WALWORTH - The Brodhead girls basketball team got to the free throw line 40 times Thursday night on their way to knocking off Big Foot, 68-28.
"We talked about getting off to a quick start, being aggressive. We did a good job of that," said Brodhead coach Brad Pickett. "We shot a ton of free throws. Did a good job of being aggressive and attacking the basket. We made 30 of 40, so we shot the ball pretty well from the free throw line. When you get there that many times it adds up."
Brodhead led 24-9 after the first quarter and 41-14 at halftime, before holding the Chiefs scoreless in the third quarter to take a 58-14 lead into the final period.
"We talked about doing the little things: showing on screens, bumping cutters, having a good defensive stance, good help, talking. Just little things we wanted to emphasize," Pickett said.
The game was the Cardinals' regular season finale. Brodhead finished with a 21-1 record overall and 15-1 in the Rock Valley South. The Cardinals are the top seed in their regional and have a first round bye on Tuesday night. They will host the winner of Evansville and Edgerton next Friday. Pickett said his team needs to keep working on doing the little things right as they prepare to make a postseason run.
"Defensively, we gotta keep doing the little things. Those things add up," he said. "If you don't take care of the little things, that can end your season in a hurry. We just gotta continue to work hard and hopefully we can get a win on Friday night."
Argyle 34, Monticello 31
ARGYLE - The Argyle girls basketball team held off Monticello, finishing the regular season with a conference win on senior night.
With the win, the Orioles finished 6-6 in the Six Rivers East. It's an accomplishment Argyle coach Kurt Ritschard is proud of.
"It's huge for our program," Ritschard said. "Historically we haven't been able to (finish .500). It was a great win for the seniors, to go out on a high note."
Among the seniors was Kayla Ostby, who led the Orioles with 11 points. Junior Jessica Treuthardt and sophomore Jenna Langmeier each chipped in eight points.
A win's a win, but Ritschard said the Orioles need to convert more free throws.
"We continued to miss free throw after free throw," he said. "We got to the line plenty of times but couldn't capitalize on many of them."
Marissa Berg was the leading scorer for the Ponies, with 11 points. Sophomores Courtney Leuzinger and Samantha DeVoe added seven points and six points, respectively.
Argyle (12-10, 6-6 Six Rivers East) will host Juda in the regional quarterfinals next Tuesday.
Even with the win, are the Orioles excited for the postseason?
"Absolutely," Ritschard said. "The way we've been playing the last couple of games is the best we have played all year. Our defense has been top notch. The girls are really excited about the playoffs."
One of the causes of the excitement is the fact that Argyle will be hosting a playoff game.
"It's been a long time since we've been able to do that," Ritschard said.
Black Hawk 61, Albany 27
ALBANY - Albany's Kirstie Kauk scored 16 on Senior Night, but the Comets fell to Black Hawk, 61-27.
Black Hawk got off to a hot start, leading 23-6 after a quarter of play. The Warriors' lead expanded to 33-12 at halftime. Albany coach Bryce Pickett said his team struggled to handle Black Hawk's press.
"They pressed us right away. Having some younger girls, we had a hard time tackling their pressure in the first half. We also didn't do a good job of finding open girls," he said.
Black Hawk's Jen Wellnitz led all scorers with 18 points. Mikayla Sigafus and Olivia Holland joined her in double figures, scoring 12 and 10, respectively. Kauk was the leading scorer for the Comets. Pickett said she came out ready to play in her final home game.
"Being our last home game, she's a senior, you could tell in the last few nights of practice she wanted this to be a big game for her. She really stepped up," he said.
Black Hawk finished the regular season with an 12-9 overall record and 8-4 in the Six Rivers East. The fifth-seeded Warriors host Johnson Creek on Tuesday in their playoff opener. Albany wrapped up the regular season 4-18 overall and 1-11 in the Six Rivers East. The Comets will face a familiar foe in Monticello on Tuesday. The teams met twice in the regular season, with the Ponies coming out on top in both matchups. Pickett said the key to Albany pulling out the upset starts on the defensive end.
"In the first two games, the one that really hurt us was Alyssah Kubly," Pickett said. "We need to work hard the next few days so we are ready to slow her down. We can't let her put up as many as she has. We also have to prepare for Marissa Berg. I feel like, if we can slow them down, we can have a chance."
Poynette 36, New Glarus 27
POYNETTE - This was not the way the New Glarus girls basketball team was looking to end their regular season. The Glarner Knights struggled mightily on the offensive end of the court, as they lost to Poynette, 36-27.
"We just couldn't find our shot tonight at all," said New Glarus coach Megan Scheele. "We were just out of it tonight. All around, no one could hit an outside shot. This was a tough one to end on going into the postseason. Not exactly how we wanted to end out."
Despite only scoring 14 points in the first half, New Glarus held a four point lead over the Pumas at halftime. Poynette had an uptick in offensive production in the second half, especially from 6-2 forward Molly Meixner, as they were able to score 26 in the final two quarters to pick up the win.
"We were much better defensively in the first half, only letting them score 10 points. Defensively, we held them right where we wanted them," Scheele said. "They had a 6-2 girl, and we couldn't stop her. She got to the line 13 times. We just couldn't find a way to get around her and stop her."
Mandi Sargent was the leading scorer for New Glarus with eight points. Scheele said that she knows her team is capable of shooting the ball better than they did Thursday night. The Glarner Knights (12-10) will have a chance to prove it on Tuesday, when they open up postseason play hosting Waterloo.
"The key is coming out strong and being confident," Scheele said. "We need to get our confidence back up and get our shooting back. I know they can do it, they have the potential. The coaches have every confidence in them, now they have to believe it themselves."
Barneveld 83, Juda 21
BARNEVELD - The Juda girls basketball team's regular season came to a rough end Thursday night, as the Panthers fell to the Eagles, 83-21.
The Panthers got down big early, as Barneveld jumped out to a 22-2 first quarter lead. Barneveld's lead grew to 43-8 at halftime and 59-11 after three quarters. The Eagles outscored the Panthers 24-10 in the fourth.
Juda (4-16, 1-11 in the Six Rivers East) will look to knock of conference rival Argyle in the first round of postseason action on Tuesday.
"We talked about getting off to a quick start, being aggressive. We did a good job of that," said Brodhead coach Brad Pickett. "We shot a ton of free throws. Did a good job of being aggressive and attacking the basket. We made 30 of 40, so we shot the ball pretty well from the free throw line. When you get there that many times it adds up."
Brodhead led 24-9 after the first quarter and 41-14 at halftime, before holding the Chiefs scoreless in the third quarter to take a 58-14 lead into the final period.
"We talked about doing the little things: showing on screens, bumping cutters, having a good defensive stance, good help, talking. Just little things we wanted to emphasize," Pickett said.
The game was the Cardinals' regular season finale. Brodhead finished with a 21-1 record overall and 15-1 in the Rock Valley South. The Cardinals are the top seed in their regional and have a first round bye on Tuesday night. They will host the winner of Evansville and Edgerton next Friday. Pickett said his team needs to keep working on doing the little things right as they prepare to make a postseason run.
"Defensively, we gotta keep doing the little things. Those things add up," he said. "If you don't take care of the little things, that can end your season in a hurry. We just gotta continue to work hard and hopefully we can get a win on Friday night."
Argyle 34, Monticello 31
ARGYLE - The Argyle girls basketball team held off Monticello, finishing the regular season with a conference win on senior night.
With the win, the Orioles finished 6-6 in the Six Rivers East. It's an accomplishment Argyle coach Kurt Ritschard is proud of.
"It's huge for our program," Ritschard said. "Historically we haven't been able to (finish .500). It was a great win for the seniors, to go out on a high note."
Among the seniors was Kayla Ostby, who led the Orioles with 11 points. Junior Jessica Treuthardt and sophomore Jenna Langmeier each chipped in eight points.
A win's a win, but Ritschard said the Orioles need to convert more free throws.
"We continued to miss free throw after free throw," he said. "We got to the line plenty of times but couldn't capitalize on many of them."
Marissa Berg was the leading scorer for the Ponies, with 11 points. Sophomores Courtney Leuzinger and Samantha DeVoe added seven points and six points, respectively.
Argyle (12-10, 6-6 Six Rivers East) will host Juda in the regional quarterfinals next Tuesday.
Even with the win, are the Orioles excited for the postseason?
"Absolutely," Ritschard said. "The way we've been playing the last couple of games is the best we have played all year. Our defense has been top notch. The girls are really excited about the playoffs."
One of the causes of the excitement is the fact that Argyle will be hosting a playoff game.
"It's been a long time since we've been able to do that," Ritschard said.
Black Hawk 61, Albany 27
ALBANY - Albany's Kirstie Kauk scored 16 on Senior Night, but the Comets fell to Black Hawk, 61-27.
Black Hawk got off to a hot start, leading 23-6 after a quarter of play. The Warriors' lead expanded to 33-12 at halftime. Albany coach Bryce Pickett said his team struggled to handle Black Hawk's press.
"They pressed us right away. Having some younger girls, we had a hard time tackling their pressure in the first half. We also didn't do a good job of finding open girls," he said.
Black Hawk's Jen Wellnitz led all scorers with 18 points. Mikayla Sigafus and Olivia Holland joined her in double figures, scoring 12 and 10, respectively. Kauk was the leading scorer for the Comets. Pickett said she came out ready to play in her final home game.
"Being our last home game, she's a senior, you could tell in the last few nights of practice she wanted this to be a big game for her. She really stepped up," he said.
Black Hawk finished the regular season with an 12-9 overall record and 8-4 in the Six Rivers East. The fifth-seeded Warriors host Johnson Creek on Tuesday in their playoff opener. Albany wrapped up the regular season 4-18 overall and 1-11 in the Six Rivers East. The Comets will face a familiar foe in Monticello on Tuesday. The teams met twice in the regular season, with the Ponies coming out on top in both matchups. Pickett said the key to Albany pulling out the upset starts on the defensive end.
"In the first two games, the one that really hurt us was Alyssah Kubly," Pickett said. "We need to work hard the next few days so we are ready to slow her down. We can't let her put up as many as she has. We also have to prepare for Marissa Berg. I feel like, if we can slow them down, we can have a chance."
Poynette 36, New Glarus 27
POYNETTE - This was not the way the New Glarus girls basketball team was looking to end their regular season. The Glarner Knights struggled mightily on the offensive end of the court, as they lost to Poynette, 36-27.
"We just couldn't find our shot tonight at all," said New Glarus coach Megan Scheele. "We were just out of it tonight. All around, no one could hit an outside shot. This was a tough one to end on going into the postseason. Not exactly how we wanted to end out."
Despite only scoring 14 points in the first half, New Glarus held a four point lead over the Pumas at halftime. Poynette had an uptick in offensive production in the second half, especially from 6-2 forward Molly Meixner, as they were able to score 26 in the final two quarters to pick up the win.
"We were much better defensively in the first half, only letting them score 10 points. Defensively, we held them right where we wanted them," Scheele said. "They had a 6-2 girl, and we couldn't stop her. She got to the line 13 times. We just couldn't find a way to get around her and stop her."
Mandi Sargent was the leading scorer for New Glarus with eight points. Scheele said that she knows her team is capable of shooting the ball better than they did Thursday night. The Glarner Knights (12-10) will have a chance to prove it on Tuesday, when they open up postseason play hosting Waterloo.
"The key is coming out strong and being confident," Scheele said. "We need to get our confidence back up and get our shooting back. I know they can do it, they have the potential. The coaches have every confidence in them, now they have to believe it themselves."
Barneveld 83, Juda 21
BARNEVELD - The Juda girls basketball team's regular season came to a rough end Thursday night, as the Panthers fell to the Eagles, 83-21.
The Panthers got down big early, as Barneveld jumped out to a 22-2 first quarter lead. Barneveld's lead grew to 43-8 at halftime and 59-11 after three quarters. The Eagles outscored the Panthers 24-10 in the fourth.
Juda (4-16, 1-11 in the Six Rivers East) will look to knock of conference rival Argyle in the first round of postseason action on Tuesday.
