GREEN BAY — Tears, frustration, disappointment and regret inspired a renewed sense of determination for the returning Albany girls basketball players entering this past offseason. 

A full 365 days had passed between Albany’s 2023 state semifinal loss and Albany-Monticello’s 2024 Division 5 state championship victory — a 57-54 overtime thriller over Lena, Wis. on Saturday, March 9. But that year-long heartbreak proved critical, as the team grew both mentally and physically — and joined forces with Monticello.

“I was in tears in this media room last year because you felt like you disappointed your town,” Albany-Monticello coach Derik Doescher said. “… That burned inside of us for the last 365. Adding Monticello was a key. There’s no feeling like we let people down tonight. I feel like we gave the whole state a heck of a show.”

Albany’s 59-20 loss to McDonnell is in the 2023 Division 5 state tournament record books as the lowest losing score (20) and largest margin of victory (39 points). Now, Albany-Monticello is in the record books for a different — and more favorable — reason. The ‘Space Stallions’ scored 7 points in overtime, and AM and Lena combined for 11 points in extra time — both Division 5 state tournament records.

“Happiness,” junior Abby Hollis said of her post-game feelings. “Last year was not very fun. Last year we left with sad tears. This year, they are happy tears.”

Those that watched the game may have felt déjà vu. In 1991 — Monticello’s only trip to the girls state basketball tournament — the Ponies also defeated the Lena Wildcats in overtime, 66-56. 

“I don’t know a lot of those Monticello alumnus, but I had a lot of alums from that Monticello team reach out to me the last couple of days, talking about their experience and how proud they are of the Albany and Monticello girls,” Doescher said. 

That support and pride lifted AM to an early lead. After a layup from Dalana Trumpy, Molly Olson stole the ball from Whitney Potter in the back court and turned it into two more points. Potter made up for her error, putting the Wildcats on the board two minutes in.

AM then went on its largest run of the game. Olson and Alana Durtschi fed each other for four points, while Avary Briggs scored off a Wildcat turnover to make it a 10-2 game at 13:33. 

Although Lena scored on back-to-back possessions, AM took its largest lead eight minutes in. Hollis made a jump shot and, two minutes later, drained a 3-pointer for a 15-6 advantage.

The remainder of the half favored Lena, as the Wildcats outscored the Space Stallions 15-6. Eva Brooks and Hannah Thomson tallied six points each, and Maddy Kuschner 3.

With three minutes left in the half, Anna Ellinger knotted the game at 21 with a pair of free throws. The score remained tied into halftime, as the two teams went a combined 0-for-7 in the final minutes.

Although Lena held the lead for just 29 seconds of the first period, it came out of the locker room hot. The Wildcats went 5-for-7 from the field and 2-for-2 from the line to take a 33-26 lead five minutes into the frame. 

“The second half it looked pretty bleak getting down by 7 or so. It looked like we were worn out and their size was getting the best of us,” Doescher said. “The girls kept with our game plan and ultimately found a way.”

Trumpy sparked the Comets with a layup, assisted by Durtschi. Ellinger and Durtschi added on with jumpers just outside the paint, and Hollis knotted the game at 37 with a bucket beyond the arc.

The Wildcats pulled away once again with seven points and two offensive boards from Brooks. Trailing 46-41 with just over four minutes left, AM found a second gear. Hollis drew a foul on Thomson and made a free throw. Briggs then stole the ball from Karli Fischer and passed up to Durtschi. Though it took three offensive boards, the Space Stallions scored on the possession with a free throw from Trumpy to make it 46-43.

Fischer later hit a pair of free throws, making it 50-45 Lena with just 35 seconds left.

On the ensuing Comet possession, Trumpy grabbed an offensive board and scored through contact. She celebrated with Briggs and Olson before going to the line for the and-one.

“You saw her (Trumpy) stomping around out there and roaring,” Doescher said. “That’s something we weren’t really used to, but thank god we have it. … It keeps us loose.”

Trumpy missed her free throw, forcing AM to foul yet again. Thomson missed the bonus, leaving the door open for Hollis. With five seconds left, the junior hit a step-back 3-pointer from beyond the men’s arc to even the score at 50. Prior to the shot, Hollis was just 2-for-11 from 3-point range in the tournament, which included 1-for-3 in the semifinal. 

“Going into it, I was very mad at myself for how I shot. I like to shoot well, and that’s not what was happening,” Hollis said. “I knew we were down 3, and we needed a 3. I wanted the ball in my hand.”

The clutch 3-pointer sent the game into overtime — the first in Division 5 title game history.

Lena led 54-52 midway through the 4-minute period. Following a travel violation from Brooks, Hollis hit another 3-pointer, giving her team a 55-54 lead. 

After a Wildcat timeout, Olson intercepted a Lena pass and fed it up to Durtschi, who was fouled by Thomson. Durtschi missed the bonus shot, but Olson, the smallest player on the court, grabbed the rebound in the corner with just 18 seconds left.

“It really comes down to the small things like boxing out,” Trumpy said. “Those 6-1 girls can go and grab it over our heads, but if you get a butt on them and push them back, they’ll get an over-the-back call.”

With AM’s offense reset, Thomson fouled Durtschi again. This time the senior knocked down both shots to ensure a gold ball for Albany-Monticello.

“It’s a humbling experience, and I feel bad for the Lena locker room. They played so well today. They have a lot to be proud of,” Doescher said. “Today was our day. We said from Day 1 when we got here, we were going to complete the journey.”

Hollis scored a team-high 15 points, going 4-for-11 from beyond the arc. Trumpy chipped in 14 points with eight rebounds. Durtschi, who had just eight points, led the team with seven assists. Defense played a large role for the Space Stallions, who forced 23 turnovers with 10 steals for 18 points.

Despite taking home the silver, Lena had a record-setting tournament appearance. The Wildcats grabbed 48 rebounds in the championship game, setting the Division 5 state tournament record for single-game rebounds and most rebounds in the title game. They also tallied seven blocked shots in the championship, another Division 5 record. Brooks alone set records for most rebounds in the tournament (33), single-game rebounds (19) and blocked shots in the tournament (8).

“There was a time in overtime that Durtschi had position on a missed free throw, but she couldn’t come down with the rebound. When she came out, she looked us dead in the eyes and said, ‘Coach, I had the seal and everything, I just can’t keep her (Brooks) out of there,’” Doescher said. “You don’t hear Alana Durtschi say, ‘I can’t.’”

With the victory, Albany-Monticello took home the first girls basketball gold ball in Albany history and the first for Monticello since 1991. The Space Stallions were the only 4-seed in the 5-division tournament to win the title.

“We were disappointed both years, but at the end of the day, you have to beat two quality teams,” Doescher said of receiving the 4-seed. “It doesn’t matter the order. Ultimately, that’s what it came down to. We had to put the britches on and play Argyle-Pecatonica and a really good team in the championship game. When you get to the state level, there’s four great teams and you just have to find a way to win.”

Albany and Monticello began its girls basketball co-op in the 2023-24 season. Although the two schools co-op for baseball, there was still skepticism. The team chose the motto ‘Together We Are Stronger’ for the season, reflecting this partnership. In its first season, Albany-Monticello girls basketball gelled as a team, earning regional, sectional and state titles. 

“I was born and raised in Albany — been here my whole life. The idea of a co-op was, as the Athletic Director, difficult to think about. There’s a lot of pride that goes into the community. I’m sure it was tough for Monticello, too. I can confidently say that we are 101% glad that these communities came together.”

— Derik Doescher, Albany-Monticello head coach

“Last year when we came up here, we had a bunch of support behind us as just Albany. With the co-op we wondered if it was going to go well, but we came together as one big family. A lot of people say that, but we truly are. Everybody wants what’s best for the other person. To have that community support that we have is crazy awesome.”

— Abby Hollis, Albany junior 

“It just shows what two small towns can do.”

— Dalana Trumpy, Monticello junior

“I’m so happy that we got to join with this team, because this is now a reality. It’s just awesome. It’s been a really easy transition. He (Doescher) is real easy to listen to. He’s a very good coach. Coming into this team was so easy — they are so supportive and pick each other up. If you’re having a bad day, someone else will carry you through.”

— Molly Olson, Monticello sophomore

“It really says a lot about our co-op and the girls coming in to work every day and the connections that we’ve built together.”

— Alana Durtschi, Albany senior