GLASGOW – First-year South Warren boys’ basketball coach Jason Holland spent most of an extremely condensed preseason, plus whatever practice time the Spartans can muster, instilling a defense-first mentality in his new team.

It’s a lesson South Warren has learned, as it proved again Tuesday at Barren County. The Spartans held the Trojans to a season-low point total to pick up an impressive 40-36 win over what has been one of the best teams in Region 4 this season.

Employing a stifling 2-3 zone throughout the night, South Warren (7-3) limited Barren County’s offensive possessions and make the Trojans work hard for most of what they did get.

Now it’s back to working on offense for the Spartans.

“We’ve just got to make some easier shots,” Holland said. “I thought we left some baskets out on the floor – quality shots, just not making them. Our defense is our calling card. We’re probably giving up about 45 a game, top five in the state right now. We got 80 hung on us the first game by Greenwood.”

South Warren jumped out to a 13-7 first-quarter lead with some accurate 3-point shooting. That lead was 23-16 by halftime, sparked by Cooper Myers’ eight points in the first two quarters.

Luke Burton (game-high 13 points) stretched that lead to 28-16 in the third quarter with a trey and a pair of made free throws, but the Trojans finally started to find its shooting touch. A pair of 3-pointers by Barren’s Taye Poynter helped his team outscore the Spartans 9-2 to close out the third and trail just 30-27.

Barren County, winners of eight straight entering the night, including a 63-59 triple-overtime win over Warren Central on Saturday, kept up the pressure in the fourth. Another Poytner 3-pointer – this one from NBA range – gave his team its first lead of the night at 34-32 with 5:50 to play.

The Spartans regained the lead with just 1:17 to go when Tayshaun Jones completed a three-point play to put his team up two. The Trojans then turned the ball over on its ensuing possession, and South Warren’s Jason Putman hit both ends of a one and a bonus free-throw opportunity to set the final score at 40-36.

“It feels good winning any game, but I feel like our new mentality is trying to be the best defensive team we can be, hold teams down as low as we can,” Burton said.

Burton was the only Spartan to hit double digits in points, but South Warren mustered enough offense to win its fourth straight.

“As a new coach, I’ve probably given our kids a little too much offense,” Holland said. “And we’re not really good at any of it. We can run it, but we’re not perfect at it like Barren County is. They run their stuff really well. So that’s going to be our focus these next four weeks, just trying to get better on offense and put that with our defense.”

South Warren returns to action Friday at home against state-ranked No. 1 Bowling Green.

Barren County (11-4) hosts Clinton County on Thursday.

SWHS 13 10 7 10 – 40

BCHS 7 9 11 9 – 36

SW – Burton 13, Myers 8, Jones 7, Veltkamp 6, Putman 4, Rowe 2.

BC – Poynter 11, Griggs 8, L. Stephens 5, Brooks 4, Withrow 4, Miller 2, Murphy 2.{&end}