BLANCHARDVILLE - Fresh off their Pecatonica tournament championship, the Pecatonica girls basketball team continued their winning streak with a 47-32 victory over Six Rivers East foe Albany.
The Vikings used a 22-point outburst in the second quarter to take a 31-11 lead into the half. The Comets responded with a solid third, though, winning the quarter by five. The two teams played an even fourth to ensure the win for Pecatonica.
Despite the win, Pecatonica coach Matt Bakkum wasn't thrilled with his team's performance.
"I thought we played sloppy," Bakkum said. "We knew coming in that (Albany's Cassidy) Bump would be out, and they had a couple other girls on the bench. We thought, coming in, that we had a mismatch at every position. We came out pretty lackadaisical, I don't know if that's the layoff from our last win. The second half was sloppy. I told the girls,when you have a cushion, that's when you can work on some things, and I don't think we did a good job of that."
Bakkum said that when his team plays like they did in the second quarter they are tough to beat.
"We just played relaxed, intelligent basektball (in the second quarter)," said Bakkum. "When they focus and do their job, they can play some pretty dangerous basketball."
Michelle Francois led the Vikings with 11 points. Madeline Fischer added 10 for Pec, while Ashley Johnsen chipped in nine. Albany had two players score in double figures. Kirstie Kauk led the Comets with 11 points, and Ashley Harris had 10. Bakkum said he was pleased with the play of Johnsen, a senior post-player.
"Johnsen played a nice game," he said. "We knew they didn't have a lot of size. She provided a spark in the post, not just scoring, but taking up space."
The win was Pecatonica's third in a row, and the Vikings are now 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the Six Rivers East. Albany dropped to 3-4 and 1-2 with the loss.
Black Hawk 51, Argyle 43
SOUTH WAYNE - Sixteen days removed from their last game, the Black Hawk girls basketball team knocked off Six Rivers East rival Argyle, 51-43.
"We really didn't let it impact the game," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said of his team's gap between games. "I didn't think we looked rusty. I just think we did a good job of minimizing that. We also talked about before the game that excuses are your worst enemy."
Argyle held a one-point advantage after the first quarter, but the Warriors responded with a strong second, outscoring the Orioles 12-5 in the quarter. Black Hawk outscored Argyle 28-26 in the second half to secure the victory.
According to Flanagan, this was the best overall performance this season by the Warriors.
"I thought it was our best team game from an offensive and defensive standpoint," he said. "I thought the kids really played together and made some adjustments out of timeouts defensively."
Jessica Treuthardt led Argyle with 16 points, and Jenna Langmeier added 15 for the Orioles. Jen Wellnitz was Black Hawk's leading scorer with 22 points. Abby Schiferl also scored in double figures for the Warriors, chipping in 13.
"Jen had a good all-around game. I think she had a double-double. Unofficially we had her with 10 boards. She was very, very solid," said Flanagan. "And then Abby Schiferl had a nice game, she did some really good things in the post."
This game was the first of four within a week for the Warriors. Flanagan said that this game held extra significance.
This was obviously paramount, just because it was a conference game," he said. "We want to win our next three if we can, but you always recognize the importance of these conference games. This was a big one for us in a lot of ways."
Black Hawk improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Six Rivers East. Argyle fell to 4-5 and 2-2 with the loss.
Brodhead 61, Parkview 36
ORFORDVILLE - The Brodhead girls basketball team continued their winning ways with a 61-36 victory over Parkview.
The Cardinals improved to 8-0, but coach Brad Pickett said that it wasn't Brodhead's finest performance.
"Honest opinion, we struggled a little bit," he said. "We didn't do a great job defensively at the start. In the second through fourth quarters we did a little bit better job."
Brodhead only led by a point after the first quarter before opening up a bigger lead in the second, outscoring Parkview by nine in that quarter. The Cards won the second half by 15 to wrap up the win.
Three Cardinals scored in double figures. Taylor Douglas led Brodhead with 12 points, Kylie Moe added 11, and Carly Mohns had 10.
Brodhead travels to Dodgeville on Saturday.
"Dodgeville plays some pretty good team. They just beat Richland Center, who's a pretty good team," said Pickett. "We're gonna have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and attacking the basket from the start. It should be a good one on Saturday."
Darlington 43, Benton-Shullsburg 36
BENTON - The Darlington girls basketball team picked up a non-conference win over Benton-Shullsburg, as the Redbirds knocked off the Zephyrs 43-36.
Darlington lost every quarter but the second, but that turned out to be enough for the Redbirds. Darlington outscored Benton-Shullsburg 17-3 in the second.
Darlington coach Riley Fitzsimons said the key for his team in the second was using their press to take advantage of the Zephyrs' foul situation.
"Benton-Shullsburg had a couple of their better ball handlers in foul trouble early," he said. "We took advantage with our press and created some turnovers."
Claire Scott led Darlington with 21 points. The Redbirds also got 11 points from Cassidy Chambers.
"Claire Scott had 10 of her 21 points in the second," said Fitzsimons. "Claire's a very athletic big girl. She can get up and down the court pretty good. If we get a steal, she's the first one down the court."
Darlington (8-2) travels to Boscobel next Tuesday.
Belmont 51, Juda 24
BELMONT - After holding off Belmont for eight minutes, the Juda girls basketball team fell to the Braves, who were led by scoring threat Keegan Kamps.
The Panthers led the Braves 9-8 at the end of the first quarter. From that point on, though, it was all Belmont.
Juda coach Curt Brown said the Panthers were able to find some good looks early, as the Braves employed a man defense before switching to a 1-3-1 zone. The switch proved to be the difference maker for Belmont, as did Kamps coming around after being held scoreless in the first quarter and getting into early foul trouble.
Kamps had a game-high 19 points, scoring mainly from the floor rather than the free-throw line.
"She really knows what her strengths are," Brown said. "And they really look to get her the ball."
Juda senior Brittany Moe led the Panthers with eight points, and fellow senior Jessica Rackow chipped in six.
The Panthers (3-7, 0-3 Six Rivers East) will host conference power Barneveld on Thursday, Jan. 10.
Brown admits that the Eagles will be a tall task, but he is hoping to get some home excitement.
"We obviously know that they are one of the top teams in state," he said. "We'll be at home. Hopefully we'll get some home cookin' and see what we can do."
Barneveld 62, Monticello 43
MONTICELLO - Both the Barneveld and Monticello girls basketball teams came into their game undefeated in the Six Rivers East. Barneveld came out on top over the host Ponies, winning, 62-43.
The Eagles jumped out on the Ponies from the start, leading 18-6 after the first quarter, and 40-20 at halftime. It was a close second half, however, with Monticello actually outscoring the Eagles by one in the final two quarters.
Monticello coach Lori Brokopp said that she was proud of the way her team kept their heads up and fought the entire game.
"We were down 20 at halftime and they didn't hang their heads. The game was not over in their minds," she said. "We came out and actually beat them in the third quarter and were basically tied in the fourth. I was really proud of them for playing through and playing a good game."
The Ponies struggled to stop Barneveld's deep offensive attack. Rachel Slaney led the Eagles with 20 points. Hannah Whitish had 16, and Madi Laube added 12 for Barneveld.
"They're just a very well-rounded team," Brokopp said of Barneveld. "They share the ball well. They're constantly looking for one another. Offensively, they work kind of as one. They want the ball and then they're able to hit the big shot. It's not just one or two people, it's many people. They're a deep offensive threat. That's kinda been their trademark lately."
Marissa Berg led the Ponies with 15 points. Alyssah Kubly was Monticello's next leading scorer with 10 points. Brokopp said one player who stood out in her mind was Courtney Leuzinger, who had eight points.
"Courtney Leuzinger is only sophomore. She made some big shots with girls in her face. That was nice to see her contribute like that for us," Brokopp said.
The Vikings used a 22-point outburst in the second quarter to take a 31-11 lead into the half. The Comets responded with a solid third, though, winning the quarter by five. The two teams played an even fourth to ensure the win for Pecatonica.
Despite the win, Pecatonica coach Matt Bakkum wasn't thrilled with his team's performance.
"I thought we played sloppy," Bakkum said. "We knew coming in that (Albany's Cassidy) Bump would be out, and they had a couple other girls on the bench. We thought, coming in, that we had a mismatch at every position. We came out pretty lackadaisical, I don't know if that's the layoff from our last win. The second half was sloppy. I told the girls,when you have a cushion, that's when you can work on some things, and I don't think we did a good job of that."
Bakkum said that when his team plays like they did in the second quarter they are tough to beat.
"We just played relaxed, intelligent basektball (in the second quarter)," said Bakkum. "When they focus and do their job, they can play some pretty dangerous basketball."
Michelle Francois led the Vikings with 11 points. Madeline Fischer added 10 for Pec, while Ashley Johnsen chipped in nine. Albany had two players score in double figures. Kirstie Kauk led the Comets with 11 points, and Ashley Harris had 10. Bakkum said he was pleased with the play of Johnsen, a senior post-player.
"Johnsen played a nice game," he said. "We knew they didn't have a lot of size. She provided a spark in the post, not just scoring, but taking up space."
The win was Pecatonica's third in a row, and the Vikings are now 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the Six Rivers East. Albany dropped to 3-4 and 1-2 with the loss.
Black Hawk 51, Argyle 43
SOUTH WAYNE - Sixteen days removed from their last game, the Black Hawk girls basketball team knocked off Six Rivers East rival Argyle, 51-43.
"We really didn't let it impact the game," Black Hawk coach Mike Flanagan said of his team's gap between games. "I didn't think we looked rusty. I just think we did a good job of minimizing that. We also talked about before the game that excuses are your worst enemy."
Argyle held a one-point advantage after the first quarter, but the Warriors responded with a strong second, outscoring the Orioles 12-5 in the quarter. Black Hawk outscored Argyle 28-26 in the second half to secure the victory.
According to Flanagan, this was the best overall performance this season by the Warriors.
"I thought it was our best team game from an offensive and defensive standpoint," he said. "I thought the kids really played together and made some adjustments out of timeouts defensively."
Jessica Treuthardt led Argyle with 16 points, and Jenna Langmeier added 15 for the Orioles. Jen Wellnitz was Black Hawk's leading scorer with 22 points. Abby Schiferl also scored in double figures for the Warriors, chipping in 13.
"Jen had a good all-around game. I think she had a double-double. Unofficially we had her with 10 boards. She was very, very solid," said Flanagan. "And then Abby Schiferl had a nice game, she did some really good things in the post."
This game was the first of four within a week for the Warriors. Flanagan said that this game held extra significance.
This was obviously paramount, just because it was a conference game," he said. "We want to win our next three if we can, but you always recognize the importance of these conference games. This was a big one for us in a lot of ways."
Black Hawk improved to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Six Rivers East. Argyle fell to 4-5 and 2-2 with the loss.
Brodhead 61, Parkview 36
ORFORDVILLE - The Brodhead girls basketball team continued their winning ways with a 61-36 victory over Parkview.
The Cardinals improved to 8-0, but coach Brad Pickett said that it wasn't Brodhead's finest performance.
"Honest opinion, we struggled a little bit," he said. "We didn't do a great job defensively at the start. In the second through fourth quarters we did a little bit better job."
Brodhead only led by a point after the first quarter before opening up a bigger lead in the second, outscoring Parkview by nine in that quarter. The Cards won the second half by 15 to wrap up the win.
Three Cardinals scored in double figures. Taylor Douglas led Brodhead with 12 points, Kylie Moe added 11, and Carly Mohns had 10.
Brodhead travels to Dodgeville on Saturday.
"Dodgeville plays some pretty good team. They just beat Richland Center, who's a pretty good team," said Pickett. "We're gonna have to do a better job of taking care of the ball and attacking the basket from the start. It should be a good one on Saturday."
Darlington 43, Benton-Shullsburg 36
BENTON - The Darlington girls basketball team picked up a non-conference win over Benton-Shullsburg, as the Redbirds knocked off the Zephyrs 43-36.
Darlington lost every quarter but the second, but that turned out to be enough for the Redbirds. Darlington outscored Benton-Shullsburg 17-3 in the second.
Darlington coach Riley Fitzsimons said the key for his team in the second was using their press to take advantage of the Zephyrs' foul situation.
"Benton-Shullsburg had a couple of their better ball handlers in foul trouble early," he said. "We took advantage with our press and created some turnovers."
Claire Scott led Darlington with 21 points. The Redbirds also got 11 points from Cassidy Chambers.
"Claire Scott had 10 of her 21 points in the second," said Fitzsimons. "Claire's a very athletic big girl. She can get up and down the court pretty good. If we get a steal, she's the first one down the court."
Darlington (8-2) travels to Boscobel next Tuesday.
Belmont 51, Juda 24
BELMONT - After holding off Belmont for eight minutes, the Juda girls basketball team fell to the Braves, who were led by scoring threat Keegan Kamps.
The Panthers led the Braves 9-8 at the end of the first quarter. From that point on, though, it was all Belmont.
Juda coach Curt Brown said the Panthers were able to find some good looks early, as the Braves employed a man defense before switching to a 1-3-1 zone. The switch proved to be the difference maker for Belmont, as did Kamps coming around after being held scoreless in the first quarter and getting into early foul trouble.
Kamps had a game-high 19 points, scoring mainly from the floor rather than the free-throw line.
"She really knows what her strengths are," Brown said. "And they really look to get her the ball."
Juda senior Brittany Moe led the Panthers with eight points, and fellow senior Jessica Rackow chipped in six.
The Panthers (3-7, 0-3 Six Rivers East) will host conference power Barneveld on Thursday, Jan. 10.
Brown admits that the Eagles will be a tall task, but he is hoping to get some home excitement.
"We obviously know that they are one of the top teams in state," he said. "We'll be at home. Hopefully we'll get some home cookin' and see what we can do."
Barneveld 62, Monticello 43
MONTICELLO - Both the Barneveld and Monticello girls basketball teams came into their game undefeated in the Six Rivers East. Barneveld came out on top over the host Ponies, winning, 62-43.
The Eagles jumped out on the Ponies from the start, leading 18-6 after the first quarter, and 40-20 at halftime. It was a close second half, however, with Monticello actually outscoring the Eagles by one in the final two quarters.
Monticello coach Lori Brokopp said that she was proud of the way her team kept their heads up and fought the entire game.
"We were down 20 at halftime and they didn't hang their heads. The game was not over in their minds," she said. "We came out and actually beat them in the third quarter and were basically tied in the fourth. I was really proud of them for playing through and playing a good game."
The Ponies struggled to stop Barneveld's deep offensive attack. Rachel Slaney led the Eagles with 20 points. Hannah Whitish had 16, and Madi Laube added 12 for Barneveld.
"They're just a very well-rounded team," Brokopp said of Barneveld. "They share the ball well. They're constantly looking for one another. Offensively, they work kind of as one. They want the ball and then they're able to hit the big shot. It's not just one or two people, it's many people. They're a deep offensive threat. That's kinda been their trademark lately."
Marissa Berg led the Ponies with 15 points. Alyssah Kubly was Monticello's next leading scorer with 10 points. Brokopp said one player who stood out in her mind was Courtney Leuzinger, who had eight points.
"Courtney Leuzinger is only sophomore. She made some big shots with girls in her face. That was nice to see her contribute like that for us," Brokopp said.
