ELKHART – The Warsaw boys basketball team will not get any style points for its performance Tuesday night.

What the Tigers will get though is another win to add to their impressive streak.

Warsaw, ranked No. 11 in the AP Class 4-A poll, shook off a slow start to handle host Elkhart Central 46-39 at North Side Gym.

Nick Sands started strong and finished fast to help the Tigers improve to 10-1 on the season with their eighth straight win. The sharpshooting senior guard came off the bench to score a game-high 15 points.

Sophomore Kyle Mangas had 13 points and junior Paul Marandet was strong all-around with eight points and team highs of seven rebounds and three assists for the Tigers.

Treyton Harris, one of only two seniors, led Central with 14 points. Sophomore Cornell Conner had nine points.

Central, which drops to 3-6, pulled within 39-37 with 1:46 to play on a trey by junior Clinton Parker. Warsaw then scored the next seven points, going 7-9 from the free throw line, to seal the win. Sands hit 4-5 from the line in the final stretch.

Warsaw, which had not played since Jan. 3, also arrived an hour late Tuesday night after its bus had mechanical problems in Goshen. The junior varsity game, which was scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip-off, began at 7:09 p.m.

The Tigers, who have now won their last 11 regular-season meetings versus the Blue Blazers and 13 straight overall, trailed 12-10 after the opening period despite coming out and taking a 10-3 lead early on as Sands scored his team’s first six points, including a very rare four-point play. Central led 22-20 at halftime as Harris had eight points.

Warsaw was sloppy the first half with nine turnovers.

“We were not very good in the first half,” said Warsaw coach Doug Ogle. “We didn’t have any patience on offense and our ball security was horrific. We should have been down more than two at halftime.

“The combination of the two (the 10-day layoff and the late arrival) had to have some affect on us. I’m disappointed because I feel like we took two steps back tonight from being a solid team.”

Sands put Warsaw back into the lead for good just 13 seconds into the second half. His baseline trey gave the Tigers a 23-22 edge. Warsaw outscored Central 15-6 in the third frame as five players scored for the Tigers.

“Nick hit some very timely shots for us tonight,”  noted Ogle.

Warsaw had just three turnovers in playing a much more sound final 16 minutes.

“We showed more poise and patience in the second half,” Ogle remarked. “We slowed down and were more solid fundamentally.

“I think our guys were embarrassed at halftime and determined to do better in the second half. Our fans who drove up here deserved to see better than that first half.”

Central, which lost 71-37 at Warsaw last season, is still trying to find its way under first-year coach Randy DeShone and his deliberate style of offense. DeShone guided Jimtown to the only state championship in Elkhart County history, winning the Class 2-A crown in 2004.

“Central is still a work in progress under coach DeShone,” said Ogle. “They play very pesky defense and their pressure bothered us tonight. I think they are a dangerous team. They almost won at Northridge and they almost beat Elkhart Memorial too.”

Both Warsaw and Central will be in the Class 4-A sectional field back at North Siode Gym come early March.

Jake Mangas had five points, Riley Rhoades three and Rashaan Jackson two for Warsaw.

The Tigers finished 16-31 overall from the field, including 4-10 on threes, and were 10-16 from the line. Central was 15-40 from the field (4-17 on threes) and 5-6 from the stripe.

Warsaw won the junior varsity game 39-15. Braxton Minix had 10 points and Rane Kilburn six to lead the Tigers. Adonis Brown led Central with eight points.

Warsaw plays at Goshen Friday night in a key Northern Lakes Conference clash. Central travels to Mishawaka Friday night for a Northern Indiana Conference game.