WAUNAKEE - After Darlington sophomore Cassidy Chambers watched four game films of Belleville, she wasn't expecting what transpired Thursday night.
Belleville senior Quinn Rear scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half and the Wildcats rolled to a 62-38 win over Darlington in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal.
"We knew they always started out strong and then had a tendency to get tired in the second half," Chambers said. "We thought the second half would be our half. Give them credit. They played a full game. That's the best we have ever seen them play in the four game films we watched."
Belleville fans, clad in green with their faces painted green for St. Patrick's Day, waved bright yellow towels throughout the game with the message emblazed on them, "Wildcats Bringing on the Heat 212 degrees." Belleville advances to the WIAA Division 4 Baraboo sectional championship game where the Wildcats will play Westby with a state tournament berth on the line.
Rear couldn't think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
"This is amazing," she said. "I knew it was a do or die situation right now."
Rear showed no ill effects from the knee injury that hobbled her late in the season and forced her to miss two games.
The Wildcats opened the game scoring seven straight points, highlighted by Rear's 3-pointer. Darlington senior Chayse Hermanson snapped a cold spell by drilling a 3 with 5 minutes, 6 seconds left in the first quarter, to cut the score to 7-3.
The Wildcats' lead ballooned to 18-8 after freshman Haven Freidig's 3 and sophomore Riley Rung's layup. Belleville senior Hannah Kernen, who scored 12 points, knocked down a running jumper in the lane to give the Wildcats a 22-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Belleville senior Natalie Mansion also added 12.
Chambers, who scored a team-high 12 points, and junior Amy Jorgenson scored on layups to cut the Redbirds' lead to 28-18. Rear answered by knocking down a 3-pointer and she scored on a putback at the end of the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 35-18 half-time lead. The Redbirds committed 11 of their 20 turnovers in the first half. The Redbirds trailed by as many as 26 points in the second half.
"I told the girls after the game you were one of the best teams in the conference this year," Darlington coach Mike Chambers said. "This year you were one of the best teams in the state because you beat Cuba City, Lancaster and Fennimore. We just ran into a buzz saw tonight."
Mike Chambers said the Redbirds have a tendency to turn the ball over, but not like what happened Thursday night.
"Belleville's defense was the reason for that," he said. "Every time we made a run, Belleville answered."
Rear said defense was the key.
"Our coach stresses defense," Rear said. "We came out and played really good defense and got it into the post."
Darlington had six seniors close out their prep careers. Hermanson scored seven points for the Redbirds. Senior Elizabeth Mathias had five points and seven rebounds and sophomore Claire Scott had six points and seven rebounds. Carley McDonald, who added four points, struggled to see her season end. She's confident the Redbirds opened some eyes.
"It means a lot," McDonald said of winning the regional and advancing to the sectional. "We had a tough year last year. We knew how much talent we had. We proved to everyone that we could do it."
There's no doubt in Cassidy Chambers' mind what made the difference for the Redbirds this year.
"This year we came out ready," she said. "I will miss the seniors. They made this team."
Darlington had one of the best turnarounds in one year. The Redbirds swept defending champion Cuba City, contended for a conference championship, knocked off No. 2 regional seed Lancaster and No. 1 seed Fennimore to win a regional title to advance to just the school's second sectional.
"When it was all wrapped up and the season finally over we talked about now we can sit back and look at what we have done," Mike Chambers said. "You never want to do that during the season because your season could be over."
Belleville senior Quinn Rear scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half and the Wildcats rolled to a 62-38 win over Darlington in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal.
"We knew they always started out strong and then had a tendency to get tired in the second half," Chambers said. "We thought the second half would be our half. Give them credit. They played a full game. That's the best we have ever seen them play in the four game films we watched."
Belleville fans, clad in green with their faces painted green for St. Patrick's Day, waved bright yellow towels throughout the game with the message emblazed on them, "Wildcats Bringing on the Heat 212 degrees." Belleville advances to the WIAA Division 4 Baraboo sectional championship game where the Wildcats will play Westby with a state tournament berth on the line.
Rear couldn't think of a better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
"This is amazing," she said. "I knew it was a do or die situation right now."
Rear showed no ill effects from the knee injury that hobbled her late in the season and forced her to miss two games.
The Wildcats opened the game scoring seven straight points, highlighted by Rear's 3-pointer. Darlington senior Chayse Hermanson snapped a cold spell by drilling a 3 with 5 minutes, 6 seconds left in the first quarter, to cut the score to 7-3.
The Wildcats' lead ballooned to 18-8 after freshman Haven Freidig's 3 and sophomore Riley Rung's layup. Belleville senior Hannah Kernen, who scored 12 points, knocked down a running jumper in the lane to give the Wildcats a 22-10 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Belleville senior Natalie Mansion also added 12.
Chambers, who scored a team-high 12 points, and junior Amy Jorgenson scored on layups to cut the Redbirds' lead to 28-18. Rear answered by knocking down a 3-pointer and she scored on a putback at the end of the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 35-18 half-time lead. The Redbirds committed 11 of their 20 turnovers in the first half. The Redbirds trailed by as many as 26 points in the second half.
"I told the girls after the game you were one of the best teams in the conference this year," Darlington coach Mike Chambers said. "This year you were one of the best teams in the state because you beat Cuba City, Lancaster and Fennimore. We just ran into a buzz saw tonight."
Mike Chambers said the Redbirds have a tendency to turn the ball over, but not like what happened Thursday night.
"Belleville's defense was the reason for that," he said. "Every time we made a run, Belleville answered."
Rear said defense was the key.
"Our coach stresses defense," Rear said. "We came out and played really good defense and got it into the post."
Darlington had six seniors close out their prep careers. Hermanson scored seven points for the Redbirds. Senior Elizabeth Mathias had five points and seven rebounds and sophomore Claire Scott had six points and seven rebounds. Carley McDonald, who added four points, struggled to see her season end. She's confident the Redbirds opened some eyes.
"It means a lot," McDonald said of winning the regional and advancing to the sectional. "We had a tough year last year. We knew how much talent we had. We proved to everyone that we could do it."
There's no doubt in Cassidy Chambers' mind what made the difference for the Redbirds this year.
"This year we came out ready," she said. "I will miss the seniors. They made this team."
Darlington had one of the best turnarounds in one year. The Redbirds swept defending champion Cuba City, contended for a conference championship, knocked off No. 2 regional seed Lancaster and No. 1 seed Fennimore to win a regional title to advance to just the school's second sectional.
"When it was all wrapped up and the season finally over we talked about now we can sit back and look at what we have done," Mike Chambers said. "You never want to do that during the season because your season could be over."
