DIVISION 1

Stevens Point 89, Muskego 64

Stevens Point (28-0) captured its second consecutive title and capped a perfect season by winning the Division 1 championship in convincing fashion with an 89-64 win over Muskego in the final Saturday at the Kohl Center.

The Panthers scorched the nets in the first half to take control of the game early. They shot 65 percent from the floor to build a 20-point cushion by halftime at 41-21. Their offensive efficiency continued into the second half, connecting on 50 percent of their field field goals. The Panthers’ defense led to points as they held a significant 28-6 edge in points off of opponent turnovers in the game.

The Panthers erased any consideration of a Muskego comeback midway through the second half when Drew Blair drained three-pointers in three straight possessions to extend the lead to 27 points with 10 minutes to play in the game.

Stevens Point led by as many as 30 in the second half to coast to the win. Sam Hauser led all scorers with 23 points. He also collected a team-high eight rebounds. Trev Anderson added 20 points with Joey Hauser adding 13 points and Drew Blair chipping in with 11.

Tommy Anderson led the Warriors with 20 points. Caleb Anderson contributed with 16 points, and Matty Farner scored 13 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.

Stevens Point wins its fifth State championship in its 18th appearance, and Muskego (23-5) finishes runner-up in it second State Tournament appearance.


DIVISION 2

Kaukauna 91, Waunakee 62

Kaukauna (25-3) rolled to the State Division 2 championship with a 91-62 win over Waunakee in the final Saturday at the Kohl Center.

Kaukauna tied the Division 2 State tournament record with its offensive output of 91 points. The Galloping Ghosts also set the mark for the largest margin of victory in a Division 2 State final. They  pulled away from the Warriors early in the second half, leading by as many as 31 at 79-48 with just under five minutes in the game to cruise to the victory. 

Kaukauna built a double-digit lead in the first half, taking advantage of Waunakee’s cold shooting, hitting on 25 percent of its shots. The Galloping Ghosts outscored the Warriors 11-0 in the final 4:42 of the first period to lead 33-20 at halftime.

Jordan McCabe was a key contributor on both sides of the ball for the Galloping Ghosts, leading all scorers in the game with 24 points and tying a Division 2 State Tournament record with six steals. Adam Smith and Marcus Moreau also added to the offensive output with 22 and 18 points, respectively. Kaukauna shot 52 percent for the game, thanks in large part to its production inside, outscoring Waunakee 52-28 in the paint.

The Warriors’ balanced scoring attack was led by Riley Freeman with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lyle Jensen, Mitch Listau and Tyler Ronk each added nine points.

The Galloping Ghosts win their first Championship in their third State appearance, and Waunakee (25-3) finishes runner-up in the Warriors’ second State experience. 


DIVISION 3

Waupun 59, Xavier 58

Waupun (27-1) captured the Division 3 championship by hanging on to beat Xavier 59-58 in the final at the Kohl Center Saturday afternoon.

With a chance for the Hawks to tie or win the game with two seconds remaining, a put-back off a missed free throw missed the mark.

Waupun led for most of the first half with seven points being its biggest lead. That came with 3:17 remaining in the half. The Warriors held a 26-23 advantage at halftime on the strength of 50 percent shooting from the floor. Xavier shot under 30 percent in the first half, but kept the score close by making 6-of-12 three-pointers in the period.

Xavier opened the second half with a 10-2 run to take a 33-30 lead; however, the Warriors erased their deficit and took a 50-39 lead by outscoring the Hawks 11-1 during a stretch later in the period. Xavier fought back to draw within one point at three different times in the final 1:45 of the game, but was unable to complete the comeback.

Waupun featured a balanced scoring attack led by Marcus Domask with 15 points. Owen Theune added 13 and Colton Homan and Jordan McGinnis each contributed 12 points apiece. Homan was credited with a game-high 12 rebounds and a team-high four blocks. Xavier was led by Hunter Plamann with 20 points. Zach Simons and Sam Burkart chipped in with 12 and 11 points respectively.

The Warriors win their first State title in their second tournament appearance, and Xavier (24-4) finishes runner-up for the second straight season in their third State appearance.

DIVISION 4

Dominican 62, Cameron 43

Dominican (27-1) became the first program in boys basketball history to win five consecutive championships by defeating Cameron 62-43 in the Division 5 final Saturday afternoon at the Kohl Center.

Cameron led early, but the Knights took the lead for good at 12-10 with 10:43 remaining in the first half following a three-pointer by Jake Bennett, one of his four from beyond the arc in the half. 

The Knights built their largest lead of the first half at 28-18 with 1:13 remaining and led 35-36 at halftime.They shot a blistering 58 percent in the first period.

The Comets were able to narrow the gap early in the second half at 37-28, but they wouldn’t be able to get any closer the rest of the way. The Knights’ lead expanded to 17 at 48-31 with 11:35 remaining with an 8-0 run, and then duplicated the run in the final four minutes of the game to secure the victory.

Bennett hit seven of his nine three-pointers in the game and led all scorers with 25 points. Kostas Antetokounmpo added 10 points for the Knights. Max Verdegan and Peyton Dibble accounted for 34 of the Comets’ 43 points with 17 points apiece. 

The Knights shot 56 percent from the floor in the game and held a 26-10 advantage in points scored in the paint and a commanding 29-17 lead in rebounding.

Dominican’s title is its seventh overall, coming in eight appearances in the State Tournament. Cameron finishes runner-up in its first State experience.


DIVISION 5

McDonell Central 63, Catholic Central 41

McDonell Central (27-2) won its first State championship with a 63-41 victory over Catholic Central in the Division 5 final Saturday morning at the Kohl Center.  

The Macks never trailed in the game. They built a double-digit lead midway through the first half, scoring 10 unanswered points to go up on the Hilltoppers 23-11 at the 5:22 mark. McDonell Central maintained its double-digit advantage into halftime at 28-18. 

McDonell Central gradually increased its lead throughout the second half and led by as many as 23 points late in the game to cruise to the victory.

Ben Retzlaff led all scorers with 20 points for the Macks to go with a Division 5 record seven steals. His nine steals for the tournament ties a Division 5 mark. Alex Ohde and Grayson Knowlton also contributed double figures in scoring with 15 and 10 points, respectively. The Macks shot 50 percent from the floor in the game and outscored the Hilltoppers on points off turnovers, 21-10.

Catholic Central was led by Ben Heiligenthal with 14 points and eight rebounds. 

The Macks win the title in their second State appearance, and Catholic Central (19-10) finishes runner-up in its third appearance.