ARGYLE — As the Warriors continue their run to defend their WIAA Division 5 state championship, senior Hannah Butler is in peak form. Butler has scored 316 points in 17 games this season (18.6 points per game), including 30 in each of her past two contests.
“One can wait for opportunities, or one can create opportunities for herself — and that’s what Hannah has done,” Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said after his team’s 63-26 win over Argyle Feb. 7. “She has a great motor, a great ability to track the ball off the rim. I just feel that she has really thrived on the offensive glass.”
Butler has an outstanding offer to play hoops next fall for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, but she said she is leaving all of her options open. She’s scored 76 points in her past three games, where she is 31 of 44 (70.4%) from the field. She said much of her success is because she’s gravitated more toward the basket on offense, instead of being a sharp-shooter on the outside.
They are such a well-oiled machine. Their experience speaks for themselves.Argyle coach Nicole Allison
“I work a lot in the middle now when Tara (Wellnitz) or Kristen (Knapp) are out. We run two-low, so I hop in there,” said Butler, who added that she feels she’s playing the best basketball of her career at the moment. “It’s really fun. It’s my last year, and we’re going all out for it.”
Butler & Co. took care of Argyle (12-7, 7-2 Six Rivers East) from the opening tip, outscoring the Orioles 28-0 over the first 9 minutes, 56 seconds of the game.
“That was a really impressive start from the kids — we got out on the floor running. We thrive on up-and-down play,” Flanagan said.
After Maggie Godfrey scored the first points of the game at the 10:04 mark for Argyle, the second-place team in the Six Rivers East, the Orioles were outscored just 35-26. Black Hawk (17-0, 9-0) led 45-7 at halftime.
“They are such a well-oiled machine. Their experience speaks for themselves,” Argyle coach Nicole Allison said of Black Hawk. “My girls just wanted to throw over the top and just kept getting picked and picked and picked. At halftime in the locker room, I said to please stop throwing it over the team, because they are just picking it and going.
“But I also told the girls that it is what it is — keep playing hard and don’t quit. I think the girls did an excellent job of displaying how much heart they have.”
Hannah Butler added eight rebounds and seven steals to her 30 points. Sister Bailey Butler finished with 14 points, seven steals and six boards. Natalie Leuzinger had 13 points and is now just 10 away from breaking Conner Meyer’s school mark for all-time career scoring.
I really think we are playing our best basketball, and honestly, this is the right time to be playing our best basketball.Natalie Leuzinger, Black Hawk senior
“It’s going to be amazing,” Leuzinger said. “I know Conner, too, he’s like a brother to me, always coming over to the house with CJ, my brother. I’m definitely going to give him a lot of crap about it, but it is what it is. We both worked so hard for it and I’m just glad that I can have an achievement like that.”
Grace Ganshert led Argyle with nine points. Black Hawk was 24 of 56 from the field in the contest, making more shots than the Orioles attempted (23).
Up next for Argyle is Barneveld (6-12, 4-5) Feb. 13, followed by a crucial battle at Albany Feb. 18. The Comets (14-5, 7-2) are currently tied with the Orioles for second place in the Six Rivers East.
Top-ranked Black Hawk faces Albany Feb. 13, then has four games over the following week to close out the regular season.
“I really think we are playing our best basketball, and honestly, this is the right time to be playing our best basketball,” Leuzinger said.
