victory improved Triton to 6-1 overall and a perfect 3-0 in conference play while handing the Warriors (5-1, 2-1 HNAC) their first loss of the season and their lowest offensive output of 2025-26. "I think we can thank John Harrell a little bit," Triton head coach Jason Groves said, referencing the popular analyst whose prediction algorithm favored Winamac 54-43. "I think that gave our kids a little extra motivation. They were insulted by that. Just where we've been as a program and how we played against these guys last year—they came out and did what we needed to do." Defensive Masterclass The tone was set in the opening moments by Landon Patrick. Described by Groves as the “Master of Chaos," Patrick was the engine behind a defensive unit that forced consecutive turnovers to spark a 9-0 run after Winamac's early 4-0 lead. Patrick finished with a staggering nine steals and seven assists, orchestrating a transition game that the Warriors simply couldn't track. “Landon was dialed in tonight,” Groves said. “All the steals, all the assists—just an all-around great job leading our team tonight and providing that positive energy.” Patrick's defensive havoc helped Triton race to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter, highlighted by senior Gage Riffle's (The Mailman) buzzer-beating three-pointer. The sequence began with Patrick stealing the ball and recovering it with just seconds remaining before finding Riffle for the open look. Weathering the Storm The game wasn't without its friction. A double technical foul involving Riffle and Winamac's Sean Stark early in the second quarter threatened to derail the Trojans' rhythm, creating a lengthy delay that tested their composure. "We had to fight through some adversity there in that long delay," Groves said. "I thought that delay hurt us a little bit. We had a lot of momentum going. We just got to learn how to play through that and not get to that point where we have the delay, where we get the technical foul and just keep our composure. We bounced back after that and did a nice job extending the lead." The Warriors' offense never found its footing against Triton's length and pressure, shooting a dismal 26.2% from the field (11-of-42) and a frigid 16.7% from three-point range (3-of-18). By the time the halftime horn blew, Triton held a commanding 29-14 advantage, built on 16 points off turnovers and relentless transition opportunities. Overmyer Anchors the Interior While the guards created havoc on the perimeter, senior forward Jayden Overmyer (The Jet) anchored the paint with a team-high 16 points on efficient shooting while narrowly missing a double-double with seven rebounds. The performance marked another step forward for Overmyer, who responded to an earlier challenge from his coach. "That's one thing with Jaden. I think he's just going to keep getting better as the year progresses," Groves said. "I kind of got on him last game. I put one of the keys on the board is, you know, no show Jo's got to show up. But just as a joke, it was to get him a little extra motivation. He's really responded. He's just an athlete in there and gives another guy you have to guard and worry about." Overmyer showcased that athleticism with multiple highlight-reel plays, including an alley-oop that had the TTSN broadcast team joking "the FAA didn't allow him to land." Balanced Attack Overwhelms Warriors Triton's offensive philosophy focused on ball movement and precision, recording 16 assists on 20 made field goals. Sophomore Brady Wood (Brady Buckets) provided the secondary punch with 13 points—including a clinical 5-of-6 performance from the charity stripe—while Riffle delivered 11 points, highlighted by three timely triples. Sophomore Jamison Swanson added six points on a pair of triples, continuing his strong perimeter shooting that has become a reliable weapon in Triton's arsenal. Any hope of a Winamac comeback, led by senior Justin Potthoff's team-high eight points, was extinguished by the fourth quarter as Triton's lead ballooned to 25 points. The Warriors' 32-point total marked their lowest offensive output of the season, a testament to a Triton defense that prioritized winning the "basket area" and limiting second-chance opportunities. “That was one thing we talked about,” Groves said. “They rebound really well, so we knew we had to win the boards and win the basket area. Our kids did a really good job of taking that away.” Trophy Stays in Bourbon The victory allowed Triton to retain the HNAC traveling trophy for the 13th consecutive game, the longest streak since the conference introduced the hardware. When Groves brought the trophy to Winamac, his players joked that he didn't need to bring it. "We brought the trophy and the guys are like, 'Oh, you don't even need to bring that. Go put that back,'" Groves said with a smile. "Like, we got to bring it." Looking Ahead Despite the impressive road statement, Groves knows his team must continue to elevate their performance with a challenging schedule ahead, including upcoming tests against LaVille and Class 1A No. 1 Kouts. "We're not going to win these games staying at this level," Groves said. "We got to raise our level each and every practice." Triton returns home after the holiday break to host LaVille on Tuesday, January 6 at 7:30 pm, while Winamac will look to bounce back when they host North Newton on Tuesday, December 23 at 2:30 pm. • TRITON 54, WINAMAC 32 At Winamac TRITON: Jayden Overmyer 7-8 2-7 16; Brady Wood 3-9 5-6 13; Gage Riffle 4-6 0-0 11; Jamison Swanson 2-3 0-0 6; Landon Patrick 2-6 0-0 4; Julian Swanson 1-8 0-0 2; Isaac Quintana 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 20-44 7-15 54. WINAMAC: Justin Potthoff 3-8 0-3 8; Jaybin Hines 1-6 4-5 6; Will Malchow 3-11 0-1 6; Parker Zeider 2-9 1-2 6; Sean Stark 1-5 2-4 4; Ethan Burgess 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 11-42 7-15 32. Triton 17. 12. 13. 12. - 54 Winamac 6. 8. 10. 8. - 32 3-point goals: Triton 7-21 (Gage Riffle 3-5; Jamison Swanson 2-3; Brady Wood 2-7; Landon Patrick 0-1; Julian Swanson 0-4; Blayze Hensley 0-1), Winamac 3-18 (Justin Potthoff 2-5; Parker Zeider 1-5; Jaybin Hines 0-3; Will Malchow 0-2; Sean Stark 0-1; Ethan Burgess 0-2). Total Fouls: Triton 14, Winamac 15. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Triton 32 (Jayden Overmyer 7, Julian Swanson 5, Brady Wood 5, Jamison Swanson 4, Gage Riffle 2, Landon Patrick 2, Isaac Quintana 1, Max Johnson 1, Team 5), Winamac 30 (Will Malchow 6, Parker Zeider 5, Ethan Burgess 5, Jaybin Hines 4, Justin Potthoff 3, Sean Stark 1, Johnathan Kletz 1, Hunter Haschel 1, Team 4). Assists: Triton 16 (Landon Patrick 7, Julian Swanson 5, Jamison Swanson 2, Jayden Overmyer 1, Brady Wood 1), Winamac 3 (Ethan Burgess 2, Will Malchow 1). Turnovers: Triton 12, Winamac 19. Steals: Triton 15 (Landon Patrick 9, Jayden Overmyer 2, Gage Riffle 1, Julian Swanson 1, Jamison Swanson 1, Isaac Quintana 1), Winamac 7 (Sean Stark 2, Ethan Burgess 2, Jaybin Hines 1, Will Malchow 1, Justin Potthoff 1). Blocks: Triton 2 (Jayden Overmyer 1, Julian Swanson 1), Winamac 3 (Will Malchow 2, Ethan Burgess 1). Records: Triton 6–1 (3–0 HNAC), Winamac 5–1 (2–1 HNAC). Next: LaVille @ Triton (Tue., Jan. 6, 7:30 pm); North Newton @ Winamac (Tue., Dec. 23, 2:30 pm). Article writing assisted by AI Media outlets and fans are encouraged to share our posts on Facebook; however, you may not reproduce the articles or accompanying images on your own website.