New London took down New Berlin Eisenhower 43-39 in the division 2 title game. It featured two teams who were undefeated coming in. New London wins their second straight state title. Bridget Pethke turned in a memorable performance coming up with a tournament record 9 steals. She also played man to man defense on Eisenhower star Nicole Bauman, who had to earn everyone of her 14 points. It was a game that went back and forth in the 4th quarter afgter New London had led most of the way.

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It’s a battle of the last two D2 state champs.. and if y0u like great defensive battles.. chances are you’ll like tonight’s D2 championship from the Kohl Center. New Berlin Eisenhower against New London.

New London jumps out to a 20-13 lead at the half.  The Bulldogs haven’t allowed a three point shot to go down (NB is 0-4).  Eisenhower is shooting just over 28%. But to the Lions’ credit they aren’t allowing much either. New London is shooting 34%. Both teams have forced 14 turnovers.  It’s 27-23 near the end of the 3rd quarter. Should be an exciting final quarter from the Kohl Center.

What a game! New Berlin Eisenhower has just taken a 32-31 lead with about 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Future Badger Nicole Bauman has 10 turnovers but a team high 9 points.

Now with 1:11 left, it’s tied at 37. Bauman has 8 of her team’s 12 points this quarter.

The Bulldogs are in great position. Morgan Steinert hits a couple of huge free throws. New London by five with 10 seconds left.

It’s official. New London wins its 2nd straight state championship. Congrats to both teams on a great season and a great game. 43-39 is the final.

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Heritage Christian and Neillsville have already won state titles on Championship Saturday.  Now, Oostburg and Kewaunee compete for the Division 3 gold ball.

Kewaunee with a 27-25 lead with 4:45 to go in the 3rd.

Kewaunee tied a d3 record with 8 3 pointers in this game.

 Kewaunee has a 7 pt lead with 11.4 seconds to go in the 4th. 

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Good morning, girls basketball fans, and welcome to the Kohl Center and Championship Saturday.  We’ll get things started with Division 5, as Owen-Withee takes on Heritage Christian.

O-W defeated Newman Catholic (Wausau) in the D5, semis, behind 22 points from Aleyna Goerlitz, with Alyssa Gordon chipping in with 11.  Heritage Christian was a 50-41 winner over Seneca, with Moriah Begin leading the way with 15 points, while teammate Ramiyah Bennett added 14.

O-W is at state for the 8th time; the Blackhawks have finished second in 1988, 2003, & 2005.  Heritage Christian is making its first-ever appearance at state.  O-W head coach Al Guthman is in his 41st season of coaching, and his career win total of 630 is tops among all Wisconsin girls basketball coaches.  Guthman is in his 36th season at Owen-Withee.  Terry Bennett has been a varsity high school coach for four seasons, and is 80-13 in that time.  Bennett’s record in three seasons at Heritage Christian is 60-11.

Starting lineups:

Owen-Withee

15 Bailey Karaba
22 Emily Heggemeier
23 Kenadi Batchelor
34 Alyssa Gordon
40 Aleyna Goerlitz 

Heritage Christian

1 Ramiyah Bennett
13 Moriah Begin
23 Jamera Sandifer
24 Jazmine Harris
33 Tiersa Gillie

Bryon Graff of WAOW-TV in Wausau has the play-by-play call of this game on the statewide network, with River Ridge H.S. coach Caron Townsend providing color commentary.

Heritage Christian’s pressure has led to 4 O-W turnovers in the early going, as the Patriots have jumped out to a 5-0 lead. 

Al Guthman’s timeout pays dividends, as the Blackhawks close the gap to 9-8.

The 1st quarter pace is more to HC’s liking, but O-W is staying close.  The Patriots lead 20-14 after one, behind 8  points from Jazmine Harris, and 6 from Jamera Sandifer.  Bailey Karaba has 5 points to lead O-W.

The scoring pace has slowed down in the 2nd, but Heritage Christian remains on top.

As soon as I typed those words about the pace, the teams trade buckets on 4 straight trips down the court. 

HC can score quickly, as a Moriah Begin steal and bucket expends the Patriots’ lead to 10.  O-W responds with a 3.  Once the Blackhawks get past the initial wave of pressure, they’re able to move the ball to create open looks.  HC leads, 21-14, w/ 1:24 left in the half.

Begin is beginning to heat up for HC, as she connects on a transition layup and 3-pointer.  She and Harris each have 12 points, while Sandifer has 10 for the Patriots, who lead Owen-Withee, 40-25 at the half.   Stephany Heggemeir leads O-W with 9 points off the bench, while Karaba has 6.

HC has stretched its lead in the 3rd quarter to 24, as the Patriots continue to score in transition.  HC’s pressure has led to 22 O-W turnovers.

The Blackhawks have battled from start to finish, but the Patriots are simply too talented .  HC leads O-W after 3, 58-37.

Heritage Christian captures its first-ever WIAA girls basketball title, with a 79-51 win over Owen-Withee.  Jazmine Harris has 17 for HC, with Moriah Begin adding 15, Jamera Sandifer 14, and Tiersa Gillie 10.  Bailey Karaba leads O-W with 13 points, with Alyssa Gordon adding 11, and Stephany Heggemeier 9.

Next up on the court: Division 4, as Neillsville takes on Oshkosh Lourdes.

-BOB BRADOVICH

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It’s the final semifinal game of the 37th annual girls WIAA state basketball tournament.  Milwaukee King and Middleton are set to tip off.  The winner moves on to play De Pere in Saturday’s Division 1 title game.

The Final Countdown is being played by the Middleton band so I can tell I’m in the right place.

A big hello to the Mark Bronson fans out there.  He’s a photographer at WXOW-TV in La Crosse.  He’s helping out this week.   Tonight he’s working under the basket and he looks like he’s pumped up and ready to get this game started!

Some background on the teams.  Middleton is here for the 5th year in a row and 8th overall.  The Cardinals were 2nd in ’93 and 2003.  They won the Sun Prairie sectional.

Milwaukee King is making its 4th overall appearance at state.  It’s the first time the Lady Generals have been here since 2009.  That’s when they were runner-up to Milwaukee Vincent.  I remember that being a great game.  The Vikings won 48-47, marking the last of 3 straight D1 titles.  I remember the players lining up after the game, arm in arm, in a great moment.  King won the Whitefish Bay sectional to advance to Madison.

 The King boys were here at state last week and finished runner-up to Germantown.

Here’s a link to a JSOnline article on how King made it to state.

Click here for a Madison.com article on how Middleton advanced.

 Middleton out to an early lead.  17-8 Cardinals after 1.

 Here are your Friday semifinal final scores courtesy of the WIAA.

Friday, March 23 – Semifinals – Divisions 3 – 2 – 1

Division 3 – 9:05 a.m.

Game-1: Kewaunee (23-4) 38; Barron (21-6) 18 – Boxscore

Game-2:  Oostburg (23-4) 54; East Troy (24-3) 38   - Boxscore

Division 2 – 1:35 p.m.

Game-1:  New London (27-0) 52;  vs. Notre Dame (21-6 ) 34 – Boxscore 

Game-2:  New Berlin Eisenhower (27-0) 47; Reedsburg Area (23-4) 28  – Boxscore

Division 1 – 6:35 p.m.

Game-1: Pere (23-4) 49; Oshkosh West (20-7) 37 – Boxscore

Game-2:  Middleton (21-5) vs. Milwaukee King (20-6) – in progress

At the half.. Middleton leads 28-27.

The King drum line makes its return to the Kohl Center.  They were here last week for the boys.  2 thumbs up!

 Now it’s the Middleton dance team.  They finished 17th in the nation in a meet in Orlando.

A look ahead to Saturday’s lineup.

Saturday, March 24 – Championship Saturday

Session 1 – 11:05 a.m.

Division 5 – Owen-Withee (25-3) vs. Heritage Christian (23-4)

Division 4 – Oshkosh Lourdes (26-1) vs. Neillsville (27-0)

Division 3 – Kewaunee (23-4) vs. Oostburg (23-4)

Session 2 – 6:35 p.m.

Division 2 – New London (27-0) vs New Berlin Eisenhower (27-0)

Division 1 – De Pere (23-4) vs. Winner of Middleton (21-5) vs. Milwaukee King (20-6)

This game keeps going back and forth.  Every time Middleton comes up with a big shot, King comes right back and scores.  Last check it’s a 56-56 tie at the 6:51 mark of the 4th.

The fans are getting their money’s worth.  Completely back and forth.  Middleton keeps going strong to the basket.  King comes back on the other end with a lay-up.  Then a jumper.  Timeout at 5:57.  62-60 King.

74-73 King.  Middleton went to the free throw line for 1 and 1 bonus but missed the front end.  King has the ball w/less than 30 seconds to go.

Foul on Passini for Middleton.  King at the line. Alexis Eckles makes a pair.  Cards final chance. Liz McMahon tried a 3 but it was deflected.  Middleton has to foul.  5.6 seconds left.  Simonne Salter shooting 2.  Good on the 1st.  4 pt game.  77-73.  Good on the 2nd.

The Cardinals miss a 3 at the buzzer and King moves into the championship game, 78-73.  A very well played game.  Middleton finishes the season with a 21-6 mark.  King improves to 21-6 and will play De Pere tomorrow night.  We’ll chat again tomorrow morning at 11:05 when Owen-Withee and Heritage Christian kick off our Championship Saturday telecast.

Bryon Graff

Follow on twitter @bgraff_waow

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It’s time for division one at the Kohl Center.  The De Pere girls, winners of the Fox River Classic conference crown, take on Fox Valley Association’s Oshkosh West.

De Pere takes a 10-5 lead after one. That lead has ballooned to 15-7. Morgan Anderson leads the way with 5 points.

Oshkosh West has closed the gap. With just under two minutes to go until halftime, West is back within two. Marina Hereford leads the way with 5 points.

DePere up 29-20 now midway through the 3rd. Make it 34-25 after the 3rd. Oshkosh West has two players with 7 points — Marina Hereford and Michelle Nieman. De Pere’s Morgan Anderson has 12 and Jessica Splittgerber has 7.

It appears De Pere will be moving on to face either Middleton or Milwaukee King in tomorrow night’s D1 state championship. The Redbirds have a 12 point lead over Oshkosh West with 2 minutes to go.

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Kewaunee and Oostburg dialed up impressive performances in Friday’s semifinals. Kewaunee held Barron to just 18 points and 12.5% shooting for the game.
Oostburg on the other hand used their height advantage to slow down fast-breaking East Troy. Oostburg set a div. 3 tournament record with 11 blocked shots. They also held East Troy to 26.5% shooting. Oostburg won’t have the distinct height advantage they had against East Troy when they take on Kewaunee. Both teams match up size-wise. Not only that but both teasm were here at state last year. Kewaunee lost in the state title game. Oostburg was in the division 4 field in 2011.
Oostburg will be shooting for their 4th state title and Kewaunee their first. Tip-oo aroiund 2:30pm Saturday.

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It is nearly time for tip-off for this D2 semifinal. Jake Zimmermann here from WKOW-TV in Madison. Over the next hour and a half I’ll continue to post updates on this game as the action continues from the Kohl Center.

 A few players to keep an eye on. Tara Knapstein for New London is the Bay conference player of the year. The future UW-Parkside player is averaging over 14 points and nearly six rebounds per game. Notre Dame is led by Allison LeClaire who was averages nearly 18 points per game. Brianna Byrne for Notre Dame also averages just over 13 PPG.

New London has jumped out to a 13-8 lead thanks to the Bridget Pethke show. The senior guard comes in averaging 9.3 PPG but she has already exceeded that average 5 minutes into the game!  Pethke is 3-3 from 3 pt range, 4-4 overall. 11 points for Pethke has the Bulldogs up by five.

New London up 23-22 at the half. Pethke still with 11 points. Brianna Byrne leads Notre Dame with 9.

New London now up 30-24 with 3:30 left in 3rd.

It’s going to take a bit of a comeback by Notre Dame to pull this one out.  New London takes a 35-29 lead into the 4th quarter.

I said a “bit of a comeback”. Make that a big comeback. It’s New London by 13 with 4 minutes to go.  Bridget Pethke (16 points) and Tara Knapstein (15) lead New London.

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Kewaunee awaits the winner of this Div. 3 semifinal between Oostburg and East Troy.

East Troy jumped out to an early lead but Oostburg has come back and taken over thanks in large part to Abby VanSteele.   The junior forward is 6-7 from the field and leads the Flying Dutchmen with 13 points.  It is 28-21 Oostburg just before the half.

Oostburg continues to extend its lead in the 3rd. 34-23 over East Troy right now w 4 min left in quarter.

East Troy has come back again. The Trojans refusing to back down have created a couple of turnovers over the last minute and have trimmed the Oostburg lead to 40-36 with 6 and a half minutes to go.

The Flying Dutchmen have officially flown away with this one. They’ve gone on 12-2 run and are up by 15 with :25 to go. Congrats to Oostburg who will face Kewaunee in the Division 3 state championship tomorrow.

Actually it just ended. Final score Oostburg 54, East Troy 38.

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After an exciting D4 Semifinal that saw Oshkosh Lourdes hold off Regis in OT, we turn our attention to who Lourdes will face in the D4 title game on Saturday — either Neillsville or Howards Grove.

 After one quarter Neillsville has a 10-7 lead.  Jenny Lindner and Caitlynne Naughton each with 4 first quarter points.

A big three pointer by Alexis Lindstrom for Howards Grove has tied the game at 12.

It’s all knotted at 19 at the half. Lindner and Naughton with 6 for Neillsville. Lindstrom with 8 for Howards Grove.

It’s been a flurry of activity to close out the 3rd quarter. Neillsville went up by 7 but Howards Grove came storming back to get within one. After 3 it’s 33-29 Neillsville.

Neillsville has pulled ahead and has beaten Howards Grove 53-41. It will be Neillsville against Oshkosh Lourdes for the Division 4 state championship on Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center.

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