Girls Basketball Blogs
WIAA Regional Final Picks
by
Jennie Adrian,
3/13/2010
Today the competition really heats up as we head into the Regional Finals in all divisions. Since I have been asked, I will tell you that I picked with 91% accuracy last round, which has put some pressure on me for today's picks! Several of these games I think will come down to the wire and were really hard to pick. But, without further ado, here are my picks for today's games....
Division 1
Sectional #1 -
Menomonie over River Falls
Eau Claire North over Chippewa Falls
Wausau West over DC Everest
Marshfield over Superior
Sectional #2 -
De Pere over Appleton North
Green Bay Preble over Kimberly
Kaukauna over Ashwaubenon
Pulaski over Appleton East
Sectional #3 -
Middleton over La Crosse Central
Madison East over DeForest
Waunakee over Baraboo
La Crosse Logan over Watertown
Sectional #4 -
West Bend East over Beaver Dam
Sheboygan North over Fond du Lac
Neenah over Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln
OshKosh West over Stevens Point
Sectional #5 -
Vincent over Hamilton
Waukesha South over Germantown
Kettle Moraine over Cedarburg
Mukwonago over Oconomowoc
Sectional #6 -
Verona over Kenosha Tremper
Kenosha Bradford over Badger
Milton over Beloit Memorial
Janesville Parker over Stoughton
Sectional #7 -
Muskego over Racine Horlick
Waterford over West Allis Central
Brookfield Central over Greendale
Racine Case over Franklin
Sectional #8 -
Nicolet over South Milwaukee
Oak Creek over Milwaukee King
DSHA over Wauwautosa West
Pius XI over Milwaukee Riverside
Division 2 -
Sectional #1 -
Hayward over Ashland
Altoona over Durrand
Medford over Sparta
Wittenberg-Birnamwood over Westfield
Sectional #2 -
Freedom over Notre Dame
Luxemburg-Casco over Denmark
Winneconne over New London
Chilton over Xavier
Sectional #3 -
Sauk Prairie over Richland Center
Monroe over Brodhead
Columbus over McFarland
Union Grove over Delavan-Darien
Sectional #4-
Sheboygan Falls over Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Grafton over Whitefish Bay
Lakeside Lutheran over Pewaukee
New Berlin Eisenhower over Milwaukee Lutheran
Division 3 -
Sectional #1 -
Saint Croix Falls over Glenwood City
Osseo-Fairchild over Regis
Flambeau over Hurley
Fall Creek over Neillsville
Sectional #2 -
Auburndale over Amherst
Peshtigo over Gillett
Brillion over Roncalli
Oshkosh Lourdes over Weyauwega-Fremont
Sectional #3 -
Arcadia over Pittsville
Fennimore over Aquinas
Cuba City over Belleville
Deerfield over Cambridge
Sectional #4 -
Oostburg over Lomira
Watertown over Ozaukee
Dominican over Destiny
Shoreland Lutheran over Racine St. Cats
Division 4 -
Sectional #1 -
Northwood over Siren
Luck over Clayton
Prentice over Butternut
Owen-Withee over Columbus Catholic
Sectional #2 -
Newman over Wabeno
Assumption over Almond-Bancroft
St. Thomas over Wausaukee
Marion over Hilbert
Sectional #3-
Eleva-Strum over Alma/Pepin
Independence over Cashton
Weston over Royall
Seneca over Potosi
Sectional #4-
Black Hawk over Barneveld
Albany over Catholic Central
Central WI Christian over Lake Country Lutheran
Elkhard Lake over Manitowoc Lutheran
Two perfect sectionals remain, almost all ranked teams survive as Regional Final slate set
by
Jay Messar,
3/12/2010
By Jay Messar
Wisconsin Sports Network
Perhaps the most common feature of the girls high school basketball landscape this entire season has been stability. Aside from a couple big upsets earlier in the year, favored teams have been In Charge (much like Charles) thus far. And like other awesome 80's sitcoms, those teams will hope to have some staying power in the race to the Sectionals next weekend. Following is Thursday's regional semifinal rundown.
"Perfect" Strangers
Exactly two sectional brackets have gone completely perfect thus far, with each top-ranked team defeating its respective lower seed. The Division 2 Seymour sectional is stacked with talent, and should provide for four excellent regional final games on Saturday afternoon. The Spooner sectional in D4 has also been perfect thus far, as nothing but one- and two-seeds will face off for a sectional semifinal berth. Here is the docket for those two sectionals:
Seymour Sectional (Division 2)
#1 Freedom vs. #2 Notre Dame
#1 Luxemburg-Casco vs. #2 Denmark
#1 New London vs. #2 Winneconne
#1 Chilton vs. #2 Xavier
Spooner Sectional (Division 4)
#1 Northwood vs. #2 Siren
#1 Clayton vs. #2 Luck
#1 Prentice vs. #2 Butternut
#1 Owen-Withee vs. #2 Columbus Catholic
Despite a few quarterfinal upsets, the Division 3 Reedsburg sectional will also pit top seeds up and down the bracket:
Reedsburg Sectional (Division 3)
#1 Arcadia vs. #2 Pittsville
#1 Fennimore vs. #2 Aquinas
#1 Cuba City vs. #2 Belleville
#1 Deerfield vs. #2 Cambridge
Golden Girls
Speaking of top teams, 56 of the 60 teams ranked in the last WSN Coaches Poll survived the first two rounds of regional action. And while that number will drop after the regional final round-- several ranked teams will face one another Saturday-- it definitely hasn't hurt being one of those Golden Girls in the Top 15 polls. Here is a listing of ranked pairs that face off in Saturday's round:
Division 2
#3 Wittenberg-Birnamwood vs. #14 Westfield
#5 Hayward vs. #13 Ashland
#8 New London vs. #12 Winneconne
#9 Richland Center vs. #15 Sauk Prairie
Division 3
#1 Cuba City vs. #5 Belleville
#3 Lomira vs. #8 Oostburg
#8 Fall Creek vs. #10 Neillsville
Division 4
#1 Northwood vs. #12 Siren
#11 Royall vs. #13 Weston
#14 Clayton vs. #15 Luck
(Division) Three's a Crowd
The spinoff of the better-remembered 70's series Three's Company is actually a more apt title for how the Division 3 playoffs have taken shape. Four D3 teams ranked in the final WSN Coaches Poll met their seasons' end Thursday night. With the incredible depth of the D3 field this year, this list will surely not be exhaustive over the next two weeks.
Roncalli 47, #7 Algoma 44
#5 Belleville 55, #11 Parkview 51
#9 Oostburg 50, #12 Howards Grove 36
Regis 52, #15 Colfax 48
Bosom Buddies
Division 1 squads took a brief hiatus from competition Thursday, but will return in style with some pretty interesting headlines.
The Fox Valley Association and Fox River Classic conferences have quite a rivalry for Fox Valley supremacy. That rivalry will get even more heated Saturday as five FVA/FRCC matchups will take place in Bay Area sectionals.
Ashwaubenon Sectional (FRCC teams listed first)
#1 De Pere vs. #8 Appleton North
#2 Pulaski vs. #7 Appleton East
#6 Ashwaubenon vs. #3 Kaukauna
#5 Green Bay Preble vs. #4 Kimberly
Oshkosh West Sectional
#4 Sheboygan North vs. #5 Fond du Lac
Another Division 1 intra-sectional rivalry will occur across the northern portion of the state. While the Big Rivers/Wisconsin Valley sectional was for the first time integrated into a 14-team sectional rather than split into two, seven-team regionals this season, the results of the girls tournament thus far has oddly mirrored years past. The top half of the bracket features four Big Rivers teams, while the bottom half features three Wisconsin Valley squads and Lake Superior Conference member Superior. Here are Saturday's matchups:
#1 Menomonie vs. #9 River Falls
#4 Eau Claire North vs. #5 Chippewa Falls
--
#2 Marshfield vs. #7 Superior
#3 Wausau West vs. #6 D.C. Everest
It Takes Diff'rent Strokes...
Intriguing rematches shall occur across the regional final landscape, as the teams who lost the first matchup(s) are hoping for diff'rent results the second (or third) time around.
Division 2
Hayward def. Ashland 41-38
Altoona def. Durand 38-35
Richland Center def. Sauk Prairie 45-43
Monroe def. Brodhead 51-41
Union Grove swept Delavan-Darien 46-39, 54-32
Whitefish Bay split with Grafton 33-39, 48-45
Luxemburg-Casco split with Denmark 49-47, 37-42
Division 3
Osseo-Fairchild swept Regis 51-48, 65-50
Peshtigo split with Gillett 34-36, 45-38
Brillion swept Roncalli 40-25, 53-52
Deerfield def. Cambridge 61-44
Shoreland Lutheran swept Racine St. Cate's 60-44, 49-31
Division 4
Northwood def. Siren 57-33
Clayton def. Luck 40-39
Prentice def. Butternut 46-43
Owen-Withee split with Columbus Catholic 48-57, 56-40
Assumption def. Almond-Bancroft 48-38
Wausaukee swept St. Thomas Aquinas 44-20, 41-31
Eleva-Strum def. Alma/Pepin 42-39
Weston def. Royall 41-33
Black Hawk swept Barneveld 47-42, 41-19
As the theme song for perhaps the greatest 80s sitcom of all time says, "You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the Facts of Life." The facts are, whether its Jo, Natalie, Blair, Tootie and Mrs. Garrett or the five girls on the floor, those five must take the good, bad and make that lasting impression as the field of teams narrows each night.
Check back Sunday for what should be an incredible Saturday recap of regional final play.
WIAA Regional Semi Final Picks
by
Jennie Adrian,
3/11/2010
So, some have asked how I did last round.....I'm not going to lie, I didn't pick any of those 3/6 upsets, but I did get some of those 4/5s! I ended round one, picking 89% of those games correctly! With that said, this round will be harder, but here are my picks for tonights Division 2,3 and 4 games....
Division 2 -
Sectional #1
Hayward over Northwestern
Ashland over Osceola
Rice Lake over Altoona
Barron over Durand
Medford over Mosinee
Sparta over West Salem
Wittenberg-Birmingham over Lakeland
Westfield over Nekoosa
Sectional #2
Freedom over Clintonville
Notre Dame over Oconto Falls
Lux-Casco over Little Chute
Denmark over Seymore
New London over Waupaca
Winneconne over Waupun
Chilton over FVL
Valders over Xavier
Sectional #3 -
Richland Center over PDC
Sauk Prairie over Reedsburg
Monroe over Platteville
Brodhead over Edgerton
Columbus over Edgewood
Lake Mills over McFarland
Union Grove over Big Foot
Delavan-Darien over Cudahy
Sectional #4 -
Sheboygan Falls over Plymouth
Kettle Moraine Lutheran over Ripon
Whitefish Bay over Port Washington
Grafton over Brown Deer
Pewaukee over Jefferson
Lakeside Lutheran over Catholic Memorial
New Berlin Eisenhower over MSOL
New Berlin West over Milwaukee Lutheran
Division 3 -
Sectional #1 -
St. Croix Central over Glenwood City
St. Croix Falls over Prescott
Osseo-Fairchild over Boyceville
Regis over Colfax
Hurley over Phillips
Flambeau over Ladysmith
Fall Creek over Colby
Neillsville over Spencer
Sectional #2 -
Auburndale over Marathon
Amherst over Edgar
Peshtigo over Bonduel
Gillett over Menominee Indian
Brillion over Kewaunee
ROncalli over Algoma
Oshkosh Lourdes over Laconia
Markesan over Weyauwega-Fremont
Sectional #3 -
Arcadia over Luther
Pittsville over Whitehall
Fennimore over Riverdale
Aquinas over Westby
Cuba over Lancaster
Belleville over Parkview
Deerfield over Waterloo
Cambridge over Marshall
Sectional #4 -
Lomira over Winnebago Lutheran
Oostburg over Howards Grove
Ozaukee over Random Lake
Watertown Lutheran Prep over Horicon
Dominican over USOM
Destiny over The Hope School
Shoreland Lutheran over The Prairie School
Racine St. Cats over Martin Luther
Division 4 -
Sectional #1
Northwood over South Shore
Siren over Drummond
Clayton over Frederic
Luck over Turtle Lake
Prentice over Rib Lake
Butternut over Gilman
Owen-Withee over Loyal
Columbus Catholic over Greenwood
Sectional #2 -
Newman over Phelps
Wabeno over Gresham
Assumption over Tigerton
Almond-Bancroft over Rosholt
Niagara over St. Thomas Aquinas
Wausaukee over Laona
Marion over GB New Lutheran
Gibraltar over Hilbert
Sectional #3 -
Eleva-Strum over Gilmanton
Alma/Pepin over Elmwood
Independence over Augusta
Cashton over New Lisbon
Weston over Kickapoo
Royall over Hillsboro
Senece over Belmont
Potosi over River Ridge
Sectional #4 -
Black Hawk over Pecatonica
Barneveld over Southwestern
Catholic Central over Racine Lutheran
Albany over Juda
CWC over Randolph
Lake Country Lutheran over Fall River
Elkhart Lake-Glen oer Kohler
Manitowoc Lutheran over Sheboygan County Christian
Will post my Saturday picks (as well as how I do tonight) on Friday!
Contender Report #3....will experience (or lack of) be a factor?
by
Jennie Adrian,
3/11/2010
Division 1 – Beaver Dam (21-1, 14-0) Top Returners – Cady Roedl – 5’7 Sophomore Guard
Kaitlyn McIntyre – 5’11 Junior Forward
Erika Chitko – 5’7 Sophomore Guard
Kalyn Gebhardt – 6’3 Freshman Center
Meagan Mazur – 5’8 Sophomore Forward
Ashlee Wendt – 5’7 Senior Guard
Corin Riteris – 5’6 Sophomore Guard
Allie Chitko – 5’7 Junior Guard
Team Strengths – After finishing in the middle of the Wisconsin Little Ten last year, Beaver Dam was able to make an incredible turn around this year and finished with a four game lead over the second place team! This group of young ladies has seen success at various levels and has a true belief in their ability to win. They have a deep bench with players that can step in and help as needed. Their only loss this season came to Columbus early in the season, but they also had an impressive win over Pius XI.
To get to the next level – As with many of the contenders, they will have to get better defensively as the tournament rolls along and cut down on their turnovers. They have to take care of the ball in pressure situations in order to have a chance at state berth. Saturday will be a good test for the Golden Beavers as they face conference foe West Bend East in their first game of tournament play. Although they beat East in their previous two meetings, both games came down to the wire. They won the first game by seven in an overtime contest and the last game was decided by just two points. A concern will be if this young team will be ready to take it to the next level with their opening game being in the regional finals. Will they be able to shake the jitters that are sometimes associated with a young team playing during the tournament?
Division 2 – Winneconne (20-3, 16-3) 
Top Returners – Kathryn Koeck – 5’10 Senior Forward (pictured)
Maggie Peerenboom – 5’9 Senior Guard/Forward
Hannah Eiden – 5’7 Senior Guard
Hailey Breister – 5’6 Senior Guard
Elle Kosciuk – 6’1 Junior Forward/Center
Other Key Players – MacKenzie Tentcher – 5’7 Junior Guard/Forward
Lauren Konetzke – 5’8 Senior Guard/Forward
Kelsey Fulmer – 5’9 Senior Forward/Center
Team Strengths – This group has the senior experience that it will take to be considered a contender. Seniors Kathryn Koeck and Maggie Peerenboom are leading the way in scoring with their double digit averages and although they finished second in the Eastern Valley, they are primed and ready for a solid tournament run. They have a solid inside-outside game and seem to have an attitude that doesn’t allow them to even give up. One of their strongest attributes would be their tough, physical defense that ranks as one of the tops in points allowed per game in all of division 2.
To get to the next level – In order to be a true contender, Winneconne will have to continue to take care of the ball and value the importance of each and every possession. The road will not be an easy one as they will most likely face New London in the regional finals and then potentially conference rival Freedom in a sectional final. Although Freedom had Winneconne’s number in their previous two meetings this year, both of those games were decided by a total of seven points and with the knowledge these two teams have of each other, this could make for a very dramatic sectional final!
Division 3 – Oostburg High School (19-4, 16-2) 
Top Returners – Julie Raeder – 5’10 Senior Guard/Forward (pictured)
Karly Telschow – 5’10 Senior Guard
Amanda Huibregste – 6’0 Senior Guard/Forward
Maddy Kaat – 6’0 Sophomore Forward
Other Key Players – Tiffany Stemper – 5’8 Junior Guard
Morgan Mullikin – 5’6 Junior Guard
Team Strengths – This is a quick team with good scoring potential. They usually outsize their opponents but can get up and down the court quickly considering their size. Julie Raeder and Amanda Huibregste give the Flying Dutchman scoring consistency as they are both averaging double digits for the season. With the success they have experienced in the past few years, this team knows what it takes to win in the tournament and will use that big game experience to their advantage for the hopes of getting back again this year.
To get to the next level – Consistency on the defensive end will be key to this team’s advancement. When they turn up the heat and get after it, they are tough to beat as they create turnovers and alter offenses; however, they will need to find a way to bring that defense out over the next four games in order to get back to Madison. The Flying Dutchmen returned all but two players from a team that won the gold ball in 2008 and returned back to the state tournament last season. They seem to be on a quest to get back for a third time, but have a tough road to do so. Tonight they face third place conference finisher Howards Grove, whom they beat twice during the season, but by single digits both times. If they can advance, they will likely face Lomira in the regional finals and then Ozaukee in sectional semis (a team they lost to both times during the regular season).
Division 4 – Siren (19-4, 11-1) Top Returners – Carley Emery – 5’5 Junior Guard (pictured below)
Ashley Guevara – 5’8 Junior Forward
Meghan Baasch – 5’6 Senior Guard
Sarah Howe – 5’6 Senior Guard
Jamie Fischbach – 5’5 Senior Guard
Abigail Mitchell – 5’8 Sophomore Forward/Center
Other Key Players – Tasha Kosloski – 5’6 Senior Guard
Deanna Phernetton – 5’10 Senior Center
Daphne Hubbell – 5’4 Junior Guard
Danielle Keller – 5’7 Junior Guard/Forward
Brittany Coulter – 5’5 Freshman Guard
Raven Emery – 5’4 Freshman Guard
Team Strengths – Siren got their first taste of the state tournament last season after defeating state powerhouse Flambeau in sectional play. Returning from that team is junior standout Carley Emery, who is averaging 22.8 points per game as well as fellow junior Ashley Guevara who should provide good size for the Dragons. They shoot well from behind the three point line with a variety of players, which make them extremely tough to defend on the perimeter. Siren arguable one of the toughest schedules in division 4 this season as they have taken on eight D3 opponents, two D2 opponents and have faced off with two of the top ten D4 teams. That experience heading further into playoffs will help this team continue to compete at a high level.
To get to the next level – One of the things that will be essential to Siren’s hopes of getting back to the state tournament will be their ability to play as a team for 32 full minutes. They will have to continue to play with passion and heart in each and every game and use their determination on defense to force teams into turnovers. They will need to continue to get the ball in Emery’s hands and avoid unforced errors that lead to fast break points for their opponents. With a win tonight, a rematch of an earlier season loss to Division 4 favorite, Northwood, would be their next step in their quest to get back to Madison.
Badgers, Raiders score biggest upsets of the night as girls regionals are underway
by
Jay Messar,
3/10/2010
By Jay Messar
WisSports.net
Almost every WIAA sanctioned girls basketball team in the state was in action Tuesday night as the 2010 WIAA Girls Basketball regionals got underway. Though much like Beyonce did with the other members of Destiny's Child, night by night teams will be kicked out off the stage in the race to become the one and only Diva... er I mean State Champion.
All the Single (Digit Scoring) Ladies
After just the first round of regional play, five particular teams have already asserted their defensive prowess, holding teams to single-digit scoring
Pius XI 76, Milwaukee Bay View 4
Prentice 63, Mellen 6
Brookfield Central 85, Milwaukee Pulaski 8
Barneveld 73, Abundant Life Christian 9
Markesan 44, Montello 9
Eighteen teams also held opponents to fewer than 20 points in round one, 10 of which coming in Divisions 3 and 4.
They Got a Big Ego, Such a Huge Ego
Aside from a few surprises dotting the round one regional landscape, the majority of top-seeded teams and regional and sectional favorites are left in respective divisional brackets. While some disposed of heavily undermatched opponents, others weren't so lucky. Following is a list of confident lower seeds who made a big statement scoring first-round upsets.
#13 Badger 40, #4 Westosha Central 36
#7 Elmwood 57, #2 McDonell Central 55
#6 Ripon 50, #3 Kewaskum 43
#6 Whitehall 62, #3 Melrose-Mindoro 48
#6 Horicon 55, #3 Wayland Academy 43
#6 Hilbert 49, #3 Lena 35
To note, there were also 11 4-seeds and three 8-seeds "upset" by respective 5- and 9-seeds.
Sweet Dreams, or a Beautiful Nightmare?
Regional play not only provides teams reason to pick up some more wins, but also potentially avenge early-season losses to conference foes. It's difficult to beat a team three times in one season, and for some of the top-seeded squads, an early-round upset loss could turn high postseason hopes into a nightmare. Following is a list of teams that can enjoy some sweet dreams after Tuesday's results, but will face an all-too-familiar opponent in round two (or the regional finals for Division 1).
Division 1
Menomonie (#1) swept River Falls (#9)
Eau Claire North (#4) swept Chippewa Falls (#5)
Wausau West (#3) swept D.C. Everest (#6)
Waunakee (#3) swept Baraboo (#6)
Beaver Dam (#1) swept West Bend West (#8)
Muskego (#1) swept Racine Horlick (#9)
Racine Case (#2) split with Franklin (#7)
Division 2
Hayward (#1) swept Northwestern (#5)
Westfield (#2) split with Nekoosa (#3)
Freedom (#1) swept Clintonville (#4)
Denmark (#2) swept Seymour (#3)
Richland Center (#1) swept Prairie du Chien (#4)
Sauk Prairie (#2) swept Reedsburg (#3)
Sheboygan Falls (#1) swept Plymouth (#4)
Whitefish Bay (#1) swept Port Washington (#4)
Division 3
St. Croix Central (#1) swept Glenwood City (#5)
Neillsville (#2) swept Spencer (#3)
Auburndale (#1) swept Maration (#4)
Arcadia (#1) swept Luther (#5)
Fennimore (#1) swept Riverdale (#5)
Cambridge (#2) swept Marshall (#3)
Lomira (#1) split with Winnebago Lutheran (#4)
Oostburg (#2) swept Howards Grove (#3)
Ozaukee (#1) swept Random Lake (#4)
Shoreland Lutheran (#1) swept The Prairie School (#4)
Racine St. Catherine's (#2) swept Martin Luther (#3)
Division 4
Prentice (#1) swept Rib Lake (#4)
Owen-Withee (#1) swept Loyal (#4)
Columbus Catholic (#2) swept Greenwood (#3)
Almond-Bancroft (#2) split with Rosholt (#3)
Niagara (#1) split with St. Thomas Aquinas Academy (#4)
Cashton (#2) swept New Lisbon (#3)
Weston (#1) swept Kickapoo (#4)
Royall (#2) swept Hillsboro (#3)
River Ridge (#2) split with Potosi (#3)
Black Hawk (#1) swept Pecatonica (#5)
Juda (#2) split with Albany (#3)
Central Wisconsin Christian (#1) swept Randolph (#4)
Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah (#1) swept Kohler (#4)
Divisions 2, 3 and 4 will continue on with their regional semifinal games Thursday, while Division 1 will be off until Saturday's regional finals.