DARLINGTON - Sophomore Hunter Johnson scored a game-high 20 points to propel Darlington to a thrilling 52-49 win over fourth-ranked Cuba City Friday.
Darlington (13-1, 6-1 SWAL) trailed by five points at the half, but outscored the Cubans 36-28 in the second half. Darlington senior Cole McDonald drilled a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to give the Redbirds a 43-42 lead and Darlington never relinquished the lead after that. With the loss, Cuba City (9-2), ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Division 4 state poll, drops one game behind Darlington and two behind league leader Mineral Point (13-0, 7-0 SWAL).
"It wasn't a pretty game especially in the first half," Darlington coach Mike Hopkins said. "It's a big win not only for conference, but in the seeding for the tournament."
Darlington will play Cuba City again on the road, but it will come at the end of the season after the regional seeding meeting.
Darlington sophomore Will Schwartz scored 13 points and made three 3-pointers.
Cuba City's Preston Droessler scored a team-high 12 points and Chris Moor added 11 points.
The Redbirds made 7 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to key the win.
"We were able to salt away the game at the foul line," Hopkins said. "Offensively, we were not clicking on all cylinders in the first half, but we scored 36 points in the second half."
Darlington will host Dodgeville Monday and then play at Riverdale Thursday.
Pecatonica 79, Argyle 57
BLANCHARDVILLE - Pecatonica junior Kyle Kelppe and sophomore A.J. Hendrickson combined to make nine of the Vikings' 13 three-pointers in a 79-57 win over Argyle Friday.
Hendrickson scored a game-high 23 points and drilled four 3-pointers. Kleppe added 17 points and made five 3-pointers. The Vikings had a balanced scoring attack with sophomore Logan Green also adding 17 points, and junior Brooks Chandler chipped in 11 points and three 3-pointers.
"Kyle is our guy who can find a spot to shoot against a zone," Pecatonica assistant coach Larry Schliem said. "He was hot tonight. We lived and died by the 3 in the first half. We moved the ball better in the second half. We pushed the ball up the floor more. We still shot them if they were open."
Pecatonica (11-3, 7-0 Six Rivers East) now has a two-game lead in the conference over Black Hawk.
Argyle junior Riley Ostby scored a team-high 20 points and junior teammate Kyle Emberson added 12 points. With the loss, Argyle drops to 2-9, 1-6).
Albany 60,
Black Hawk 49
SOUTH WAYNE - Albany junior Tyler Dahl scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Comets to a 60-49 win over Black Hawk.
"He was really a playmaker for us," Albany coach Derik Doescher said.
Albany (6-9, 5-2 Six Rivers East) outscored the Warriors 33-22 in the second half.
Albany junior Cole Trapp scored 12 points on four 3-pointers.
"Cole Trapp was the difference," Doescher said. "He gave us that lift from the perimeter we needed."
Black Hawk senior Heath Butler scored a team-high 20 points. The Comets limited Butler to nine points through the first three quarters before he scored 11 in the fourth quarter. Black Hawk senior Shawn Woodruff added nine points and senior Troy Wellnitz chipped in seven points.
"We made him (Butler) work for all 20 points he got," Doescher said. "He's a heck of a player."
With the loss, Black Hawk drops to 7-6, 5-2 and into a second-place tie in the conference with Albany.
Barneveld 71, Monticello 36
MONTICELLO - Senior Ben May scored a game-high 20 points and eclipsed the 1,000-career-point milestone, but Barneveld rolled to a 71-36 win over the Ponies.
Barneveld (6-7, 4-3 Six Rivers East) jumped out to a 20-10 lead in the first quarter. The Eagles put the game away with a 21-0 run from the end of the second quarter into the third to take a 55-18 lead. Both teams made eight 3-pointers. May drilled four 3-pointers and teammate Matt Andrews scored 12 points by hitting four 3-pointers.
Barneveld senior Brycen Sorensen scored a team-high 18 points and junior Bryce Arneson scored 17 points. Sophomore teammate Matthew Myers added 14 points and made four 3-pointers and senior Colton Sullivan chipped in 11 points and made three 3-pointers.
With the loss, Monticello drops to 1-12, 0-7.
Parkview 65, Brodhead 50
ORFORDVILLE - Parkview's Jacob Grenawalt scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Vikings to a 65-50 win over Brodhead.
Brodhead (4-10, 2-7 Rock Valley South) raced out to a 15-9 lead. Parkview answered by outscoring the Cardinals 21-8 in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead at the half. The Vikings put the game away by going on a 23-12 run in the third quarter.
Brodhead junior Ned Slocum scored a team-high 20 points. Senior teammate Josiah DeLorme added 12 points and Tjaden Sanders added eight points.
Darlington (13-1, 6-1 SWAL) trailed by five points at the half, but outscored the Cubans 36-28 in the second half. Darlington senior Cole McDonald drilled a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to give the Redbirds a 43-42 lead and Darlington never relinquished the lead after that. With the loss, Cuba City (9-2), ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Division 4 state poll, drops one game behind Darlington and two behind league leader Mineral Point (13-0, 7-0 SWAL).
"It wasn't a pretty game especially in the first half," Darlington coach Mike Hopkins said. "It's a big win not only for conference, but in the seeding for the tournament."
Darlington will play Cuba City again on the road, but it will come at the end of the season after the regional seeding meeting.
Darlington sophomore Will Schwartz scored 13 points and made three 3-pointers.
Cuba City's Preston Droessler scored a team-high 12 points and Chris Moor added 11 points.
The Redbirds made 7 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to key the win.
"We were able to salt away the game at the foul line," Hopkins said. "Offensively, we were not clicking on all cylinders in the first half, but we scored 36 points in the second half."
Darlington will host Dodgeville Monday and then play at Riverdale Thursday.
Pecatonica 79, Argyle 57
BLANCHARDVILLE - Pecatonica junior Kyle Kelppe and sophomore A.J. Hendrickson combined to make nine of the Vikings' 13 three-pointers in a 79-57 win over Argyle Friday.
Hendrickson scored a game-high 23 points and drilled four 3-pointers. Kleppe added 17 points and made five 3-pointers. The Vikings had a balanced scoring attack with sophomore Logan Green also adding 17 points, and junior Brooks Chandler chipped in 11 points and three 3-pointers.
"Kyle is our guy who can find a spot to shoot against a zone," Pecatonica assistant coach Larry Schliem said. "He was hot tonight. We lived and died by the 3 in the first half. We moved the ball better in the second half. We pushed the ball up the floor more. We still shot them if they were open."
Pecatonica (11-3, 7-0 Six Rivers East) now has a two-game lead in the conference over Black Hawk.
Argyle junior Riley Ostby scored a team-high 20 points and junior teammate Kyle Emberson added 12 points. With the loss, Argyle drops to 2-9, 1-6).
Albany 60,
Black Hawk 49
SOUTH WAYNE - Albany junior Tyler Dahl scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Comets to a 60-49 win over Black Hawk.
"He was really a playmaker for us," Albany coach Derik Doescher said.
Albany (6-9, 5-2 Six Rivers East) outscored the Warriors 33-22 in the second half.
Albany junior Cole Trapp scored 12 points on four 3-pointers.
"Cole Trapp was the difference," Doescher said. "He gave us that lift from the perimeter we needed."
Black Hawk senior Heath Butler scored a team-high 20 points. The Comets limited Butler to nine points through the first three quarters before he scored 11 in the fourth quarter. Black Hawk senior Shawn Woodruff added nine points and senior Troy Wellnitz chipped in seven points.
"We made him (Butler) work for all 20 points he got," Doescher said. "He's a heck of a player."
With the loss, Black Hawk drops to 7-6, 5-2 and into a second-place tie in the conference with Albany.
Barneveld 71, Monticello 36
MONTICELLO - Senior Ben May scored a game-high 20 points and eclipsed the 1,000-career-point milestone, but Barneveld rolled to a 71-36 win over the Ponies.
Barneveld (6-7, 4-3 Six Rivers East) jumped out to a 20-10 lead in the first quarter. The Eagles put the game away with a 21-0 run from the end of the second quarter into the third to take a 55-18 lead. Both teams made eight 3-pointers. May drilled four 3-pointers and teammate Matt Andrews scored 12 points by hitting four 3-pointers.
Barneveld senior Brycen Sorensen scored a team-high 18 points and junior Bryce Arneson scored 17 points. Sophomore teammate Matthew Myers added 14 points and made four 3-pointers and senior Colton Sullivan chipped in 11 points and made three 3-pointers.
With the loss, Monticello drops to 1-12, 0-7.
Parkview 65, Brodhead 50
ORFORDVILLE - Parkview's Jacob Grenawalt scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Vikings to a 65-50 win over Brodhead.
Brodhead (4-10, 2-7 Rock Valley South) raced out to a 15-9 lead. Parkview answered by outscoring the Cardinals 21-8 in the second quarter to take a seven-point lead at the half. The Vikings put the game away by going on a 23-12 run in the third quarter.
Brodhead junior Ned Slocum scored a team-high 20 points. Senior teammate Josiah DeLorme added 12 points and Tjaden Sanders added eight points.
