MINERAL POINT - Darlington's two-year reign as regional champions came to an end at the hands of SWAL rival Mineral Point on Saturday night.
The No. 6-ranked Pointers charged off on a pair of quick scoring bursts early in each half to put distance between themselves and the Redbirds as they rolled to the WIAA Division 4 regional title with a 75-50 victory.
Sophomore Isaac Lindsey scored nine of his game-high 26 points during a 20-7 run that turned a four-point Pointer advantage into a 36-19 lead midway in the first half, and freshman Brayden Dailey scored eight of his 24 points during a 19-6 outburst in the second half that erased all hopes for a Darlington comeback.
"That's as good a team as there is in the state. They have so many weapons on offense and their defense is so tough. When they are clicking like they were tonight, they're pretty tough to defend. Your margin of error is pretty thin," Darlington head coach Tom Uppena said.
After the Pointers (20-4 overall) used a quick 6-0 burst to open up a 16-9 lead, the Redbirds (16-8) pulled back within four on a 3-pointer by junior Tucker Lange. The Pointers answered with back-to-back 3s by junior Garrett Wendhausen and Lindsey to go ahead 22-12, and then added three free throws and another 3-pointer by Lindsey to build up a 28-15 advantage.
Mineral Point took a 42-23 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
The Redbirds began the second half with baskets by freshman Carter Lancaster and junior Stryker Fitzsimons and a 3-pointer by senior Tanner Evenstad to cut the deficit down to 12 at 42-30. However, the Pointers regained the momentum with six unanswered points, and then used a pair of three-point plays from Dailey in transition to pull ahead 61-36 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
"We just didn't make the plays we needed to down the stretch. We had some turnovers and gave them some easy layups in transition. You can't do those things against a good team like them," said Uppena.
Lindsey sank two 3-pointers and four free throws down the stretch to put the finishing touches on the Pointers victory.
Lancaster, who battled foul trouble throughout the game before fouling out late in the second half, finished with a team-high 12 points. Evenstad netted 11 points, while Fitzsimons tallied 9 and Lange added 7 for the 'Birds.
The No. 6-ranked Pointers charged off on a pair of quick scoring bursts early in each half to put distance between themselves and the Redbirds as they rolled to the WIAA Division 4 regional title with a 75-50 victory.
Sophomore Isaac Lindsey scored nine of his game-high 26 points during a 20-7 run that turned a four-point Pointer advantage into a 36-19 lead midway in the first half, and freshman Brayden Dailey scored eight of his 24 points during a 19-6 outburst in the second half that erased all hopes for a Darlington comeback.
"That's as good a team as there is in the state. They have so many weapons on offense and their defense is so tough. When they are clicking like they were tonight, they're pretty tough to defend. Your margin of error is pretty thin," Darlington head coach Tom Uppena said.
After the Pointers (20-4 overall) used a quick 6-0 burst to open up a 16-9 lead, the Redbirds (16-8) pulled back within four on a 3-pointer by junior Tucker Lange. The Pointers answered with back-to-back 3s by junior Garrett Wendhausen and Lindsey to go ahead 22-12, and then added three free throws and another 3-pointer by Lindsey to build up a 28-15 advantage.
Mineral Point took a 42-23 lead into the locker room at the intermission.
The Redbirds began the second half with baskets by freshman Carter Lancaster and junior Stryker Fitzsimons and a 3-pointer by senior Tanner Evenstad to cut the deficit down to 12 at 42-30. However, the Pointers regained the momentum with six unanswered points, and then used a pair of three-point plays from Dailey in transition to pull ahead 61-36 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
"We just didn't make the plays we needed to down the stretch. We had some turnovers and gave them some easy layups in transition. You can't do those things against a good team like them," said Uppena.
Lindsey sank two 3-pointers and four free throws down the stretch to put the finishing touches on the Pointers victory.
Lancaster, who battled foul trouble throughout the game before fouling out late in the second half, finished with a team-high 12 points. Evenstad netted 11 points, while Fitzsimons tallied 9 and Lange added 7 for the 'Birds.
