NEW GLARUS — In a Highway 69 rivalry game between New Glarus and Belleville, the Knights edged the Wildcats 71-61 in a game that was much closer than the final score reflects.
New Glarus, ranked No. 9 in Division 4, never trailed, but Belleville tied the game twice and stayed within two to three possessions in the second half. An 8-1 Knight run in the final two minutes capped the game.
In the first four minutes of the opening half, Belleville’s Maddi DeSmet had an answer for each New Glarus score. Emma Martinson made two free throws on the Knights’ opening possession, and DeSmet went down the court and scored. Lindsey Schadewalt completed a 3-point play at the free-throw line, and DeSmet did the same.
New Glarus pulled away, building up a 10-point lead seven minutes in. Eve MacLean grabbed the offensive board from Payton Schneider’s missed shot and put it back for two then received an assist from Bella Brenkman for a mid-range jumper. Schadewalt scored the other seven points.
The Knights’ lead reached 19 points (31-12) on a 3-pointer from Elle Lancaster. The Wildcats double-teamed Schadewalt on the inbounds play, leaving Lancaster wide-open for the shot. New Glarus’s momentum quickly faded, as the Knights went cold for nearly four minutes. In that time, Belleville trimmed its deficit to single digits.
DeSmet sparked the run with a 2-for-2 trip to the line. Addison Edge and Khylee Lietz then drained back-to-back 3-pointers. DeSmet’s putback forced a New Glarus timeout with the Wildcats clawing back, 31-22. Out of the pause, DeSmet and Edge kept their foot on the gas, cutting their deficit to 31-26. Toria Devoe’s 3-pointer put Belleville within four — the closest the Wildcats had gotten to the Knights since a 5-5 tie.
New Glarus was able to enter the locker room with some energy, as Schadewalt scored the final basket of the half for a 35-29 advantage. Schadewalt and DeSmet led their teams in the first frame with 17 and 15 points, respectively. DeSmet could have impacted the game more, as the senior was just 3-for-9 from the line.
The second half began much like the first, with the two teams exchanging buckets early on. This time, Belleville made a run, getting within one possession of New Glarus.
Devoe sparked the run with a 3-point play completed at the charity stripe. Edge and Lietz then sank 3-pointers to make it a 45-42 game.
The Knights padded their lead back to eight points with baskets from Lancaster and Schadewalt, but the Wildcats didn’t go away. Belleville got within three points three more times in the second half — on a DeSmet basket through the double team, on an Ellie Doyle offensive putback and on a pair of free throws from Devoe — but New Glarus pulled away in the final three minutes.
Schadewalt and Martinson scored on back-to-back possessions, giving the Knights a 67-60 lead with just over a minute left. With timing running out, Belleville fouled in an attempt to regain control of the ball and score. Lancaster, Martinson and Schneider went a combined 4-for-7 down the stretch to secure the game.
Schadewalt, who is nominated for the rSchoolToday Athlete of the Week Jan. 8-14, led all scorers with 35 points. She needs just 14 in a conference game against Cambridge on Jan. 16 to reach the 2,000-point mark in her career. Lancaster and Martinson also finished in double figures with 12 and 11 points, respectively.
DeSmet paced the Wildcats with 23 points and 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season. Devoe and Edge also finished in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
