CUBA CITY - In a battle of unbeatens, the Brodhead girls basketball team picked up a win over perennial powerhouse Cuba City in the championship game of the Cuba City Classic, winning 45-42.
Cuba City was the top ranked team in Division 4 coming into the matchup, while Brodhead was ranked fifth in Division 3. Brodhead coach Brad Pickett said that this was a big win for his team.
"Obviously Cuba City is a great program. They've been great for a long time," he said. "This is our third year going over there. We expected a good game ...To beat them at their place is a win you can hang your hat on."
Rachel Heller led the Cardinals with 13 points. She was joined in double figures by Kylie Moe and Carly Mohns, both of whom scored 10. The Cubans were led in scoring by Shay Lierman, who had 14 points. Pickett said he was particularly pleased with the play of Heller.
"Rachel Heller played a really good game," he said. "She matched up with Lierman. It was a pretty tough matchup for Rachel. She shot the ball pretty well, and a made layup with 45 seconds left to put us up by two. To beat a team like Cuba you need a full team effort, but I think she stood out a little bit tonight."
Brodhead improved to 7-0 with the win. Pickett said that he's been pretty happy with the way his team has played, but believes their best basketball is still ahead of them.
"I think we've played alright," he said. "The girls would be the first to tell you we haven't played our best basketball yet. We're getting better every day. It was great to have a good test tonight. Some kids stepped up tonight. I think we're heading in the right direction."
Pecatonica 55, Fall River 53
BLANCHARDVILLE - After winning the championship game of the Pecatonica tournament, it's hard to believe that just two days ago the Pecatonica girls basketball team came into their own tournament winless. The Vikings picked up their second win by defeating previously undefeated Fall River, 55-53.
Pecatonica took control from the start, outscoring the Pirates 15-7 in the first quarter. The Vikings took a 35-24 lead into the locker room at halftime, before Fall River made a run. The Pirates outscored the Vikings by nine in the second half, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback.
Pecatonica coach Matt Bakkum said after the game that it was one of the best games he's seen in his time as the Vikings' head coach.
"It was a total team effort," Bakkum said. "We had outstanding defense. On offense we were red hot from the start. We had 35 in the first half, that's usually how much we have in a game. We knew they were gonna be good, they came in undefeated. They made a run in the end of the third and most of the fourth. We had built enough of a lead that we were able to withstand it.
"In my one and a half years here this was the best total team effort I've seen. Every girl up-and-down the board gave one hundred percent effort."
Emma Marion led Pec with 17 points. Emily Scoville (14) and Michelle Francois (13) were other leading scorers for the Vikings. Scoville knocked down 3 three-pointers, while Francois drained two. Bakkum said it was nice to see three different players step up on the offensive end.
"We've been looking for that," he said. "This was the first time that I can remember where we've had three legitimate scorers. Marion's been out of the starting lineup with an injury. She came off the bench tonight. This was the best game I've ever seen her play. She was commanding at the point and dictating tempo."
Pecatonica improved to 2-6 with the win. Bakkum is hopeful that winning the tournament can propel the Vikings to a strong second half.
"We've talked about how the season's basically half over, not as far as games, but on the calendar," Bakkum said. "We've got some momentum now from winning this tournament and if we can take these lessons we've learned, we believe we can be a dangerous team going forward."
Belmont 59, Albany 25
BELMONT - The Albany girls basketball team was unable to overcome a slow start, and fell to Belmont, 59-25.
Belmont led 16-0 after the first quarter. The Comets won the second quarter, though, and trailed 24-13 at the half. But Belmont pulled away in the second half, outscoring Albany 23-8 in the third and 12-4 in the fourth.
Two of Albany's starters, Cassidy Bump and Julia Farley, were out due to injury. Comets coach Bryce Pickett said that missing those two was a major contibuting factor to his team's slow start.
"Really the greatest help for Belmont was we were without a couple of starters tonight," Pickett said. "We had a hard time figuring out who was going to be our go-to tonight."
Freshman Ashley Harris led Albany with 13 points.
Albany fell to 3-3 with the loss.
"The biggest thing is we need to get healthy. We still have some gelling to do. When we get everybody healthy I think that will happen," he said.
Pickett also said he would like to see his team play with more consistency.
"We need to play better consistently," he said. "We have times where we do great things, we just need to start doing that more consistently."
Elkhorn 59, Monticello 55
CAMBRIDGE - The Monticello girls basketball team was in control against Elkhorn for three quarters of their game, but the Ponies were unable to hold off the Elks' late charge, as they fell in overtime, 59-55, in the first round of the Cambridge tournament.
Monticello held an eight-point lead going into the fourth, but the Elks outscored the Ponies 22-14 in the quarter. Elkhorn completed the comeback by winning the overtime period, 9-5.
Monticello coach Lori Brokopp said the key to Elkhorn's comeback was their pressure defense.
"It was a lot of pressure, it got to us," she said. "We turned the ball over. We didn't take care of it when we needed to. They kept taking it to us."
Three Ponies scored in double figures. Alyssah Kubly led Monticello with 15 points. Amy Silver added for 14 for Monticello, while Samantha DeVoe chipped in 10.
"Silver had a season high with 14," said Brokopp. "She really came on for us and was a threat on the inside and made some buckets in the paint. Kubly had 15, and she was 11 for 12 at the free throw line. Those were down the stretch in third and fourth."
Cuba City was the top ranked team in Division 4 coming into the matchup, while Brodhead was ranked fifth in Division 3. Brodhead coach Brad Pickett said that this was a big win for his team.
"Obviously Cuba City is a great program. They've been great for a long time," he said. "This is our third year going over there. We expected a good game ...To beat them at their place is a win you can hang your hat on."
Rachel Heller led the Cardinals with 13 points. She was joined in double figures by Kylie Moe and Carly Mohns, both of whom scored 10. The Cubans were led in scoring by Shay Lierman, who had 14 points. Pickett said he was particularly pleased with the play of Heller.
"Rachel Heller played a really good game," he said. "She matched up with Lierman. It was a pretty tough matchup for Rachel. She shot the ball pretty well, and a made layup with 45 seconds left to put us up by two. To beat a team like Cuba you need a full team effort, but I think she stood out a little bit tonight."
Brodhead improved to 7-0 with the win. Pickett said that he's been pretty happy with the way his team has played, but believes their best basketball is still ahead of them.
"I think we've played alright," he said. "The girls would be the first to tell you we haven't played our best basketball yet. We're getting better every day. It was great to have a good test tonight. Some kids stepped up tonight. I think we're heading in the right direction."
Pecatonica 55, Fall River 53
BLANCHARDVILLE - After winning the championship game of the Pecatonica tournament, it's hard to believe that just two days ago the Pecatonica girls basketball team came into their own tournament winless. The Vikings picked up their second win by defeating previously undefeated Fall River, 55-53.
Pecatonica took control from the start, outscoring the Pirates 15-7 in the first quarter. The Vikings took a 35-24 lead into the locker room at halftime, before Fall River made a run. The Pirates outscored the Vikings by nine in the second half, but it wasn't enough to complete the comeback.
Pecatonica coach Matt Bakkum said after the game that it was one of the best games he's seen in his time as the Vikings' head coach.
"It was a total team effort," Bakkum said. "We had outstanding defense. On offense we were red hot from the start. We had 35 in the first half, that's usually how much we have in a game. We knew they were gonna be good, they came in undefeated. They made a run in the end of the third and most of the fourth. We had built enough of a lead that we were able to withstand it.
"In my one and a half years here this was the best total team effort I've seen. Every girl up-and-down the board gave one hundred percent effort."
Emma Marion led Pec with 17 points. Emily Scoville (14) and Michelle Francois (13) were other leading scorers for the Vikings. Scoville knocked down 3 three-pointers, while Francois drained two. Bakkum said it was nice to see three different players step up on the offensive end.
"We've been looking for that," he said. "This was the first time that I can remember where we've had three legitimate scorers. Marion's been out of the starting lineup with an injury. She came off the bench tonight. This was the best game I've ever seen her play. She was commanding at the point and dictating tempo."
Pecatonica improved to 2-6 with the win. Bakkum is hopeful that winning the tournament can propel the Vikings to a strong second half.
"We've talked about how the season's basically half over, not as far as games, but on the calendar," Bakkum said. "We've got some momentum now from winning this tournament and if we can take these lessons we've learned, we believe we can be a dangerous team going forward."
Belmont 59, Albany 25
BELMONT - The Albany girls basketball team was unable to overcome a slow start, and fell to Belmont, 59-25.
Belmont led 16-0 after the first quarter. The Comets won the second quarter, though, and trailed 24-13 at the half. But Belmont pulled away in the second half, outscoring Albany 23-8 in the third and 12-4 in the fourth.
Two of Albany's starters, Cassidy Bump and Julia Farley, were out due to injury. Comets coach Bryce Pickett said that missing those two was a major contibuting factor to his team's slow start.
"Really the greatest help for Belmont was we were without a couple of starters tonight," Pickett said. "We had a hard time figuring out who was going to be our go-to tonight."
Freshman Ashley Harris led Albany with 13 points.
Albany fell to 3-3 with the loss.
"The biggest thing is we need to get healthy. We still have some gelling to do. When we get everybody healthy I think that will happen," he said.
Pickett also said he would like to see his team play with more consistency.
"We need to play better consistently," he said. "We have times where we do great things, we just need to start doing that more consistently."
Elkhorn 59, Monticello 55
CAMBRIDGE - The Monticello girls basketball team was in control against Elkhorn for three quarters of their game, but the Ponies were unable to hold off the Elks' late charge, as they fell in overtime, 59-55, in the first round of the Cambridge tournament.
Monticello held an eight-point lead going into the fourth, but the Elks outscored the Ponies 22-14 in the quarter. Elkhorn completed the comeback by winning the overtime period, 9-5.
Monticello coach Lori Brokopp said the key to Elkhorn's comeback was their pressure defense.
"It was a lot of pressure, it got to us," she said. "We turned the ball over. We didn't take care of it when we needed to. They kept taking it to us."
Three Ponies scored in double figures. Alyssah Kubly led Monticello with 15 points. Amy Silver added for 14 for Monticello, while Samantha DeVoe chipped in 10.
"Silver had a season high with 14," said Brokopp. "She really came on for us and was a threat on the inside and made some buckets in the paint. Kubly had 15, and she was 11 for 12 at the free throw line. Those were down the stretch in third and fourth."
