MADISON - All good things must come to an end. The same goes for storybook basketball seasons.
Black Hawk's girls basketball team made its first trip to state in rousing fashion, and made its first exit fighting and clawing.
The Warriors fell to Potosi for the second time this season, 49-42, on Friday in the first Division 4 state semifinal game of the day at Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
"Basketball is a game of momentum. A couple of bad passes can turn over the pendulum, and they had the momentum at the end," Black Hawk head coach Mike Flanagan said. "I felt like we didn't take advantage enough of some of the opportunities we had."
Both teams know each other inside and out, having split the season series. It also doesn't hurt that both coaches are good friends.
"Mike Flanagan is a good friend of mine," Chieftains head coach Darby Blakely said. "He's doing a great job with that program. We have nothing but respect for Black Hawk."
Both teams had a game plan in mind. For the Warriors, it was to continue to press the guards and force turnovers, which they did - 13 times in the first half and 23 in the game.
"We forced them to do some things that they didn't want to do. We got some of their better players to make some poor decisions at times," Flanagan said.
Black Hawk took an early lead, going up 6-2 in the first quarter after Potosi rattled off four turnovers in the first four minutes. By the end of the first, the Warriors led 13-12.
In the second quarter, the tide turned toward the Chieftains.
Potosi got a jumper from Morgan Lass (10 points) to take a 14-13 lead. Soon after, Potosi's lead increased by another possession and Black Hawk couldn't catch up by halftime. At the break, the score sat in the Chieftains' favor at 23-21.
"The third quarter was our quarter, I thought," Flanagan said.
The Warriors jumped out when Kim Wellnitz scored the first four points of the second half. After being held to just two points in the first half, Wellnitz scored six in Black Hawk's 13-7 run in the third.
"We had the momentum back on our side," Flanagan said.
That four-point lead soon dissipated. After forcing Potosi into 20 turnovers through the first three quarters, Black Hawk, which had just 12 turnovers at that point, went cold.
Pressing the issue by trying to create too much more action allowed the Warriors to turn the ball over on its first three possessions, leading to Potosi tying the score.
"Potosi was playing such aggressive defense that I think our girls saw potential opportunities. All it takes is a tip, a fingernail at times, and what looked to be a good play opening up turns into a bad pass and a turnover," Flanagan said.
Black Hawk senior Paige Butler saw the fourth quarter a little differently on the floor.
"I think we thought that, 'OK, we have the lead so let's stall.' Then I think we lost focus a little bit," she said.
Before long, Potosi had taken a 42-37 lead. During that stretch, Wellnitz was lost for the game after recording her fifth foul with 2:33 left to play.
"Everyone was wondering, 'Did Kim just foul out?' But yeah, she did," Butler said.
Butler had a putback and Katie Place added another shot in the paint in the closing minutes to trim the score to 42-39, but Potosi went 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 55 seconds.
The Warriors finished just 6-for-12 from the charity stripe, while the Chieftains finished 13-for-21.
"We missed them. That's all I can say," Flanagan said.
Butler finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Melissa Wellnitz scored five points, with three coming on a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to bring the Warriors back to within three points at 45-42.
Junior Kim Wellnitz scored 11 points, had nine rebounds and three blocks. Senior guard Gabi Lehner had nine points, four steals, three assists and a big second-half 3-pointer.
Seniors Hailey Meier and Maria Meives scored two points. All 11 Warriors saw action before the tears were shed after the final buzzer.
Regardless of winning or losing, in the 35 years of girls basketball at Black Hawk, no other team had made it to the state tournament. That accomplishment was shared by all, as the single-game WIAA ticket sales were potentially the highest in Division 4 history thanks to the local rivalry and program support.
"I'm just so proud of these girls. They've done everything we've asked of them," Flanagan said. "I have to compliment the girls on their hearts."
Potosi will play St. Mary Central - a 49-34 winner over Siren on Friday - in Saturday's Division 4 championship game.
Black Hawk's girls basketball team made its first trip to state in rousing fashion, and made its first exit fighting and clawing.
The Warriors fell to Potosi for the second time this season, 49-42, on Friday in the first Division 4 state semifinal game of the day at Alliant Energy Center in Madison.
"Basketball is a game of momentum. A couple of bad passes can turn over the pendulum, and they had the momentum at the end," Black Hawk head coach Mike Flanagan said. "I felt like we didn't take advantage enough of some of the opportunities we had."
Both teams know each other inside and out, having split the season series. It also doesn't hurt that both coaches are good friends.
"Mike Flanagan is a good friend of mine," Chieftains head coach Darby Blakely said. "He's doing a great job with that program. We have nothing but respect for Black Hawk."
Both teams had a game plan in mind. For the Warriors, it was to continue to press the guards and force turnovers, which they did - 13 times in the first half and 23 in the game.
"We forced them to do some things that they didn't want to do. We got some of their better players to make some poor decisions at times," Flanagan said.
Black Hawk took an early lead, going up 6-2 in the first quarter after Potosi rattled off four turnovers in the first four minutes. By the end of the first, the Warriors led 13-12.
In the second quarter, the tide turned toward the Chieftains.
Potosi got a jumper from Morgan Lass (10 points) to take a 14-13 lead. Soon after, Potosi's lead increased by another possession and Black Hawk couldn't catch up by halftime. At the break, the score sat in the Chieftains' favor at 23-21.
"The third quarter was our quarter, I thought," Flanagan said.
The Warriors jumped out when Kim Wellnitz scored the first four points of the second half. After being held to just two points in the first half, Wellnitz scored six in Black Hawk's 13-7 run in the third.
"We had the momentum back on our side," Flanagan said.
That four-point lead soon dissipated. After forcing Potosi into 20 turnovers through the first three quarters, Black Hawk, which had just 12 turnovers at that point, went cold.
Pressing the issue by trying to create too much more action allowed the Warriors to turn the ball over on its first three possessions, leading to Potosi tying the score.
"Potosi was playing such aggressive defense that I think our girls saw potential opportunities. All it takes is a tip, a fingernail at times, and what looked to be a good play opening up turns into a bad pass and a turnover," Flanagan said.
Black Hawk senior Paige Butler saw the fourth quarter a little differently on the floor.
"I think we thought that, 'OK, we have the lead so let's stall.' Then I think we lost focus a little bit," she said.
Before long, Potosi had taken a 42-37 lead. During that stretch, Wellnitz was lost for the game after recording her fifth foul with 2:33 left to play.
"Everyone was wondering, 'Did Kim just foul out?' But yeah, she did," Butler said.
Butler had a putback and Katie Place added another shot in the paint in the closing minutes to trim the score to 42-39, but Potosi went 7-for-8 from the free throw line in the final 55 seconds.
The Warriors finished just 6-for-12 from the charity stripe, while the Chieftains finished 13-for-21.
"We missed them. That's all I can say," Flanagan said.
Butler finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Melissa Wellnitz scored five points, with three coming on a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left to bring the Warriors back to within three points at 45-42.
Junior Kim Wellnitz scored 11 points, had nine rebounds and three blocks. Senior guard Gabi Lehner had nine points, four steals, three assists and a big second-half 3-pointer.
Seniors Hailey Meier and Maria Meives scored two points. All 11 Warriors saw action before the tears were shed after the final buzzer.
Regardless of winning or losing, in the 35 years of girls basketball at Black Hawk, no other team had made it to the state tournament. That accomplishment was shared by all, as the single-game WIAA ticket sales were potentially the highest in Division 4 history thanks to the local rivalry and program support.
"I'm just so proud of these girls. They've done everything we've asked of them," Flanagan said. "I have to compliment the girls on their hearts."
Potosi will play St. Mary Central - a 49-34 winner over Siren on Friday - in Saturday's Division 4 championship game.