BANGOR 73, GREEN BAY N.E.W. LUTHERAN 31
Top-seeded Bangor (26-1) advanced to the Division 5 State championship final with a convincing 73-31 win over Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran in the semifinals of the State Boys Basketball Tournament Friday morning at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
The Cardinals jumped on the Blazers with the game’s first 10 points and never trailed. They led by as many as 24 points in the first half and possessed a 36-14 halftime advantage. Bangor’s largest lead of 42 was represented by the final score, which set a Division 5 mark for the largest margin of victory in the State tournament.
Three players scored in double figures for the Cardinals. Grant Manke recorded a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Drew Johnson added 17 points and a team-high four steals on the defensive end, and Caleb Miedema chipped in with 12 points.
Samuel Meerstein was the only player to score in double figures for the Blazers, who shot 24 percent from the field in the game, including 0-for-15 from beyond the three-point arc. Meerstein had a game-high 19 points to go with a team-high nine rebounds and four steals.
Bangor, which won the girls basketball title last week and the Division 7 football title in the fall, will play in the State final for the first time. Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran (15-13) was eliminated from title contention in its seventh State appearance.
McDONELL CENTRAL CATHOLIC 56, DEERFIELD 46
Third-seeded McDonell Central Catholic (18-10) defeated Deerfield 56-46 in the Division 5 semifinals Friday at the Kohl Center.
The game was closely contested throughout the first half, with the largest lead by either team being six points by the Macks, which led 28-26 at halftime. The Demons scored the first four points of the second half to take their last lead of the game at 30-28. The Macks largest lead of the game came in the last minute of the second half and again with what proved to be the final score of the game.
The Macks survived 21 turnovers and 31 fewer shots attempted in the game. Eion Kressin and Charlie Bleskachek both recorded double-doubles. Kressin scored a team-high 16 points with 12 rebounds, and Bleskachek scored 11 points with a dozen boards. Cory Hoglund also contributed with 11 points, and Hayden Baughman chipped in with a team-high six assists, four blocks and five steals.
Nate Siewert led the Demons with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Noah Gjermo contributed 12 points.
The Macks return to the championship game for the second time in the past three years in pursuit of their second title. Deerfield (23-5) finishes its season in its first-ever State tournament appearance.