CUBA CITY — The sixth-seeded Darlington (18-9) varsity girls’ basketball squad concluded their postseason run as they fell in an extremely tight matchup in the WIAA Division 4 Regional Finals to Cuba City (24-2), 46-41, on Saturday, Feb. 25.

“I don’t think our team gets the respect they deserve,” said Solberg. “They were the lowest-seeded team remaining in Division 4 and went toe-to-toe with a top team in the state. They opened many eyes and earned a lot of respect after that game.”

Darlington earned its spot in the regional final game with a 41-31 upset over No. 3-ranked Deerfield on Friday, Feb. 24.

Jaidyn Evenstad tied the game with a 3-pointer and from there, Darlington never looked back. Evenstad finished with 11 points — her game-tying three was one of Darlington’s two from beyond the arc. The second-highest scorer was Maddie Gratz with nine points. Cayla Golackson grabbed a team-best six rebounds, all of which were defensive.

The Redbirds opened their regional final match by getting the Cubans on their heels and keeping them there throughout the better part of the first half, including an opening six minutes that saw Darlington take an 11-5 lead.

Cuba City cut its deficit to four points when Alexis Runde put down a jumper next to the hoop after the Cubans saw multiple second chances from offensive rebounds, prompting a timeout from Redbirds head coach Brad Solberg.

Darlington’s lead was cut to one point following a 3-pointer from Emily Wiegman along the baseline before Jaidyn Evenstad drove a layup to bring the game to 13-10 for the Redbirds.

With the clock crossing the 10-minute mark, Evenstad drained a wide open 3-pointer. Moments later, Kylie Butler scored a layup off an inbounds pass to push Darlington’s advantage.

Olivia Olson slowed the Redbirds’ roll as she tossed in a hook shot and then Ashley Rowe added a two-pointer jumper along the baseline. 

Darlington’s answer came by way of Aubrey McCarthy, who hit a jumper from the elbow.

With another six-and-a-half minutes off the clock, and following turnovers by both squads, the Redbirds pushed their lead further with scores by Evenstad and Schwartz, making it to 24-12 Darlington.

Jenna Dailey then found herself wide open for a 3-pointer for Cuba City in the right corner of the arc that found its mark as the clock crossed the two-minute threshold.

An Evenstad steal shortly thereafter set up a Cayla Golackson bucket under the hoop, which was answered by Cuba City’s Dea Crist with a hoop in the post with less than six seconds remaining in the half. 

The Cubans nearly added two more points, as Rowe stole the inbound. However, her shot attempt came after the buzzer, sending Darlington to the break with a 25-19 lead.

“As always, Darlington was well-prepared and came out ready to play,” said Cuba City head coach Jason Derby. “They really made an effort to stop us in transition no matter what. We had a rough first half of shooting, but we were pretty happy with our shot selection. Darlington collapsed well inside when we got the ball there.”

As both squads moved into the second half, Cuba City finally got the score tied at 31 in the opening few minutes. 

With the clock having just inched past 13:00, Runde gave the Cubans their first lead of the game with a jumper, only to be tied moments later by the Redbirds.

During a 7-minute stretch, only Butler was able to make a shot. A Schwartz basket pushed Darlington’s lead to four.

An Olson assist on a wide open three-point jumper from Rowe sent the home crowd to a frenzy, bringing the Cubans back to within one with 5:50 left in the contest.

Cuba City’s Ella Vosberg later put her team ahead with free throws. 

The Redbirds tied the game at 39 as the clock passed 3:40 on a McCarthy midrange jumper.

Moments later, leading by one, a crucial steal by Wiegman gave Cuba City the opportunity to take over a minute off the clock before Darlington needed to foul.

The player sent to the line was none other than Olson, who made both shots to give the Cubans a 3-point advantage with 54.8 seconds left in regulation.

A foul by Crist sent McCarthy to the line for two shots with 40.6 seconds left. She made both shots, keeping the Redbirds within a point.

Olson was fouled and sent to the line for two shots, hitting both with 18.2 seconds.

A timeout by Solberg gave his squad a chance to regroup, but a missed 3-pointer by Butler meant the Redbirds would, again, need to foul. Olson again went to the line with only six seconds on the clock.

She sank both, sending the home crowd into a roar with a 46-41 advantage.

Darlington’s lone opportunity for a 3-pointer missed the mark, ending the Redbirds’ season. 

“I am very proud of this team from top to bottom,” said Solberg. “They all bought in, played with heart, put it all on the line, and played their very best in the last game. Our seniors have raised the floor of this program every year. They went from winning 11 games to 16, to 18 and playing in a regional championship. I wanted them to experience raising that plaque because they deserved it. Those three [Golackson, Schwartz, and Mady Wedig] did what champions do every day. We will miss them.”