By Times staff
CUBA CITY - Alex Erickson did all he could to keep the Redbirds in Friday's game against Cuba City. The junior shooter scored 24 points and pulled Darlington back into the game, but the No. 1 ranked Cubans held on to win, 57-53.
The Redbirds (11-1, 6-1 SWAL), ranked No. 6 in the state in Division 3 according to the Associated Press, found themselves behind 20-5 after the first quarter, which included a scoreless period from by Erickson. However, by the half Darlington got itself back to within eight points at 30-22. An 18-14 third quarter put the Redbirds down just 44-40.
"I was a little concerned that we would be too jacked up to start the game," Redbirds head coach Mike Hopkins said. "But we calmed down just a little bit and started a comeback."
On separate occasions in the fourth, Darlington crept back to within one point, only to have Cuba City score right back. Erickson hit a 3-pointer to bring the score to 44-43 right away in the fourth. Darlington again came close at 52-51 after a lay up by Zach Brown, but the Cubans top player, UW-Milwaukee recruit Evan Richard, drained a 3 to push the score back to four.
In the final 15 seconds the Redbirds had a tough time getting across halfcourt as Cuba City had extra fouls to give and continually hacked at the ball seconds after every new Darlington inbound. The fouls ate up enough time that a last-ditch 3-pointer was off the mark.
Because the two teams will not meet again until the last game of the regular season, Cuba City received a big boost in the playoff seeding. The Cubans (13-0, 7-0), ranked No. 1 by the AP, are in line to not only win the SWAL Conference title, but are projected to get the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 sectional.
Monticello 50, Barneveld 49, OT
BARNEVELD - Monticello junior Tyler Ritschard capped an improbable comeback by driving in and hitting the game-winning shot with 22 seconds left to lift the Ponies to a 50-49 overtime win over Barneveld.
Barneveld went on a 12-0 fourth quarter run to take a 41-34 lead on the Ponies with 1:42 left. Monticello senior Tyler Meier, who scored a team-high 15 points, scored with 38 seconds left to cut the Eagles' lead to 41-37. Monticello (8-2, 5-0 Six Rivers East) erased a five-point deficit in the final 36 seconds of regulation.
Senior Jacob Marty scored to cut the Eagles' lead to 42-39. The Ponies stole the inbound pass and junior Corey McGowan scored and was fouled. He converted the traditional three-point play at the foul line to tie the game at 42 and send it to overtime.
That set the stage for Ritschard's heroics. Ritschard scored 12 points and Marty added nine in the game. Monticello, which shared the Six Rivers East Conference title with Barneveld last year, will host the Eagles Feb. 18. The Ponies next play at Albany Monday.
Black Hawk 43, Albany 42
ALBANY - Hayden Schliem was "Johnny on the spot" Friday night, picking up a loose ball rebound and flipping in the game-winning basket at the buzzer for the Warriors.
"Credit to Schliem for staying after it and not giving up," Albany head coach Derik Doescher said. "Most kids would watch the final 3-pointer go up with four seconds left and think that would be it. But he stayed with it."
According to Doescher, neither team led by four or more points throughout the game.
"One team would get up two or three, and then the other would come right back," he said.
Black Hawk led 13-12 after the first and 25-24 at halftime. Albany led 37-35 going into the fourth quarter and held a 1-point lead with 18 seconds left.
"It was a very good high school basketball game. Both sides played hard. I told the kids that I was proud of their effort," Doescher said.
T.J. Adams led all scorers with 16 points for Black Hawk. Cody Foster had 15 and Schliem added six for the Warriors. Boomer Detra and Bryce Hulbert each had 10 points for the Comets and Tyler Conley and Joshua Krueger each had nine.
New Glarus 61, Marshall 44
NEW GLARUS - The mission for the Glarner Knights' boys basketball team was to get the ball inside.
New Glarus coach Travis Sysko's message about getting the ball inside was taken to heart as the Glarner Knights pounded Marshall 61-44.
"We talked about how we should get the ball in the paint," Sysko said. "The boys did a good job of attacking tonight."
New Glarus senior Ryan Bright was a mismatch for Marshall and he scored 24 points. Fellow senior Nick Stuessy scored 10 points and Tyler Kreklow added eight.
New Glarus shot 19 of 27 from the free throw line and didn't convert a 3-pointer.
"The 3's were not falling and we didn't have to shoot them," Sysko said.
New Glarus (8-3, 2-3 Capitol South) hosts Poynette Tuesday.
CUBA CITY - Alex Erickson did all he could to keep the Redbirds in Friday's game against Cuba City. The junior shooter scored 24 points and pulled Darlington back into the game, but the No. 1 ranked Cubans held on to win, 57-53.
The Redbirds (11-1, 6-1 SWAL), ranked No. 6 in the state in Division 3 according to the Associated Press, found themselves behind 20-5 after the first quarter, which included a scoreless period from by Erickson. However, by the half Darlington got itself back to within eight points at 30-22. An 18-14 third quarter put the Redbirds down just 44-40.
"I was a little concerned that we would be too jacked up to start the game," Redbirds head coach Mike Hopkins said. "But we calmed down just a little bit and started a comeback."
On separate occasions in the fourth, Darlington crept back to within one point, only to have Cuba City score right back. Erickson hit a 3-pointer to bring the score to 44-43 right away in the fourth. Darlington again came close at 52-51 after a lay up by Zach Brown, but the Cubans top player, UW-Milwaukee recruit Evan Richard, drained a 3 to push the score back to four.
In the final 15 seconds the Redbirds had a tough time getting across halfcourt as Cuba City had extra fouls to give and continually hacked at the ball seconds after every new Darlington inbound. The fouls ate up enough time that a last-ditch 3-pointer was off the mark.
Because the two teams will not meet again until the last game of the regular season, Cuba City received a big boost in the playoff seeding. The Cubans (13-0, 7-0), ranked No. 1 by the AP, are in line to not only win the SWAL Conference title, but are projected to get the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 sectional.
Monticello 50, Barneveld 49, OT
BARNEVELD - Monticello junior Tyler Ritschard capped an improbable comeback by driving in and hitting the game-winning shot with 22 seconds left to lift the Ponies to a 50-49 overtime win over Barneveld.
Barneveld went on a 12-0 fourth quarter run to take a 41-34 lead on the Ponies with 1:42 left. Monticello senior Tyler Meier, who scored a team-high 15 points, scored with 38 seconds left to cut the Eagles' lead to 41-37. Monticello (8-2, 5-0 Six Rivers East) erased a five-point deficit in the final 36 seconds of regulation.
Senior Jacob Marty scored to cut the Eagles' lead to 42-39. The Ponies stole the inbound pass and junior Corey McGowan scored and was fouled. He converted the traditional three-point play at the foul line to tie the game at 42 and send it to overtime.
That set the stage for Ritschard's heroics. Ritschard scored 12 points and Marty added nine in the game. Monticello, which shared the Six Rivers East Conference title with Barneveld last year, will host the Eagles Feb. 18. The Ponies next play at Albany Monday.
Black Hawk 43, Albany 42
ALBANY - Hayden Schliem was "Johnny on the spot" Friday night, picking up a loose ball rebound and flipping in the game-winning basket at the buzzer for the Warriors.
"Credit to Schliem for staying after it and not giving up," Albany head coach Derik Doescher said. "Most kids would watch the final 3-pointer go up with four seconds left and think that would be it. But he stayed with it."
According to Doescher, neither team led by four or more points throughout the game.
"One team would get up two or three, and then the other would come right back," he said.
Black Hawk led 13-12 after the first and 25-24 at halftime. Albany led 37-35 going into the fourth quarter and held a 1-point lead with 18 seconds left.
"It was a very good high school basketball game. Both sides played hard. I told the kids that I was proud of their effort," Doescher said.
T.J. Adams led all scorers with 16 points for Black Hawk. Cody Foster had 15 and Schliem added six for the Warriors. Boomer Detra and Bryce Hulbert each had 10 points for the Comets and Tyler Conley and Joshua Krueger each had nine.
New Glarus 61, Marshall 44
NEW GLARUS - The mission for the Glarner Knights' boys basketball team was to get the ball inside.
New Glarus coach Travis Sysko's message about getting the ball inside was taken to heart as the Glarner Knights pounded Marshall 61-44.
"We talked about how we should get the ball in the paint," Sysko said. "The boys did a good job of attacking tonight."
New Glarus senior Ryan Bright was a mismatch for Marshall and he scored 24 points. Fellow senior Nick Stuessy scored 10 points and Tyler Kreklow added eight.
New Glarus shot 19 of 27 from the free throw line and didn't convert a 3-pointer.
"The 3's were not falling and we didn't have to shoot them," Sysko said.
New Glarus (8-3, 2-3 Capitol South) hosts Poynette Tuesday.
