SOUTH WAYNE - The Lady Warriors kept their unbeaten streak alive, dominating Albany from start to finish and winning a WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal game 71-39.
"We started very fast," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "Our pressure was up and we pushed the tempo."
Bailey Butler led all scorers with 22 points and four 3-pointers. Natalie Leuzinger had 19 points and three 3s for top-ranked Black Hawk (24-0). Black Hawk led 42-13 at the half.
"That's a product of a lot of kids putting one another in great opportunities to make a play," Flanagan said of top-scorer Butler, a freshman.
Haley Freitag and Payton Zurfluh scored 11 points each for Albany, and junior Megan Anderson hit three 3s in the second half.
"I have a great deal of respect for coach (Derik) Doescher and the way he gets his kids to compete," Flanagan said of the Comets head coach. "I commend him for really turning the Albany program around in his first year."
The Comets finish the season with a 10-14 record a year after going 4-19. Doescher had coached the boys program for years and decided to step into the head role of the girls program in hopes of turning it around.
Up next for Black Hawk: Argyle. The Orioles finished the season tied for second in the Six Rivers East, three games behind the Warriors. The regional championship game will be at 7 p.m. tonight at Black Hawk High School.
"Argyle has good size with (Jena) Saalsaa, and (Kirsten) Ostby just had a great game the other night against Cambria-Friesland," Flanagan said. "They are coming in here ready to play. We better be ready."
Argyle 55,
Randolph 39
ARGYLE - The Argyle girls basketball team knocked down six of its nine 3-pointers in the first half to spark the Orioles to a 55-39 victory over Randolph in a WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal game Friday.
Argyle juniors Jena Saalsaa, Alysabeth Lantz and Kirsten Ostby each scored a team-high 13 points. Sophomore teammate McKenzee Granberg added 11 and buried three 3-pointers.
"We always talk about playing inside-out," Argyle coach Kurt Ritschard said. "We did a good job of attacking the paint and kicking it out and our shooters were knocking them down."
With the win, Argyle (17-5) advances and will play a WIAA Division 5 regional final game at Black Hawk tonight.
The Orioles jumped out to a 32-16 lead at the half. Argyle relied on its press to set the tempo.
"Our press didn't get us a lot of steals and turnovers," Ritschard said. "Our press really sped them up and made them shoot quick shots."
Now, the Orioles will get a rematch against unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Black Hawk. The Warriors cruised to two 30-point wins over the Orioles in the regular season.
"We have to keep our turnovers at a minimum and close out on their 3-point shooters," Ritschard said of Black Hawk. "If we can do that we should be in a better position than the first two games when they blew us out. I really think we are clicking at the right time right now. Our team concepts of basketball have shown the last two games. We just have to go there, play loose and just go up there and give it our best."
In other action, Cambridge edged New Glarus 60-55 in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal game.
"We started very fast," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said. "Our pressure was up and we pushed the tempo."
Bailey Butler led all scorers with 22 points and four 3-pointers. Natalie Leuzinger had 19 points and three 3s for top-ranked Black Hawk (24-0). Black Hawk led 42-13 at the half.
"That's a product of a lot of kids putting one another in great opportunities to make a play," Flanagan said of top-scorer Butler, a freshman.
Haley Freitag and Payton Zurfluh scored 11 points each for Albany, and junior Megan Anderson hit three 3s in the second half.
"I have a great deal of respect for coach (Derik) Doescher and the way he gets his kids to compete," Flanagan said of the Comets head coach. "I commend him for really turning the Albany program around in his first year."
The Comets finish the season with a 10-14 record a year after going 4-19. Doescher had coached the boys program for years and decided to step into the head role of the girls program in hopes of turning it around.
Up next for Black Hawk: Argyle. The Orioles finished the season tied for second in the Six Rivers East, three games behind the Warriors. The regional championship game will be at 7 p.m. tonight at Black Hawk High School.
"Argyle has good size with (Jena) Saalsaa, and (Kirsten) Ostby just had a great game the other night against Cambria-Friesland," Flanagan said. "They are coming in here ready to play. We better be ready."
Argyle 55,
Randolph 39
ARGYLE - The Argyle girls basketball team knocked down six of its nine 3-pointers in the first half to spark the Orioles to a 55-39 victory over Randolph in a WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal game Friday.
Argyle juniors Jena Saalsaa, Alysabeth Lantz and Kirsten Ostby each scored a team-high 13 points. Sophomore teammate McKenzee Granberg added 11 and buried three 3-pointers.
"We always talk about playing inside-out," Argyle coach Kurt Ritschard said. "We did a good job of attacking the paint and kicking it out and our shooters were knocking them down."
With the win, Argyle (17-5) advances and will play a WIAA Division 5 regional final game at Black Hawk tonight.
The Orioles jumped out to a 32-16 lead at the half. Argyle relied on its press to set the tempo.
"Our press didn't get us a lot of steals and turnovers," Ritschard said. "Our press really sped them up and made them shoot quick shots."
Now, the Orioles will get a rematch against unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Black Hawk. The Warriors cruised to two 30-point wins over the Orioles in the regular season.
"We have to keep our turnovers at a minimum and close out on their 3-point shooters," Ritschard said of Black Hawk. "If we can do that we should be in a better position than the first two games when they blew us out. I really think we are clicking at the right time right now. Our team concepts of basketball have shown the last two games. We just have to go there, play loose and just go up there and give it our best."
In other action, Cambridge edged New Glarus 60-55 in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal game.
