MONTICELLO - Third-seeded Monticello started their postseason run on the right foot, as the Ponies dismantled 14-seed University Lake, 67-32.
Monticello outscored the Lakers by six in both the first and second quarters, to take a 31-19 lead into halftime. The Ponies broke the game open in the third, outscoring University Lake 22-9 in the period. Monticello iced the win with a 14-4 fourth quarter. Monticello coach Mark Olson said his team was able to open up their lead in the second half by being more patient on offense and playing sounder defense.
"In the second half, we were more patient offensively. We were more responsible defensively," he said. "We did a better job of challenging all shots."
Bryce Klitzke led the Ponies with 20 points. Ben May and Lucas Marty joined Klitzke in double figures, scoring 19 and 11, respectively. Patryk Mack was University Lake's leading scorer, with 14 points.
"Ben found himself open early at the three-point line," Olson said. "That kind of stretched their defense. In the second half, (Bryce) did a good job of being patient, waiting for lanes to open up, attacking the basket, and getting to the free throw line."
Monticello advances to the regional semifinals on Friday, when they will host sixth-seeded Catholic Central.
"In tournament time, there are so many unexpected and unknowns," Olson said. "A win is a win this time of year. It's good to have at least two more days of practice and a chance to play another game."
Black Hawk 67, Oakfield 33
SOUTH WAYNE - The second-seeded Black Hawk Warriors kept their momentum rolling Tuesday night, as the Warriors extended their winning streak to 17 games with in the regional quarterfinals.
Black Hawk was sharp on both ends of the floor from the start, as the Warriors outscored Oakfield 16-8, 20-6, and 22-5 in the first three quarters, respectively.
"Offensively, we got into a rhythm early," Black Hawk coach Corey Manlick said. "Cory Rupnow had some strong finishes, Heath Butler and Brett Lovelace had some strong finishes. We made really good decisions with the ball. Our passing the last two games has been outstanding.
"Defensively, we outmanned them. We recognized their shooters and didn't let them get easy points."
Heath Butler was the leading Warrior with 16 points. Rupnow and Lovelace each finished with 12 points. Manlick said it was nice to get a solid contribution from Lovelace off the bench.
"Lovelace provided a spark off the bench," Manlick said. "He was getting to the rack and finishing. He also hit a 10-15 foot jumper. That was good to see from him.
"The whole team contributed tonight. We got some more guys some playing time tonight, and they responded well. Kept the legs fresh for some other guys."
Black Hawk will host No. 7 Cambria-Friesland on Friday in their regional semifinal.
Juda 61, Williams Bay 55
WILLIAMS BAY - Juda senior Cody Suiter hit four consecutive free throws late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach for Williams Bay, as the Panthers collected the road win and advanced to the regional semifinals.
With Juda up just two points with 38 seconds to go in the game, Suiter hauled in a rebound on the defensive end and was fouled. He made both free throws at the other end. Williams Bay then brought the ball down the floor and missed a shot, and Suiter was again fouled with the ball in his hands and sent to the line. He made both free throws again, finishing with 30 points for the game.
Suiter's four-for-four stretch at the foul line pushed the Panthers lead to an insurmountable six points with eight seconds to go.
"In the end, it was free throws," Juda coach Mike Armitage said. "We did what we had to do in the end to win."
The game was a back-and-forth affair for the most part. With the Bulldogs holding a lead in the third quarter, the Panthers orchestrated a 7-0 run capped by a three-pointer by sophomore Corey Segner that gave Juda the lead.
Also contributing for Juda was senior Cole Bauman, who put up 15 points.
Williams Bay had three players score in double figures, including Adam Lechelt (13), John Higgins (10) and Casey Wilson (10).
Even though it wasn't a resounding win, Armitage said his team accomplished what they set out to do.
"Before the game starts, you have one mission and that's to survive the game," he said. "I don't know if we played our best basketball. We did enough to win, and that's what ultimately matters."
Taking it one game at a time, Juda's focus will now shift to top-seeded Milwaukee Academy of Science, who they are set to play Friday in Milwaukee, barring inclement weather. The Novas defeated Madison Abundant Life 87-41 Friday.
CentRAL ChriST 73, Pecatonica 31
WAUPUN - Pecatonica was unable to overcome a monster first quarter by Central Wisconsin Christian, as the Vikings fell to the Crusaders, 73-31.
Central Wisconsin Christian dominated the first quarter, taking a 30-2 lead after a quarter of play. The Crusaders won the second and third quarters by scores of 11-9 and 20-5, respectively. The Vikings won the final quarter 15-12.
Pecatonica finished the season with a 7-16 record.
Fall River 72, Argyle 26
FALL RIVER - First half turnovers doomed the Argyle boys basketball team Tuesday night, as the Orioles turned the ball over 21 times in the first half on their way to a 72-26 loss to Fall River.
Argyle trailed 24-6 after a quarter of play, and were outscored 20-1 in the second to give the Pirates a 44-7 halftime lead.
"We had 21 turnovers in the first half. We never could get into our offense," said Argyle coach Michael Cassidy.
Freshman Riley Ostby was the leading scorer for Argyle, with 16 points. Fellow freshman Kyle Emberson and junior Pablo Vives were the other Orioles who made it into the scoring column, scoring 6 and 4, respectively.
Argyle finished the season with a 8-15 record. The Orioles didn't have a single senior on the team this year and will return a solid nucleus next season.
"We have a good young nucleus, so we should be excited about the that," Cassidy said. "We still need to work on handling the ball and getting a little stronger. We gotta get a little tougher and rebound a little better. Those are the things we'll focus on. Offensively ... when we're at full strength, we can score enough points and we play 'D' pretty well. The kids still need to work on finding different ways to score. Those are all things they'll work on over the summer."
Fennimore 67, New Glarus 57
FENNIMORE - New Glarus' season came to an end Tuesday night, as the 11th-seeded Glarner Knights fell to sixth-seeded Fennimore, 67-57.
Fennimore grabbed a 16-8 lead after a quarter of play and led 26-18 at halftime. The Golden Eagles expanded their lead in the third, leading by as much as 19 in the third. New Glarus pulled within 7 at point in the fourth, but the Glarner Knights were unable to complete the comeback.
"They came out and hit their shots. We struggled to put the ball in the hole," said New Glarus coach Travis Sysko. "Fennimore was 15-20 from the line in the fourth."
The Glarner Knights had a balanced offensive approach. Spencer Jones led the Glarner Knights, with 12 points. TJ Duerst and Landon Zimmerman each scored 10, and Gabe Noyce added 9 for New Glarus.
The Knights finished the season with a 5-18 record.
Lancaster 57, Darlington 45
DARLINGTON - Darlington's season came to an end at home Tuesday night, as the eighth-seeded Redbirds fell to ninth-seeded Lancaster.
The two teams were tied at 23 at halftime, before an early second half drought doomed the Redbirds.
"We didn't score in the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter," said Darlington coach Mike Hopkins. "We had shots inside and outside, just couldn't get them to fall. We had difficulty playing four solid quarters. We dug ourselves a double digit hole and we didn't get closer than six after that."
Cole McDonald led the Redbirds with 14 points. Michael Ruf was Darlington's next leading scorer, with 11 points.
"McDonald's been our leading scorer all year," Hopkins said. "He had 8 of his 14 in the third. When he scored, he scored in a hurry."
Darlington finished the year with a 6-17 record. Hopkins said that the Redbirds have plenty to work on, but he also added that they have a solid core returning.
"Cole McDonald is only a sophomore," Hopkins said. "We have some good players coming back who now have experience."
Lake. Lutheran 76, Brodhead 27
LAKE MILLS - Lakeside Lutheran used a fullcourt press to its advantage, rolling to a win over Brodhead in a WIAA Division 3 regional quarterfinal game.
Lakeside Lutheran broke the game open by outscoring the Cardinals 28-5 in the second quarter to take a 48-18 lead at the half.
"They did exactly what we thought they would do - fullcourt press us," Brodhead coach Brian Kammerer said. "We didn't do a very good job of handling the ball. We turned it over too much. We obviously couldn't compete with them."
Brodhead senior Danny Lewis scored a team-high nine points to lead the Cardinals. Brodhead freshman Ned Slocum added seven points.
Brodhead finished the season 5-18.
"One advantage we did have that is a positive is we had a lot of freshmen and sophomores get some valuable minutes," Kammerer said. "They are eager to get out on the court in the offseason. Defensively, we have to get much better in the offseason if we are going to try to compete."
Monticello outscored the Lakers by six in both the first and second quarters, to take a 31-19 lead into halftime. The Ponies broke the game open in the third, outscoring University Lake 22-9 in the period. Monticello iced the win with a 14-4 fourth quarter. Monticello coach Mark Olson said his team was able to open up their lead in the second half by being more patient on offense and playing sounder defense.
"In the second half, we were more patient offensively. We were more responsible defensively," he said. "We did a better job of challenging all shots."
Bryce Klitzke led the Ponies with 20 points. Ben May and Lucas Marty joined Klitzke in double figures, scoring 19 and 11, respectively. Patryk Mack was University Lake's leading scorer, with 14 points.
"Ben found himself open early at the three-point line," Olson said. "That kind of stretched their defense. In the second half, (Bryce) did a good job of being patient, waiting for lanes to open up, attacking the basket, and getting to the free throw line."
Monticello advances to the regional semifinals on Friday, when they will host sixth-seeded Catholic Central.
"In tournament time, there are so many unexpected and unknowns," Olson said. "A win is a win this time of year. It's good to have at least two more days of practice and a chance to play another game."
Black Hawk 67, Oakfield 33
SOUTH WAYNE - The second-seeded Black Hawk Warriors kept their momentum rolling Tuesday night, as the Warriors extended their winning streak to 17 games with in the regional quarterfinals.
Black Hawk was sharp on both ends of the floor from the start, as the Warriors outscored Oakfield 16-8, 20-6, and 22-5 in the first three quarters, respectively.
"Offensively, we got into a rhythm early," Black Hawk coach Corey Manlick said. "Cory Rupnow had some strong finishes, Heath Butler and Brett Lovelace had some strong finishes. We made really good decisions with the ball. Our passing the last two games has been outstanding.
"Defensively, we outmanned them. We recognized their shooters and didn't let them get easy points."
Heath Butler was the leading Warrior with 16 points. Rupnow and Lovelace each finished with 12 points. Manlick said it was nice to get a solid contribution from Lovelace off the bench.
"Lovelace provided a spark off the bench," Manlick said. "He was getting to the rack and finishing. He also hit a 10-15 foot jumper. That was good to see from him.
"The whole team contributed tonight. We got some more guys some playing time tonight, and they responded well. Kept the legs fresh for some other guys."
Black Hawk will host No. 7 Cambria-Friesland on Friday in their regional semifinal.
Juda 61, Williams Bay 55
WILLIAMS BAY - Juda senior Cody Suiter hit four consecutive free throws late in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach for Williams Bay, as the Panthers collected the road win and advanced to the regional semifinals.
With Juda up just two points with 38 seconds to go in the game, Suiter hauled in a rebound on the defensive end and was fouled. He made both free throws at the other end. Williams Bay then brought the ball down the floor and missed a shot, and Suiter was again fouled with the ball in his hands and sent to the line. He made both free throws again, finishing with 30 points for the game.
Suiter's four-for-four stretch at the foul line pushed the Panthers lead to an insurmountable six points with eight seconds to go.
"In the end, it was free throws," Juda coach Mike Armitage said. "We did what we had to do in the end to win."
The game was a back-and-forth affair for the most part. With the Bulldogs holding a lead in the third quarter, the Panthers orchestrated a 7-0 run capped by a three-pointer by sophomore Corey Segner that gave Juda the lead.
Also contributing for Juda was senior Cole Bauman, who put up 15 points.
Williams Bay had three players score in double figures, including Adam Lechelt (13), John Higgins (10) and Casey Wilson (10).
Even though it wasn't a resounding win, Armitage said his team accomplished what they set out to do.
"Before the game starts, you have one mission and that's to survive the game," he said. "I don't know if we played our best basketball. We did enough to win, and that's what ultimately matters."
Taking it one game at a time, Juda's focus will now shift to top-seeded Milwaukee Academy of Science, who they are set to play Friday in Milwaukee, barring inclement weather. The Novas defeated Madison Abundant Life 87-41 Friday.
CentRAL ChriST 73, Pecatonica 31
WAUPUN - Pecatonica was unable to overcome a monster first quarter by Central Wisconsin Christian, as the Vikings fell to the Crusaders, 73-31.
Central Wisconsin Christian dominated the first quarter, taking a 30-2 lead after a quarter of play. The Crusaders won the second and third quarters by scores of 11-9 and 20-5, respectively. The Vikings won the final quarter 15-12.
Pecatonica finished the season with a 7-16 record.
Fall River 72, Argyle 26
FALL RIVER - First half turnovers doomed the Argyle boys basketball team Tuesday night, as the Orioles turned the ball over 21 times in the first half on their way to a 72-26 loss to Fall River.
Argyle trailed 24-6 after a quarter of play, and were outscored 20-1 in the second to give the Pirates a 44-7 halftime lead.
"We had 21 turnovers in the first half. We never could get into our offense," said Argyle coach Michael Cassidy.
Freshman Riley Ostby was the leading scorer for Argyle, with 16 points. Fellow freshman Kyle Emberson and junior Pablo Vives were the other Orioles who made it into the scoring column, scoring 6 and 4, respectively.
Argyle finished the season with a 8-15 record. The Orioles didn't have a single senior on the team this year and will return a solid nucleus next season.
"We have a good young nucleus, so we should be excited about the that," Cassidy said. "We still need to work on handling the ball and getting a little stronger. We gotta get a little tougher and rebound a little better. Those are the things we'll focus on. Offensively ... when we're at full strength, we can score enough points and we play 'D' pretty well. The kids still need to work on finding different ways to score. Those are all things they'll work on over the summer."
Fennimore 67, New Glarus 57
FENNIMORE - New Glarus' season came to an end Tuesday night, as the 11th-seeded Glarner Knights fell to sixth-seeded Fennimore, 67-57.
Fennimore grabbed a 16-8 lead after a quarter of play and led 26-18 at halftime. The Golden Eagles expanded their lead in the third, leading by as much as 19 in the third. New Glarus pulled within 7 at point in the fourth, but the Glarner Knights were unable to complete the comeback.
"They came out and hit their shots. We struggled to put the ball in the hole," said New Glarus coach Travis Sysko. "Fennimore was 15-20 from the line in the fourth."
The Glarner Knights had a balanced offensive approach. Spencer Jones led the Glarner Knights, with 12 points. TJ Duerst and Landon Zimmerman each scored 10, and Gabe Noyce added 9 for New Glarus.
The Knights finished the season with a 5-18 record.
Lancaster 57, Darlington 45
DARLINGTON - Darlington's season came to an end at home Tuesday night, as the eighth-seeded Redbirds fell to ninth-seeded Lancaster.
The two teams were tied at 23 at halftime, before an early second half drought doomed the Redbirds.
"We didn't score in the first five and a half minutes of the third quarter," said Darlington coach Mike Hopkins. "We had shots inside and outside, just couldn't get them to fall. We had difficulty playing four solid quarters. We dug ourselves a double digit hole and we didn't get closer than six after that."
Cole McDonald led the Redbirds with 14 points. Michael Ruf was Darlington's next leading scorer, with 11 points.
"McDonald's been our leading scorer all year," Hopkins said. "He had 8 of his 14 in the third. When he scored, he scored in a hurry."
Darlington finished the year with a 6-17 record. Hopkins said that the Redbirds have plenty to work on, but he also added that they have a solid core returning.
"Cole McDonald is only a sophomore," Hopkins said. "We have some good players coming back who now have experience."
Lake. Lutheran 76, Brodhead 27
LAKE MILLS - Lakeside Lutheran used a fullcourt press to its advantage, rolling to a win over Brodhead in a WIAA Division 3 regional quarterfinal game.
Lakeside Lutheran broke the game open by outscoring the Cardinals 28-5 in the second quarter to take a 48-18 lead at the half.
"They did exactly what we thought they would do - fullcourt press us," Brodhead coach Brian Kammerer said. "We didn't do a very good job of handling the ball. We turned it over too much. We obviously couldn't compete with them."
Brodhead senior Danny Lewis scored a team-high nine points to lead the Cardinals. Brodhead freshman Ned Slocum added seven points.
Brodhead finished the season 5-18.
"One advantage we did have that is a positive is we had a lot of freshmen and sophomores get some valuable minutes," Kammerer said. "They are eager to get out on the court in the offseason. Defensively, we have to get much better in the offseason if we are going to try to compete."
