DARLINGTON - The Black Hawk Lady Warriors are back in the sectional tournament thanks to clutch shots, rebounding and defensive pressure - but not free throws.
"This was the kind of game we thought it was going to be," Black Hawk head coach Mike Flanagan said after his team's 46-40 victory over conference rival Barneveld in the WIAA Division 4 Darlington Regional final. "Anyone who thought this was going to be a 15- or 20-point game like the first two times was kind of foolish. Barneveld is a great team with a great coach and they have been playing good basketball lately."
The Warriors, ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press Division 4 state prep poll, shot just 50 percent from the free-throw line (11 of 22), and were just 6-of-15 from the line in the fourth quarter.
"We've seen big crowds before, but this probably got under our skin a little bit," senior forward Katie Place said.
Senior Kim Wellnitz, Black Hawk's unquestioned leader and a UW-Platteville recruit, finished with just five points - 10 below her season average - and was 0-for-5 from the charity stripe.
"I was thinking about my shot way too much," Wellnitz said. "I'm not going to lie, I was scared at the end for a little bit."
The Warriors (24-1) led by nine in the second quarter, but a 10-1 Barneveld run in the half's final 27 seconds, including a 35-footer at the buzzer by freshman Madison Laube, brought the score back to within two at the half.
"They came out hard and they wanted it," Wellnitz said. "I told the other five starters on the floor ... I don't want to lose, I don't want this (season) to end. I believed in my team the whole time and when it came down to the end, they stepped up."
Again in the third, Black Hawk took a nine-point lead four minutes in, 30-21, but Barneveld (17-8) went on a 7-0 run to close out the frame. The Eagles scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, closing the gap to 30-29. Black Hawk was held scoreless for 6 minutes, 8 seconds between the third and the fourth, but Rachel Rygh dropped a pair of free throws to end the slide.
After the Eagles again brought the score back to within a point at 32-31, Place took a pass inside from Wellnitz with 4:36 remaining and laid it in - the Warriors' first field goal in nearly eight minutes.
"It did get physical in there, but we kept with it," Place said. "We knew they were going to bring everything they had and they did."
Barneveld's Courtney Sullivan tied the score 16 seconds later with a 3-pointer. The Rygh banked in a 3 of her own from the left wing, again shifting momentum and putting in the capacity crowd on its feet.
"I usually don't try to bank 3s. I was just glad it went in," Rygh said.
Moments later, junior guard Melissa Wellnitz re-entered the game for Black Hawk. Wellnitz had gotten into foul trouble early in the half and had to sit, but made her presence known almost immediately.
"Sitting on the bench, I didn't know what to do. When I went in, I was nervous sitting in front of the stands," said Melissa Wellnitz, who drained one of her own nearly a minute after Rygh, giving the Warriors a 6-point cushion. "After I hit that 3, I was like 'Oh gosh, I cannot believe that just went in!' because those usually don't fall for me."
Place followed a minute later by getting an offensive rebound and a putback on Kim Wellnitz's missed free throw.
"(Melissa) plays so doggone hard it's almost a detriment," Flanagan said of Wellnitz's foul trouble. "She took advantage of an opportunity. That shot was huge. And Katie, that's what she does. She is the best rebounder I've ever coached."
Black Hawk held Barneveld scoreless for nearly three minutes late in the second half, and a second 3 by Sullivan brought the score back to five points with 1:49 remaining. Alyssa Piefer hit 3 of 4 free throws in the final 1:04 of the game to help keep the Warriors ahead.
Rygh led the Warriors with 14 points, Place had 13 and Melissa Wellnitz had eight. Sullivan, a senior, led Barneveld with 12. Black Hawk never trailed, and outrebounded the Eagles 27-18, holding Barneveld to just three offensive boards.
"We saw (Barneveld's) best and we still found a way to win. We have different kids that contribute every time out. This team plays so level and I never felt that we panicked," Flanagan said.
The Warriors move on to Thursday's sectional semifinal in Evansville, where they will play their third Six Rivers East Conference opponent of the postseason, Albany (13-11).
"It's always harder to face a team for a third time in a season. We're just going to have to prepare ourselves and get ready," Place said.
"This was the kind of game we thought it was going to be," Black Hawk head coach Mike Flanagan said after his team's 46-40 victory over conference rival Barneveld in the WIAA Division 4 Darlington Regional final. "Anyone who thought this was going to be a 15- or 20-point game like the first two times was kind of foolish. Barneveld is a great team with a great coach and they have been playing good basketball lately."
The Warriors, ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press Division 4 state prep poll, shot just 50 percent from the free-throw line (11 of 22), and were just 6-of-15 from the line in the fourth quarter.
"We've seen big crowds before, but this probably got under our skin a little bit," senior forward Katie Place said.
Senior Kim Wellnitz, Black Hawk's unquestioned leader and a UW-Platteville recruit, finished with just five points - 10 below her season average - and was 0-for-5 from the charity stripe.
"I was thinking about my shot way too much," Wellnitz said. "I'm not going to lie, I was scared at the end for a little bit."
The Warriors (24-1) led by nine in the second quarter, but a 10-1 Barneveld run in the half's final 27 seconds, including a 35-footer at the buzzer by freshman Madison Laube, brought the score back to within two at the half.
"They came out hard and they wanted it," Wellnitz said. "I told the other five starters on the floor ... I don't want to lose, I don't want this (season) to end. I believed in my team the whole time and when it came down to the end, they stepped up."
Again in the third, Black Hawk took a nine-point lead four minutes in, 30-21, but Barneveld (17-8) went on a 7-0 run to close out the frame. The Eagles scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, closing the gap to 30-29. Black Hawk was held scoreless for 6 minutes, 8 seconds between the third and the fourth, but Rachel Rygh dropped a pair of free throws to end the slide.
After the Eagles again brought the score back to within a point at 32-31, Place took a pass inside from Wellnitz with 4:36 remaining and laid it in - the Warriors' first field goal in nearly eight minutes.
"It did get physical in there, but we kept with it," Place said. "We knew they were going to bring everything they had and they did."
Barneveld's Courtney Sullivan tied the score 16 seconds later with a 3-pointer. The Rygh banked in a 3 of her own from the left wing, again shifting momentum and putting in the capacity crowd on its feet.
"I usually don't try to bank 3s. I was just glad it went in," Rygh said.
Moments later, junior guard Melissa Wellnitz re-entered the game for Black Hawk. Wellnitz had gotten into foul trouble early in the half and had to sit, but made her presence known almost immediately.
"Sitting on the bench, I didn't know what to do. When I went in, I was nervous sitting in front of the stands," said Melissa Wellnitz, who drained one of her own nearly a minute after Rygh, giving the Warriors a 6-point cushion. "After I hit that 3, I was like 'Oh gosh, I cannot believe that just went in!' because those usually don't fall for me."
Place followed a minute later by getting an offensive rebound and a putback on Kim Wellnitz's missed free throw.
"(Melissa) plays so doggone hard it's almost a detriment," Flanagan said of Wellnitz's foul trouble. "She took advantage of an opportunity. That shot was huge. And Katie, that's what she does. She is the best rebounder I've ever coached."
Black Hawk held Barneveld scoreless for nearly three minutes late in the second half, and a second 3 by Sullivan brought the score back to five points with 1:49 remaining. Alyssa Piefer hit 3 of 4 free throws in the final 1:04 of the game to help keep the Warriors ahead.
Rygh led the Warriors with 14 points, Place had 13 and Melissa Wellnitz had eight. Sullivan, a senior, led Barneveld with 12. Black Hawk never trailed, and outrebounded the Eagles 27-18, holding Barneveld to just three offensive boards.
"We saw (Barneveld's) best and we still found a way to win. We have different kids that contribute every time out. This team plays so level and I never felt that we panicked," Flanagan said.
The Warriors move on to Thursday's sectional semifinal in Evansville, where they will play their third Six Rivers East Conference opponent of the postseason, Albany (13-11).
"It's always harder to face a team for a third time in a season. We're just going to have to prepare ourselves and get ready," Place said.
