DIVISION 1
Stevens Point 75, Sheboygan North 48
Defending champion Stevens Point (27-0) will attempt to win its second consecutive Division 1 championship following a convincing 75-48 win over Sheboygan North in the semifinals Friday evening at the Kohl Center.
The Panthers never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 7-0 lead to start the contest. They converted on 50 percent of their field goals in the first half and held the Raiders to 27 percent, which produced a double-digit lead by halftime at 29-18.
Stevens Point pulled away in the second half with a 10-0 run and another 11-0 spurt later in the period to extend the lead to as many as 36 points with less than four minutes remaining on the clock.
Trevor Anderson led all scorers with 23 points. Joey Hauser added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Sam Hauser scored 14 points with 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. The Panthers shot 53 percent from the floor in the game, including 39 percent from the three-point arc, and held the Raiders to 28 percent shooting.
The Raiders were led in scoring by Davis Larson with 14 points and five assists. Julian Jones also scored in double-figures with 10 points.
Stevens Point continues its quest for the perfect season and the program’s fifth title overall Saturday in the final, while Sheboygan North (24-3) was eliminated from title contention in its seventh State appearance.
Muskego 62, Marquette 54
Muskego (23-4) will attempt to win its first State championship Saturday after defeating Marquette 62-54 in the Division 1 semifinals Friday night at the Kohl Center.
Nothing was decided through the first 18 minutes of the game as the teams went into halftime deadlocked at 30-30. Both teams shot well from the floor in the first half with Marquette hitting on a 56.5 percent clip and Muskego converting on 52 percent of its attempts.
Muskego broke a 36-36 tie with 13:21 in the second half with a 10-1 run to go up nine points, but Marquette fought back to get within one point at 51-50 with 2:18 in the game, and then again at the 1:31 mark. The Warriors clinched the victory by holding the Hilltoppers to a single field goal the rest of the way and by converting 7-of-9 free throws down the stretch.
Caleb Wagner led the Warriors in scoring with 25 points, including 12-of-16 from the free throw line. Matt Farner contributed 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Tommy Anderson also added double-figures in scoring with 14 points for Muskego.
Marquette’s balanced scoring attack was led by Job Alexander with 14 points. Nolan Wright and Ryan Coffey both chipped in with 13 points apiece.
The Hilltoppers end their season with their second State appearance.
DIVISION 2
Kaukauna 72, La Crosse Central 45
Kaukauna (25-2) advanced to the Division 2 finals with an impressive 72-45 downing of La Crosse Central in the semifinals at the Kohl Center on Friday afternoon.
The Red Raiders led 14-10 at the 10:29 mark of the first half after back-to-back three-pointers by Isaiah Dahman, but that’s when momentum turned in favor of the Galloping Ghosts. They went on an 18-0 run in the next seven minutes to take control of the game with a 28-14 lead.
Kaukauna extended its 33-23 halftime lead to 15 points early in the second half before the Red Raiders cut their deficit to nine at 38-29 with 15:34 to play in the game. The Galloping Ghosts quickly increased its lead back to double-digits and removed any doubt of the game’s outcome by outscoring the Red Raiders 20-6 in the final six minutes.
Jordan McCabe poured in a game-high 31 points to lead Kaukauna. Dalton Erdman added 10 points, and Marcus Moreau and Dylan Kurey controlled the boards with 13 and 10 rebounds, respectively. The Red Raiders were led by Bailey Kale with 13 points.
The Galloping Ghosts shot 47 percent from the field compared to the Red Raiders’ 28 percent. Kaukauna also held a decided advantage from beyond the arc, making 9-of-22 attempts.
Kaukauna will play in the championship game for the second time attempting to win its first title. La Crosse Central (22-5) completes its season with its 15th trip to the State Tournament.
Waunakee 62, Whitnall 59
Waunakee (25-2) gained a berth in the Division 2 final with a 62-59 victory over Whitnall in the semifinals Friday afternoon at the Kohl Center.
Whitnall led briefly to start the game, but Waunakee led throughout much of the first half and by as many as nine points. A pair of three-pointers by Tyler Ronk ignited a 12-1 late in the period which led to a 28-22 Warriors’ lead at the half.
The Warriors opened up a double-digit lead at 50-40 with 6:41 to play in the second half, but the Falcons battled back to get within two points at 59-57 with 1:49 to play fueled by nine straight points from Kevion Taylor.
Taylor connected on a pair of free throws to draw the Falcons within two points again at 61-59 with 16 seconds to play, but Waunakee hung on by making 1-of-2 free throws, and forcing Whitnall to attempt a last-second, three-pointer that missed its mark.
Mitch Listau and Riley Freeman led the Warriors in scoring with 15 and 14 points, respectively. They also did most of the work on the glass for Waunakee. Freeman grabbed a game-high 11 boards, and Listau added 10 rebounds. Taylor scored a game-high 21 points, and Tyler Herro tossed in 20 for the Falcons.
Waunakee will play in the title game for the first time in program history, and Whitnall ends its season with the program’s fourth State appearance.
DIVISION 5
McDonell Central 70, Green Bay N.E.W,. Lutheran 51
McDonell Central (26-2) pulled away in the second half to post a 70-51 victory over Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran. in the Division 5 semifinals Friday morning at the Kohl Center.
The first half of the game was closely contested throughout as each team owned the lead three times to go with three ties. The Blazers led by as many as eight in the half, but the Macks whittled the deficit to 31-30 at the half.
The decisive period of the game came midway through the second half. Leading by the slimmest of margins at 47-46 at the 11:59 mark, the Macks scored the game’s next 16 points to over a span of eight minutes to take control of the game and cruise to the victory.
McDonell Central shot 46 percent from the floor in the game compared to 30 percent for the Blazers. Hayden Baughman netted a game-high 23 points to lead the Macks in scoring. Ben Retzlaff tossed in 13, and Alex Ohde added 10 points. The Blazers were led by Tanner Natzke with 13 points, and Gabe Lloyd also scored in double figures with 12 points. The Macks tied a Division 5 State Tournament record with 10 blocked shots in the game.
The Macks will play in their first title game Saturday afternoon. Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran ends its season in the State Tournament for the fourth straight season and for the sixth time overall.
Catholic Central 37, Barneveld 35
Catholic Central (19-9) advances to the Division 5 championship game Saturday following a 37-35 victory over Barneveld in the semifinals Friday morning at the Kohl Center.
The low-scoring game set the Division 5 mark for fewest points scored by the winning team and for the lowest combined score for two teams at 72.
The Hilltoppers trailed the Golden Eagles 10-6 at 11:17 mark of the first half, but closed out the half on an 11-0 run to lead 17-10 at the break. Catholic Central extended its lead to eight in the second half before the Golden Eagles began chipping away at the lead. A lay-up by Barneveld’s Mike Zouski at 2:09 remaining tied the game at 35-35.
Ben Heiligenthal and Frank Koehnke each made 1-of-2 free throws within the final minute of play to provide the margin of victory for the Hilltoppers. The Golden Eagles had a chance to tie the game in their last possession, but a shot attempt rolled around the rim and out at the buzzer.
Heiligenthal led all scorers with 11 points for the Hilltoppers, and Koehnke chipped in 10. Kauy Fargo led a balanced scoring attack for Barneveld with seven points.
The Hilltoppers advance to the title game in pursuit of their third State championship, and Barneveld (23-5) falls in the semifinals in its first-ever State appearance.