Replay: WIAA high school boys basketball state tournament (Friday)
The WIAA boys basketball state tournament continues Friday at the Kohl Center in Madison, and we'll have live updates from the scene. Here's a look back at Thursday's action.
Today's schedule:
DIVISION 5
McDonell Central Catholic 66, Fall River 62
DIVISION 2
DIVISION 1
Arrowhead 73, Neenah 61
Final: Arrowhead 73, Neenah 61
Four Arrowhead players reached double figures, led by Bennett Basich (19 points), who shook off a scary injury to have a big second half. Mac Wrecke had 17 points and Austin Villarreal had 15.
That's a wrap from the Kohl Center! Find our Saturday finals blog tomorrow!
It's falling action for the state semifinals
Arrowhead's lead is 73-61, and we're stuck in a bit of a fouling pattern with 28 less than a minute to play. But we know where this is headed. Arrowhead will meet De Pere in the final tomorrow night.
Both schools have one previous state title on the resume. De Pere will be looking for its first state title since 1934. For Arrowhead, it's merely been since 2010.
AHS will be joined by two fellow Milwaukee schools, with Pewaukee and Whitnall squaring off for the Division 2 title. With a win, Pewaukee would record its third straight state title. Tyler Herro's high-school career ended at the hands of Pewaukee in the sectional semifinal; younger brother Austin's will end against the same team, though on a much bigger stage, and possibly with a gold ball.
And don't sleep on Kenosha St. Joseph, looking for the Division 4 state title after Eric Kenesie set an all-divisions record with 51 points in a state-tournament game last night.
Arrowhead up 8 with 1 minute left
Neenah calls timeout with Arrowhead ahead, 66-58, and exactly one minute on the clock. Barring a total miracle, it will be a high-profile clash between Arrowhead and De Pere for the D1 state championship.
Incredible day of basketball here at the Kohl Center. Every game was competitive.
Cal Klesmit fouls out for Neenah
The scoreboard had kept Klesmit's foul total on three, as did the stats, so we were a little confused when we thought he picked up No. 4. But the official scorer knew what we suspected, and the Neenah star is now out of the game after picking up No. 5.
Klesmit had 14 points but struggled tonight on 4 of 11 shooting and some fouls he probably didn't need to incur. He had three assists, one rebound and two steals.
Still 1:39 to go, and Arrowhead's lead is 63-56, but this is turning into a free-throw game. In fact, Austin Villarreal just split a pair to make it 64-56.
Bennett Basich. Ballgame?
Not sure if his ankle is still hurting, but I'd say Bennett Basich is in a good place.
He's up to 18 points and just converted a steal into a basket and a free-throw, then took a steal the other way on the next possession, elevating for almost a dunk (settling for a close-proximity lay-in).
Arrowhead has its biggest lead at 62-49 with 3:04 to go. Barring a furious rally from Neenah, the Warhawks will meet De Pere for the Division 1 gold ball tomorrow night.
Wrecke has stepped up for Arrowhead, and lead is 8 points with 5 minutes left
Mac Wrecke was a little quiet early in this game, but he's up to 15 points for Arrowhead and seems to be taking charge to try and salt this away. With 5:05 to go, Arrowhead's lead is back up to 8 points at 55-47.
Arrowhead still shooting 50 percent (22 of 44) and Wrecke is 6 for 10.
Sophomore Luke Jung has been active for Neenah
My colleague Ricardo Arguello is telling me Neenah's Luke Jung spent most of the season on the JV team, but I'm finding that hard to believe. He's got 6 points and three rebounds and just seems solid on both ends of the floor.
Arrowhead, however, is the team that just got a foothold. Wrecke hit a 3-pointer and Jace Gilbert scored after two offensive rebounds kept the possession alive. It's 54-47 with 6 minutes left.
Foul trouble an issue for Neenah
Not only does Cal Klesmit have three fouls, but now so does Jackson Schlomann. The duo have combined to score 9 of Neenah's 16 baskets tonight, are responsible for all seven free throws and have three assists for good measure between them.
With 8:41 to go, Arrowhead holds a 49-45 lead. Austin VIllarreal, Mac Wrecke and Bennett Basich all have 11 points for the Warhawks.
In a flash, Neenah back within a basket
A steal by Jackson Schlomann turns into a 3-pointer by Klesmit on the other end, and Arrowhead coach Craig Haase calls timeout with 9:02 left in this game. Arrowhead's lead is 47-45.
Schlomann has 17 points and Klesmit 11 for Neenah, back to shooting 44% from the field. Arrowhead is shooting 54%.
Basich looks healthy on drives to basket
Bennett Basich appears to be feeling no ill effects from that bad ankle twist; he just drove past Klesmit and scored, then scored again on the next possession. That brings him up to 11 points and eight rebounds.
Arrowhead 6-6 big man Garrett Sexton has four fouls now, though, and will have to return to the bench. He's not a starter but obviously gives the Warhawks some added size.
Cal Klesmit now has 8 points but Arrowhead is holding on here with a 47-40 lead and 10 minutes to go.
Klesmit and Wrecke will be teammates at UW-Green Bay
This is a matchup between two future UW-Green Bay players, but Arrowhead's Mac Wrecke is getting the better end of it with Neenah's Cal Klesmit, who has struggled thus far on 1 of 5 shooting with a turnover and three fouls (he just got called for No. 3).
Wrecke is 5 for 8 from the field, good for 11 points, with two assists, two blocks and a steal. He just hit a 3-pointer to get to double figures, and it's an 11-3 run for Arrowhead (and a 6-0 one, too).
Arrowhead's lead is 41-33 with 11:38 minutes left in this game.
Bennett Basich's 3-pointer breaks the first tie since 0-0
Neenah tied the game on a point-blank look from Elliot Swanson, but it was short-lived. Bennett Basich hit a 3-pointer from the wing to spot Arrowhead a new 3-point lead, and then scored again after a stop to make it 35-30.
Neenah has never led in this game, but the Rockets are going nowhere. Jackson Schlomann is up to 14 points after another triple to make it 35-33 with less than 14 minutes to go.
Jace Gilbert splits a pair of free throws so it's 36-33 at another media break. Arrowhead nursing its lead with 13:54 left to play.
It's a 2-point game at first media break
With 16:15 to go in the game, Arrowhead's lead is down to 30-28, though the Warhawks do have their first 3-pointer in the game from Austin Villarreal. Basich is back out there after the ankle injury; Jace Gilbert was defending on the perimeter perhaps as a way to keep Basich from over-extending?
Neenah's Jackson Schlomann is up to 11 points, the first player for either side in double figures.
Arrowhead still has a rebounding edge, but Neenah back in this
Cal Klesmit, Neenah's top player, only saw the floor for 6 minutes after picking up his second foul, but Neenah was able to keep it very close with Arrowhead and get back within 27-24 in the first half.
Arrowhead still has a healthy 16-9 advantage on the boards, though the Warhawks and Rockets played to even after Arrowhead dominated out of the gate. Jace Gilbert has 9 points and four rebounds but also two fouls, as does starter Alex Kramer and top reserve Garrett Sexton.
Bennett Basich has five rebounds but was 0 for 4 from the field for Arrowhead, and the bigger concern is how much he can keep going after twisting his ankle seemingly pretty badly.
Jackson Schlomann leads Neenah with 7 points and two boards, one of six Rockets who have scored points in this game.
Arrowhead's 22-10 advantage in the paint is stark. Neenah's going to need a few 3-pointers; the Rockets were 4 of 11 in the first half while Arrowhead went 0 for 2 from deep. AHS shot 41% from distance during the season, so the Warhawks are bound to hit a couple here and there.
Jackson Schlomann gets Neenah back within 1 point, briefly. Arrowhead leads by 3 at halftime
Jackson Schlomann missed the free throw, but he scores for Neenah to make it 25-22 with 2:00 to go in the first half, all while drawing contact, then scores again off a sweet feed from Corson to make it 25-24, Arrowhead, with just more than a minute left. The Rockets have been playing without Cal Klesmit on the floor (two fouls), but they're not losing ground.
Mac Wrecke had only been 1 for 4 in this game before he just scored twice in three tries, and Arrowhead rebuilt its lead to 27-24. Neenah elected to milk the final minute for a final shot, and Garrett Sexton wound up blocking an attempt by Luke Jung.
Arrowhead even got one last look in the final seconds, but Wrecke's 3-pointer rimmed off.
It's 27-24, midway through this final game of the day. The Warhawks led by as many as 10 but will have to earn it.
Basich checks back in as Arrowhead reclaims some momentum
Tripp Walsh, one of two 6-6 players that Arrowhead brings off the bench, gets a breakaway basket to stem the tide after Neenah went on a 5-0 run to get back within a basket.
Then the Rockets get whistled for an illegal screen on Justin Janssen and Austin Villarreal scores to make it 23-17, Arrowhead, with 5 minutes left in the half.
Bennett Basich is back into the game. He's nowhere near 100% but he's gonna give it a go.
Arrowhead's Bennett Basich rolls an ankle, getting treatment
Junior Bennett Basich took a tumble in the corner on the baseline and appears to have twisted up his ankle, so now he's getting looked at on the bench. That's potentially a huge loss for Arrowhead, though he's trying to tighten up his shoes and get into the game.
Jace Gilbert just got called for an offensive foul, his second, and Neenah is within 19-17 with 6:36 to go. Six different players have scored for the Rockets.
Justin Janssen gets the roll for a Neenah 3-pointer
The Rockets find some spark, getting a 3-pointer from reserve Justin Janssen and then getting a second-chance bucket from Luke Jung to pull within 17-12. That's followed up with a nifty steal by Brady Corso, but he throws the ball away in transition.
There's 8:38 left in the first half.
It's still all Arrowhead early, and Mac Wrecke has 2,000 career points
With 10:26 to go, we hit a second media timeout and Arrowhead holds a 17-7 lead.
The Warhawks have a 9-3 edge in rebounding, and Mac Wrecke scored career point No. 2,000 just a bit ago on a hoop-and-harm (he missed the free throw). The UW-Green Bay recruit joins a fraternity that had just 48 members in Wisconsin history before this year.
Cal Klesmit has 4 points for Neenah and we hit first timeout
Arrowhead's lead is 13-7 with 13:16 to go in the first half. Cal Klesmit has looked a little shaky early, airballing a 3-pointer and missing a free throw, but he just hit two from the line and has 4 points for Neenah. Gilbert has 7 points and three rebounds to lead Arrowhead thus far.
Neenah needs timeout as Arrowhead cooking early
Make it 6 points for Jace Gilbert as Arrowhead takes a 13-3 lead with 14:07 to go in the first half, and Neenah has to call timeout.
Arrowhead has made 5 of its first 6 shots, while Neenah is only 1 for 5, a 3-pointer by Jackson Schlomann. And the Warhawks rebounded their one miss; they have a 5-0 edge on the glass against the Rockets.
Gilbert gets Arrowhead out to a fast start
I feel like many great basketball teams throughout history have had a reliable football player in the middle. Jace Gilbert, a future defensive lineman for Iowa State, scores the first two points of the game for Arrowhead, and he draws harm on another hoop a couple possessions later.
He makes the free throw and Arrowhead has a quick 7-3 lead.
Last game of the day: Arrowhead vs. Neenah
This Neenah team comes in at 18-10 overall and took fourth in the Fox Valley Association, but don't ever count out Neenah, the defending state champion. The squad caught fire in the playoffs, absolutely demolishing Superior in the sectional final, 93-65.
Cal Klesmit, who missed all of last year with a torn ACL, is back for his senior year and scores 19.0 points per game. Badgers fans know that name; brother Max will be playing in this building tomorrow when UW takes on Liberty in the second round of the NIT. Klesmit had an eye-popping 21 assists vs. Superior in the sectional final.
Arrowhead meanwhile comes in at 26-2 after winning the Classic 8, with a lone league loss against fellow state qualifier Kettle Moraine (70-69). Austin Villarreal leads the team in scoring with 18.1 points per game, but he's got a lot of help. Mac Wrecke adds 17.7 ppg along with 4.9 rebounds, and he'll be playing at UW-Green Bay next year. Bennett Basich is just a junior, and at 6-4 averages 15.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He's one of the best players in his class.
Jace Gilbert adds 11.0 points per game for a team that was barely tested at all in the playoffs, coasting past Milwaukee Hamilton in the sectional final, 93-72. Arrowhead's only other loss this year came to Wisconsin Lutheran.
I was here in 2010 when Arrowhead won it all; Andy Fox hit a memorable banked-in 3-pointer to save the Warhawks against Marquette in the semifinal, and then they absolutely blitzed a star-studded Madison Memorial team for the gold ball. AHS reached the semifinals in 2017.
Neenah has made state trips most recently in 2010, 2014, 2019 and then last year. Jackson Schlomann and Brady Corso played in last year's state final.
Final nuggets from first D1 semifinal
De Pere really had an edge in the paint, thanks in large part to Hornseth, with a 30-18 scoring edge there. He also registered two of the team's seven blocks, part of that defensive effort that's made things sticky for teams all year. The Lasers ultimately committed more turnovers (8-6), but not by much, and De Pere rallied to grab an edge on the boards, 26-23.
KM's Drew Wagner finished with 9 points, joining Will Stuckey (team-high six rebounds, as well) for the team lead in scoring. De Pere ultimately finished shooting 50% (19 for 38) while holding KM to 39.5%.
Final: De Pere 55, Kettle Moraine 44
A much better game than the final score indicates, but De Pere nonetheless moves to 29-0 and will challenge for the Division 1 state title tomorrow against either Arrowhead or Neenah.
Will Hornseth gets the player of the game nod for the Redbirds, finishing 9 of 12 shooting with 19 points and eight rebounds, plus three assists. He was a factor early, especially, and Kettle Moraine was always playing catchup (though it did take a lead in the second half).
De Pere has its biggest lead
The Redbirds now own a 53-43 edge with exactly one minute to go and have the ball, but this final score is going to belie how tough Kettle Moraine played.
Johnny Kinziger up to 15 points for De Pere, and Will Hornseth still leads the way with 19. The Lasers still don't have any players in double figures, but Will Stuckey and Drew Wagner both have 9.
Lasers running out of time
Three straight empty possessions have added up for the Lasers, who had a chance to cut the lead to 4 points before Drew Wagner missed back-to-back free throws. Johnny Kinziger rattled two attempts of his own through, and now De Pere has a 51-43 lead with 1:31 to go.
So impressed with Kettle Moraine, but De Pere may have this one locked up.
Massive Demovsky 3-pointer puts De Pere in driver's seat
Joah Bodden got away with all-out grabbing Will Hornseth's jersey, but it worked out for De Pere when Hogdan Demovsky wound up knocking a corner three later in the possession.
It's a 49-41 lead and we're at 4:30 to play. De Pere looking to salt this one away.
Ksobiech ends the De Pere run; does KM have some burst left?
Jonathan Ksobiech's 3-point play got KM back within 44-39, and then the Lasers got a stop and Drew Wagner wrestled away a rebound from John Kinziger. Wagner finished the possession with points, making the deficit merely 44-41 with 6 minutes on the clock.
Gabe Herman gets free all alone in the halfcourt set and scores for De Pere, so it's 46-41 with 5:20 left. And the Redbirds have it back after Hogan Demovsky blocked a 3-pointer.
Redbirds on a 10-0 run to take a foothold
John Kinziger, who will be awarded co-Mr. Basketball at halftime of the next game, is only 4 of 11 shooting tonight but he does have 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists, with a 5 for 5 showing at the charity stripe. KM has made him work, but he's still done numbers.
And now Will Hornseth drives and throws in a reverse dunk (a gentle one) to give De Pere a 44-36 lead with 7:35 to go. KM is 0 for its last 5 and hasn't scored in 5:41, and that might be all the window De Pere needs. The Redbirds are on a 10-0 run over the past 5 minutes.
KM willing to work through long possessions
Kettle Moraine has taken the air out of the ball a little bit tonight, which looks pretty smart at the moment with the game so close and low-scoring. We've got 10 minutes to go and the De Pere lead is 38-36. Joah Bodden had a decent look for a corner three but couldn't knock it down, and De Pere's Zach Kinziger drew a block for a couple free throws on the other end.
Lasers fans don't love the call. Zach hits both and the Redbirds lead escalates to 40-36 with 9:36 on the clock.
Kettle Moraine on fire from 3-point range and Lasers have the lead
Now 7 of 12 from 3-point range, Kettle Moraine has taken a lead on De Pere with 12:44 to go, a 36-34 edge that could have been bigger had Drew Wagner been able to convert a long pass and a breakout into a bucket, but it rimmed off.
Wagner's the only Laser on the floor who doesn't have a 3-point make. De Pere is shooting 48% overall, with KM at 47%, and at this point it sure feels like KM will be in this to the end. Hornseth has 15 points to pace De Pere.
Hogan Demovsky lost a shoe; it didn't matter
At some point Hogan Demovsky's shoe wound up on the baseline, but he still wound up open for a 3-point take without a shoe. He wound up passing on the take and got an assist on a 3-ball by Zach Kinziger. It's a big moment since KM came out of the half and quickly tied the game on a Jack McSorley 3-pointer (on a great find from Joah Bodden underneath).
Now Will Stuckey gets tied up driving to the hoop, and De Pere has the possession arrow. It's Redbirds ball with a 30-27 lead for De Pere and 15:50 to go.
Kettle Moraine with an impressive first half of basketball to match wits with undefeated De Pere
Will Stuckey of KM stole away a pass from close range that could have been De Pere points the other way and made a beeline for the hoop, where he scored to pull KM within 1, though Will Hornseth's putback at the buzzer allowed De Pere to replenish its 27-24 edge on KM at the break.
Both teams shot better than 40%, with KM at 41.7% and De Pere at 48%. De Pere has a lot of advantages; a 7-0 edge in points of turnovers, a 20-12 edge in the paint, a 4-2 edge in turnovers forced, 4-0 edge in second-chance points and 7-0 edge in fastbreak points. And yet...
KM does have a 16-12 edge in rebounding and has hit a couple more 3-pointers.
Hornseth has 13 points for De Pere along with four rebounds and two blocks. Zack Kinziger also has a pair of blocks, while older brother John has 7 points and five boards. John Kinziger is just 2 of 8 from the field, though.
KM is led by Drew Wagner's 7 points, Ben Bestor's 6 off the bench and 5 from Joah Bodden. Will Stuckey has five rebounds and a steal to his name, as well.
Ben Bestor 3-pointers come at good time for Kettle Moraine
Will Hornseth is up to 11 points for De Pere, which suddenly had a 9-point lead before Ben Bestor just splashed in back-to-back 3-pointers to cut it to 25-22, De Pere, with 2 minutes to go before halftime. The first one prompted a De Pere timeout.
The teams' leading scorers, John Kinziger and Drew Wagner, have 7 points for their respective units. We head into a media timeout with 1:37 left and KM again has the ball. I'd say they've risen to the challenge, though De Pere is still shooting 50% and only has two turnovers.
De Pere shooting 50% even with Lasers sticking around
Hogan Demovsky just buried a corner 3-pointer that gave the Redbirds a 19-16 lead; despite KM staying around, De Pere has hit an even 50% of its shots (8 of 16), and it only has one turnover. Give KM's rebounding credit though, owning a 12-7 advantage.
But co-Mr. Basketball John Kinziger just got a hoop with harm and the lead moves to 22-16 with 4:21 left.
Lasers showing no fear, tying the game twice
A beautiful baseline drive from KM sophomore sub Roman Thompson ties the score at 16, the second time the Lasers have drawn even with De Pere here in the first half.
Hornseth just missed two free throws and now the Lasers have a chance to take a lead with 6 minutes left.
Joah Bodden with a splash 3-pointer and KM within a basket
After ripping down a rebound, Kettle Moraine 6-6 forward Joah Bodden drained a top-of-the-key 3-pointer and pulled KM to within 12-10 of De Pere with 8:34 left in the first half. If the expectation was for the Redbirds to seize control early, we haven't seen it just yet. Their defense is tough, though, already with four blocks.
Will Hornseth scores again to go up to 8 points, and it's 14-10, De Pere.
Drew Wagner doing whatever he can to keep KM close early
Drew Wagner has all of Kettle Moraine's points so far, and the Lasers are scrapping through possessions on defense, but the De Pere defense really is smothering. Nothing is coming easy for the Lasers, and that's evidenced in the 2 of 9 shooting to start.
With 10:39 left in the first half, it's a 10-5 De Pere lead.
It's quickly 8-2, De Pere
John Kinziger scored, Gabe Herman converted a steal and Hornseth added a big-time swat on defense to his 4 early points as De Pere is out to an 8-2 lead at the first timeout, with 13:30 left in the first half.
The Lasers have made 1 of 5 to start.
Hornseth scores first four points of the night
Will Hornseth, DePere's 6-8 junior, scored the first bucket of the game, and after KM missed a couple from point blank, Hornseth added another to spot the Redbirds an early 4-0 advantage.
KM leading scorer Drew Wagner just drove and scored to put the Lasers on the board. It's 4-2 at the 15:00 mark in the first half.
Up next: De Pere and Kettle Moraine
The undefeated De Pere Redbirds take the floor next, looking to put the finishing touches on a magical season. They arrive at 28-0, having obliterated almost everyone on their schedule. In four playoff games, they won by counts of 53, 47, 29 and 28.
Everyone will pick them to win the whole thing. They get upstart Kettle Moraine, the fourth-place finisher in the Classic 8 Conference. KM went 18-10 this season but got the best of Kenosha Indian Trail in overtime in the sectional semi and then beat Franklin, 63-53, to get to state.
This is the Lasers' first state trip. Head coach Trevon Hughes will be a familiar name to state basketball fans. The former St. John's Northwestern Military Academy (Delafield) star led his team to play at state, and he went on to have a pretty solid career with the Wisconsin Badgers. He's one of the names I highlighted in my Wisconsin history guide to all things March Madness.
When I covered the Lasers, head coach Brad Bestor got as far as the sectional final; his son, Ben, is one of the contributors here and averages 5.4 points per game as a sophomore.
Drew Wagner leads the team with 18.6 points per game, and Will Stuckey averages 13.0. They'll have a challenge against De Pere's 6-8 big man Will Hornseth.
Then, we have De Pere. John Kinziger was co-Mr. Basketball this year with Pewaukee's Milan Momcilovic, and he averages 18.8 points per game. He also brings in 5.3 rebounds and averages a gaudy 5.6 assists per game. He's headed to Illinois State next year.
Hornseth, the 6-8 junior, averages 16.3 points per game. Zach Kinziger, John's sophomore brother, adds 15.5 per contest. This is a team that's beaten Pewaukee and Wisconsin Lutheran this year, Homestead (North Shore co-champion) twice and Marquette (Greater Metro champ) once.
It has a case as the best Green Bay-area boys basketball team of all time.
But hey, I figured Pewaukee would win handily against Nicolet and it came down to a final possession. Nothing is certain this time of year.
Some last nuggets from Whitnall-Central
No matter how you feel about the ending, what a revelation Myles Herro was. The sophomore who averages 5 points per game scored 21 on 6 of 7 shooting form 3-point range, plus the game-winning free throw with nobody in the lane. Also had the pull-up to give Whitnall the lead in the final minute. Absolutely incredible performance.
Austin Herro struggled, shooting 4 of 16 with 9 points, but he did have eight rebounds and four assists. Jack Lutz, the Falcons' leading scorer, was held to 9 points.
Bennett Fried was a monster for Central, with 17 points and four blocks, plus two steals and four boards. Huge buckets late. Central managed to get to 40.8% shooting for the game, and reserve Frankie Wilk finished with 15 points. Leading scorer Henry Meyer finished with 9 and seven boards.
Neither team turned it over a ton. A spirited game with a weird ending.
Final score: Whitnall 53, La Crosse Central 52
Might not be the last time we hear about this ending. Myles Herro is the hero (pun obviously intended). Wonder if older brother Tyler got to catch some of this one.
I don't have the best view of that last play. No, I don't think it was a foul on first blush (at least, not one that gets called with the buzzer sounding), but that's how it ends. We had two amazing Division 2 semifinals.
Myles Herro is FOULED AT THE BUZZER ... Whitnall wins
Austin Herro found his brother Myles Herro for a 3-pointer in the corner, and it's off the mark, but he's fouled. The replay made it look so-so on the call, and certainly the Central fans are furious.
Herro steps to the line with nobody in the lane and zeroes on the clock and drains the first. That should be the ballgame. Whitnall has won, 53-52.
Myles Herro with the game-winner on what's going to be regarded as a bit of a bummer of a finish, never want to see it end on a 50/50 call, even if it's the right one.
But Herro finishes with 21 points, hitting 7 of 9 from the floor and 6 of 7 from three-point range, plus the game winning freebie. Massive performance from the sophomore who averages 5 points per game.
Tied again with 17 seconds to go
Here we go.
Bennett Fried put back Henry Meyer's miss to re-tie the score at 52. Whitnall has the ball with 17 secodns left, looking for the game winner.
Fried has been a force for Central, with 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting.
Myles Herro with a MASSIVE 3-pointer off a steal
Myles Herro. Onions.
The sophomore interfered with a pass perhaps just enough near mmidcourt that Jack Lutz was able to pick it off, and Lutz passed right over to Herro who launched a 3-pointer that rattled home, giving Whtinall at 52-50 lead with 40 seconds left.
Herro now has 20 points and has hit six of seven from 3-point range.
Central has 1-point lead in final minute
Nic Williams, who hit a driving basket that helped his team win in the sectional final, puts La Crosse Central up, 50-48, with less than 2 minutes on the clock. That's the first Riverhawks lead since 9-7.
Whitnall drains some clock on the other end, content to hunt for the perfect shot. Austin Herro drives and misses, but he gets bumped and gets two free throws.
He misses the first and makes the second. Central has a 50-49 lead with 1:09 left and the ball.
La Crosse Central ties the game with less than 3 minutes left; another one coming down to the wire
Nate Baake's 3-pointer hit every part of the rim but wouldn't fall for Whitnall, and La Crosse Central came down the floor for a second-chance basket that has tied this game at 46-all. Austin Herro answered on the other end to make the Whitnall lead 48-46.
Then, there's Bennett Fried again, who scores to tie the game and gets the free throw to go with it ... but he misses. We're tied again at 48. Central hasn't led since it was 9-7. Remember, both these teams played in nail-biters at the sectional-final level.
With 2:34 left in the game, it's all locked up. Fried and Wilk each have 15 points for Central. Myles Herro has been stuck at 17 for a while for the Falcons.
Bennett Fried lost his gum but made the play
Bennett Fried flew in for a score and got fouled (losing his gum, I believe, as he fell to the floor), then made the free throw to bring La Crosse Central within 46-44 and 5:41 to go.
Neither team in any sort of foul trouble, with no player holding more than two fouls at this point. Fried is up to 10 points for the Riverhawks. Whitnall trying to eat some clock here.
Whitnall has 46-41 lead with 6:21 left
Coach Travis Riesop calls timeout for the Falcons, looking to build some separation and earn a spot in the Division 2 state championship game tomorrow night. The lead is 46-41 with 6:21 to play.
Central still stuck below 40% shooting from the field but have hit 6 of 13 from the arc to keep it close. The Falcons are still over 50% from the field.
Herro brothers with highlight-reel assists
First it was Austin with a wraparound assist for an easy Josh Kaye bucket, then it was Myles with a leaping, twisting handoff for a Nate Baake bucket, and La Crosse Central has to call timeout with 8:28 to go. The Herro Brothers have been the catalyst as Whitnall holds a 44-39 lead in this game.
Myles Herro averaged only 5.0 points per game this year, but he's up to 17. The brothers have combined for six assists and nine boards.
Myles Herro is feeling it for Whitnall, but Central keeps answering
La Crosse Central came back to tie Whitnall at one point, but Myles Herro had an answer. He's up to 17 points and made five of six 3-pointers in this game, even though he had just 4 points at the break.
But Central just keeps answering. Frankie Wilk, namely, who's up to 15 points coming off the bench for Central, with four 3-pointers of his own. Whitnall's lead remains precarious at 40-39 with 10 minutes left in this game.
Austin Herro is just 2 of 13 shooting, including one shot flatly rejected by Bennett Fried, but he still has seven boards and there assists.
Offenses heating up for both sides, and Whitnall lead is 29-26
With 13:49 left in this game, Whitnall's lead is 29-26, and both teams seem to have found a little rhythm on the offensive end. Jack Lutz is up to 9 points for the Falcons with two baskets to start the second half.
Central shooting 32% overall from the field still. The Riverhawks did make consecutive shots before an empty possession just now leading into the timeout.
Milan Momcilovic accepts Mr. Basketball Award (and some halftime numbers)
At halftime, Pewaukee's Milan Momcilovic returned to the floor to accept the co-Mr. Basketball award; De Pere's John Kinziger will be back for his half between the D1 games.
Momcilovic's team gets the winner of this game between Whitnall and La Crosse Central tomorrow night. If it weren't for Milan's 32 points in the previous semifinal, the Pirates' quest for a third straight state title would be over.
In this game, nobody has reached double figures in scoring, though Nic Williams and Bennett Fried for La Crosse Central and Myles Herro for Whitnall all have 6 points. Austin Herro's seven rebounds are the best for either team, and Fried also has two blocks.
Whitnall's Josh Kaye only has one rebound, but he also has two assists and a block to break up the final shot of the half for Central. The Riverhawks shot just 32% in that half while Whitnall shot 42.9% and 4 of 9 from deep. Both teams committed six turnovers, though Central scored double the points off miscues (8 to 4).
Central has a 12-6 edge in the paint.
Whitnall takes a 3-point lead into locker room
With Jack Lutz off the floor for Whitnall, Central got back to within a possession at 22-20. Just like Whitnall, the Riverhawks got a 3-pointer from a bench player in Frankie Wilk.
Ethan Thomas split a pair of free throws to make it 23-20 in Whitnall's favor in the first half's final minute. Central then held for a final shot, but the layup gets batted away and that's where we stand at half.
It's 23-20, Whitnall over La Crosse Central
La Crosse Central bites back
Though Whitnall got a 3-pointer from reserve Nate Baake, Central has gotten into a groove with four straight points and possession of the ball. Bennett Fried, the 6-7 big man for the Riverhawks, flew in for a near-dunk that dropped and then had a huge block on the other end.
Whitnall had gotten the lead to 9 points, but now it's 22-17 with Central inbounding and 2:51 to go in the first half.
Whitnall has a foothold with 6:03 to go in first half, up 6
Whitnall out to a 19-13 lead with 6:03 to go in the first half. The Herro brothers have 10 of those points (Myles 6) and seven rebounds (Austin five) between them. La Crosse Central shooting just 29% from the field while Whitnall has made a smooth 8 of 16.
Austin Herro finds the scoring column and Whitnall lead still at 1 midway through first half
Austin Herro missed his first four shots but got one to fall, though Central answered right back and the lead is still 12-11 with 10:07 to go for the Falcons.
Henry Meyer leads La Crosse Central with 5 points, but the Riverhawks are just 4 of 12 from the field.
Herro scores again and then goes all-out chasing down a loose ball, sliding on the floor. He didn't get it but he might have sped up Central enough to commit a traveling violation. The lead is now 14-11.
Hot 3-point shooting for both sides early
Myles Herro, showing some of that same swagger his NBA older brother possesses, drained a three, and Ethan Thomas is up to 4 quick points, but Central leading scorer Henry Meyer cashed in a 3-pointer to tie the game at 7. Nick Williams then drove in for a go-ahead runner with 14 minutes on the clock, but Jack Lutz responded with his own 3-pointer.
Whitnall has a 10-9 lead at the first break, with 13:30 on the clock.
Bennett Fried scores the game's first points, but Whitnall gets a dunk
La Crosse Central 6-7 senior Bennett Fried hits a pair of free throws and we are off and running the second Division 2 semifinal. Myles Herro gets bumped going up for a shot on the other end and misses both freebies, but Whitnall gets the board and turns it into a one-handed dunk for Ethan Thomas.
It's 2-2 at the 16:24 mark in the first half.
Next up: Whitnall vs. La Crosse Central
La Crosse Central, last year's runnerup, has been to state five times since 2016 (including with 2017 Mr. Basketball winner Kobe King). Whitnall, meanwhile, hasn't been back since 2016, when Tyler Herro was a sophomore.
This year's team also features Herros, namely younger brothers Austin and Myles. Austin scores 15.6 points per game for the Falcons, but the leading scorer is Jack Lutz, a 6-0 sophomore at 17.0 points per game. Both players also distribute the ball well.
Central comes in at 23-5, having shared the Mississippi Valley title this year, and it won a 48-44 meeting against New London in the sectional final. Three players score between 16 and 17 points for the Riverhawks; Henry Meyer (16.9), Nic Williams (16.7) and Bennett Fried (16.0). Fried stands 6-7, and Williams hit the driving layup that gave Central the edge in that sectional final.
Whitnall (24-3) won the Woodland East and also had a close shave in the sectional final, beating McFarland, 69-66. Big man Ethan Thomas, who stands 6-9, had a big dunk in the late stages of the win.
Momcilovic ultimately was the difference with 32 points
Still buzzing about that last game coming down to a final shot.
Milan Momcilovic only had 9 points at halftime for Pewaukee, but he finishes with 32 and 11 rebounds, clearly the difference maker for the Pirates. Nick Janowski had 10 early points but was held to just 15 overall, along with three assists.
Davion Hannah had 23 for Nicolet on 10 of 21 shooting, plus five boards and three steals, though he'll be thinking about that last shot. David Bolden only had 8 points and four boards but that belies how big he was for the Knights. Lots of contributions from Nicolet; Matthew McKay, Rashaad Davis and Damon Landrum all had big moments, too.
Pewaukee plays the winner of La Crosse Central and Whitnall on Saturday.
Hannah gets a look to win the game ... but it's SHORT and Pewaukee wins
Davion Hannah comes this close to helping Nicolet stun Pewaukee in the state semifinal #wisbb pic.twitter.com/vq1nv9Kvyr
— JR Radcliffe (@JRRadcliffe) March 17, 2023
Oh my gosh, what a GAME.
A great baseball inbound went to Davion Hannah, and he dribbled through the defense from midcourt to set up a jumper right at the 3-point line that would have won the game. But it didn't draw iron, and Pewaukee flat-out survives a 58-56 win over the Knights in the Division 2 semifinal. (I thought his foot was on the line initially, but I don't think so watching it back).
Unreal. The Pirates live on to play for the D2 state title tomorrow.
Davion Hannah makes it 58-56 and Nicolet will have a shot to win
Pewaukee fans weren't happy that officials overturned their initial call that David Bolden's 3-pointer hadn't been partially tipped before it sailed out of bounds, but they changed their mind and gave Nicolet the inbound under its own basket. That allowed Davion Hannah to score, and now it's a 58-56 lead for Pewaukee with 12 seconds to go.
It's still single bonus, so Pewaukee would have to earn the second free throw.
But Luka Momcilovic leaks behind the defense and has a wide open layup BUT HE MISSES. Nicolet gets a held ball and has the arrow, so the Knights have the ball with 4.2 seconds left and must go the length of the floor, down 58-56.
Luka just 2 of 8 from the floor and has missed two wide-open bunnies.
Nicolet going to need a rally, down 4 with 25 seconds left
Matthew McKay nearly stole the ball for Nicolet on the inbound but couldn't quite stay upright to corral it, and Milan winds up getting put on the line for two free throws; he makes both, meaning he now has 32 points in this game. Nicolet calls timeout with 25.5 seconds left, down by a 58-54 count.
Milan 7 of 9 at the line and 12 for 20 from the floor. After maybe a slow first half, the co-winner of Mr. Basketball has shown up for Pewaukee tonight. It also helps that he can handle the ball, and Pewaukee has made use of it.
Pewaukee has the ball with 35 seconds left, leading by 2
Milan is up to 28 points for Pewaukee, including a go-ahead basket, and the Pirates got the stop they needed on Nicolet's end after a missed jumper by Bolden.
With 35.4 seconds left, the Pirates have the ball and the edge. Milan is shooting 12 for 20 with 11 rebounds. This game is nuts.
Cold blooded 3-pointers abound and this game is on fire, but Hannah now has four fouls
Man, buckle up for this finish.
After Rashaad Davis hit a 3-pointer, Milan Momcilovic answered with a deep 3-pointer on the other end. Right back came Nicolet, with David Bolden hitting a triple to reclaim a 54-51 lead. But after what looked like a stop, Pewaukee stole the ball back and Milan wound up with a 3-point play to lock things back up at 54.
Final minute. We're tied. Davion Hannah has four fouls.
Landrum for three to give Nicolet the lead again!
Man, this game is a lot of fun. Two excellent teams at work.
Damon Landrum just hit his second three of the game from the corner, and the Knights have re-taken the lead with 3 minutes to go, 49-47. Pewaukee quickly gets in position to tie, though, with Janowski drawing contact on the other end and stepping to the free throw line. He split the freebies, so it's 49-48.
On previous possessions, Pewaukee's Luka Momcilovic, who'd been 1 for 5 to that point, hit a corner three, but Davion Hannah got some hoop and harm on the other end, bringing him to 20 points for Nicolet.
Damon Landrum's first basket of the game is big for Nicolet
A corner 3-pointer by Damon Landrum Jr. puts Nicolet back within 1 point, and after Milan upped his point total to 22 on the other end, Matthew McKay scored again for the Knights, prompting a Pewaukee timeout.
It's 44-43, Pewaukee, with 5:02 to go. Pirates ball. It's the most points Momcilovic has had in a state-tournament game, with this being his fifth.
Janowski finally on the board again, and Pirates build 4-point lead
Nick Janowski, who had 10 of his 12 points in the first 10 minutes of this game, just scored with roughly 8 minutes to go for points No. 13 and 14, giving the Pirates a tenuous 40-38 lead. The Pirates managed on a stop on the other end, and Milan Momcilovic fought through traffic to put Pewaukee ahead by 4.
It's 42-38 with 6:19 to go.
Milan is up to 20 points, with nine rebounds for good measure on 8 of 16 shooting. Davion Hannah has 18 for Nicolet.
Davion Hannah puts Nicolet back on top, albeit briefly
What a swing. Pewaukee had a wide open layup on a fastbreak but Luka Momcilovic missed the bunny, and Davion Hannah hit a 3-pointer on the other end to give the Knights a 38-36 lead.
Milan Momcilovic gets a second-chance layup on the other end to re-tie the score with 8:22 left, but this one might be headed to the buzzer.
Turnovers starting to show up for Nicolet, but Knights still within a basket
The Knights just lost consecutive possessions on unforced turnovers, including a bad pass out of a timeout and a graze of the sideline. But the Knights still have gotten stops, forcing nine Pewaukee turnovers while committing six.
Momcilovic is up to 15 points and the Pewaukee lead is 36-33 with 10 minutes to go.
Milan makes a big play for the Pirates
Milan Momcilovic registered a block while trailing his man on one end, then immediately passed the ball out into a fastbreak opportunity that ended with his own basket on the other.
Some hustle points for Karson Osterman, as well, who just saved a possession by throwing a ball off a Nicolet player as it headed out of bounds. That turned into a 3-pointer by Karson's brother, Kaeden Osterman, who'd been scoreless to this point in the game.
Pewaukee's got the lead back at 34-31 with 11:48 to go.
Nicolet getting superb looks, but now they're not falling
The Knights are still getting great peaks at the basket, but now they've started not to fall, and Pewaukee has pulled back to even at 29-29 with 14:25 to go. Nicolet has gone 0 for 4 to start the half.
Nicolet's David Bolden has been putting in work on defense when matched up against Nick Janowski, who's been quiet since an early splurge of points to open this game.
Pewaukee just 3 of 6 at the free-throw line.
Nicolet, winner of the 2019 state championship, making its claim
It's hard to pinpoint on paper why Nicolet has had the advantage thus far outside of the 7-1 points-off-turnovers disparity. Pewaukee has the edge in the paint, rebounding and shooting. The Pirates only have 5 points from anyone who isn't Nick Janowski or Milan Momcilovic, and No 3 scorer Luka Momcilovic is 1 for 3 with 2 points.
Nicolet has conversely spread the ball around, with five players taking at least two shot attempts. Hannah (5 for 10) leads the way with 11 points and two steals, but Rashaad Davis has a couple bit 3-pointers, and David Bolden has been everywhere, even if he just has 5 points and two rebounds.
It's a 29-26 edge for Nicolet with the second half about to get started.
Pewaukee commits sixth turnover looking for final shot
Nick Janowski took the inbound and simply threw it out of bounds trying to set up a final shot with 9 seconds left. That gave Nicolet's Rashaad Davis a chance to try and drive in for a floater at the buzzer, but it was too strong.
We go to halftime with Nicolet leading Pewaukee, 29-26. Upset brewing at the Kohl Center?
Pewaukee started out on fire but fell back to earth a little, still shooting 52% from the field. The Pirates have six turnovers, however, and Nicolet is shooting just fine at 48%.
Milan Momcilovic has 9 points and five rebounds for the Pirates, and Pewaukee's Nick Janowski leads all scorers with 12 points. Davion Hannah has hit 5 of 10 shots and has 11 points for Nicolet.
Nicolet still holding a 3-point lead with a minute before halftime
The Knights have a 29-26 edge on Pewaukee with 47.2 seconds to go heading into a timeout.
Davion Hannah is 5 for 10 from the field and has 11 points to lead the Knights. For Pewaukee, it's a lot of Janowski (12 points) and Milan Momcilovic (9), and the two are a combined 9 of 14 from the field.
Nicolet grabs the lead!
Rashaad Davis just drilled his second 3-pointer of the game for Nicolet, suddenly making it 24-24 in this battle with Pewaukee. Could the Knights really stage an upset here against the two-time defending state champion? Davion Hannah follows on the next possession with a 3-ball of his own, and Nicolet grabs a 27-24 lead with 2:12 left in the first half.
Nicolet looking very confident. The Knights have also forced five turnovers.
Stepback from David Bolden
He's only 5-10, but Nicolet guard David Bolden has already hustled for an offensive rebound that resulted in points and just hit a smooth stepback jumper that pulled the Knights back within 4 points.
If Pewaukee has a weakness, it might be that so much has to run through two players. Nicolet seems to have greater comfort with its entire cast, at least thus far in this game. But Pewaukee still leads, 24-20, with 4:22 left in the first half, though now Bolden is going to the line for two free throws.
Nicolet isn't going to fold early
Davion Hannah has 6 points and all five Knights on the floor have scored a basket; Nicolet certainly isn't looking bothered by Pewaukee's potent attack. The Pirates have scored on back-to-back possessions, however, to build their lead to 24-18 with 6:16 left in the first half.
Momcilovic has 9 points and Janowski 12, so they're responsible for all but three of the Pirates' points.
Nicolet shooting 44%, which isn't bad at all, but Pewaukee is at 63%.
Nick Janowski already taking over with 10 points
It's easy to wonder if Pewaukee will go back-to-back in Mr. Basketball awards with Nick Janowski as a senior next year. Guard's up-and-under basket makes it 18-12, Pewaukee, with 10:30 still on the clock, and he passes out of a double team to get a wide-open 3-pointer look for Momcilovic, who didn't make it, but then Janowski skied for a rebound on the other end and wound up with a jumper.
It's 20-12 at the 9:38 mark. He's already got 10 points.
Pretty finger roll for Mr. Basketball
Milan Momcilovic stands 6-8, but he can shoot and handle the ball, and he showed how smooth he could be when he capped a second-chance possession with a finger roll in the paint. Pewaukee has a 13-9 lead with 12:41 to go in the first half.
Momcilovic was named co-Mr. Basketball earlier today for 2023.
Nick Janowski has 5 of Pewaukee's points thus far, and Davion Hannah has 4 for Nicolet.
Two Janowski baskets and a Nicolet dunk to start us off
Pewaukee junior guard Nick Janowski flashed his strength and post ability to score the first basket of the game, but Davion Hannah threw down a dunk off a lob on the other end for Nicolet, followed by another layup by Janowski on the fast break. We're off with a flourish in D2 as Pewaukee grabs a 4-2 edge.
Matthew McKay's rebound basket re-ties the score, and now he's heading to the line after a turnover and drive to the basket. It's an early foul for Milan Momcilovic.
Division 2 semifinal: Pewaukee vs. Nicolet
Two-time defending state champion Pewaukee is looking for a third crown, entering the tournament at 25-3 and holding the top seed in the Division 2 field. First up is fellow Milwaukee-area program Nicolet, which sits at 24-4 after taking second in the North Shore.
Pewaukee's losses this year have come against Division 1 favorite De Pere (70-63), against a team from Iowa and a 55-54 setback against Pius when the Pirates were playing short-handed, without its top three scorers.
Those scorers are some of the best players in the state. Nick Janowski scores 23.7 points per game while leading the team in assists, and the junior has the attention of several Division I programs. Milan Momcilovic, headed to Iowa State next year, scores 22.9 and was just named co-Mr. Basketball with John Kinziger of De Pere. He also brings in 9.3 rebounds epr game.
His 6-6 sophomore brother Luka Momcilovic averages 8.7 points per game.
But Nicolet also has Davion Hannah, a sophomore who's regarded as the top college prospect in Wisconsin in his class. He played last year for Milwaukee Academy of Science (which fell in yesterday's state semifinal in Division 3). The 6-6 Hannah also brings in 9.8 rebounds per game and has 36 blocks this season.
David Bolden (12.2 ppg) and Rashaad Davis (10.7 ppg), a sophomore and freshman, respectively, are next in the scoring column. There are only three seniors on this team, and all five expected starters are juniors or younger.
Nicolet lost games this year to Homestead, Catholic Memorial, Whitefish Bay and Port Washington, but it went relatively unchallenged in the playoffs to get here. Pewaukee defeated Wisconsin Lutheran, another state powerhouse, by a 64-50 count in the sectional final to wrap up its state berth.
When I covered Pewaukee on a more regular basis, it was always uncanny how they hadn't been to state in what became a two-decade stretch from 2001 to 2021, despite having quality teams that just couldn't break through. They've more than made up for it with three straight appearances and, perhaps, a third straight title.
Final: McDonell Central 66, Fall River 62
A thriller that comes down to the final possession goes to the No. 2 seed, and the Macks will meet Wausau Newman for the Division 5 title game tomorrow.
What a jolt in the second half from Macks starter Keagan Galvez, who scored all 10 points after the break, including a couple hoop-and-harms. Canan Huss battled early foul trouble to still finish with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Eddie Mittermeyer finished with 19 points despite 5 of 15 shooting. Throw in 12 from Aidan Misfeldt, whose 3-pointer in the final minute proved to be the winning basket.
Both teams had their moments of control. Fall River led by as many as 11, McDonell led by 8. But it comes down to the wire in the end.
Colin Vieth had 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting to pace Fall River. Tough outing for leading scorer Cullen Rauls, who scored 13 but finished 3 of 16 from the field. Shavlik Schultz had 10 points.
In about an hour, we'll have the Division 2 state semifinal, starting with Pewaukee vs. Nicolet.
The inbound goes right to McDonell and this one's over
Disaster strikes as the ball gets lofted toward the center of the lane off the inbound, right to Macks star Eddie Mittenmeyer, who picks it off and gets fouled with 0.7 seconds left. He makes both free throws to ice this, and McDonell Central prevails in a thriller over Fall River.
It's a 66-62 final.
Schultz was intending the pass for Colin Vieth but overshot his outstretched hand.
Aidan Misfeldt 3-pointer! McDonell has the lead again with 3.6 seconds left, but Fall River gets one last chance
McDonell senior Aidan Misfeldt with the biggest shot of his life maybe, hitting a 3-pointer that gave McDonell the lead back at 64-62 with 20 seconds to play. Then, the Macks got a stop, but Fall River forced a tie-up out of the inbound and has the ball with 3.6 seconds left, looking to tie at the buzzer.
It was Shavlik Schultz and Matthew Miller who teamed on that tie-up for Fall River.
Colin Vieth banks it in and Fall River has the lead with 48 seconds left
Colin Vieth, the offensive engine for Fall River most of this game, now has 21 points after he drove the lane and went glass for a layup that gave the Pirates a 62-61 lead over McDonell Central with 48 seconds to play. We head into a timeout.
Could be some buzzer theatrics coming. Winner meets Wausau Newman in the D5 final tomorrow.
Fall River gets off the mat and re-takes the lead! But Macks seize it back. Wild finish upcoming
Ceegan Rauls missed two free throws for Fall River, but Matthew Miller cleaned up the second miss and put it back for a basket that brought Fall River back within 58-57, and then a steal very nearly played into a go-ahead 3-pointer from Ceegan's brother, Cullen. But the shot was left short, so with 2 minutes left in this game, the Macks are still nursing a 1-point lead.
No matter. Next possession, Shavlik Schultz hit a 3-pointer to give Fall River a 60-58 lead. But that was short-lived too, when Canan Huss scored and drew a foul, enabling him to give the Macks a 61-60 lead at the free-throw line. It all comes down to the final minute!
McDonell really cut down on early turnovers
The lead is still 6 points for McDonell (58-52) with 4:07 to go in this game.
The Macks have committed nine turnovers, which isn't bad considering they had six midway through the first half. Added ball security has allowed them to turn this game around after Fall River led by as many as 11 points.
After a slow start, Canan Huss now has 18 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field.
The lead is 6 with 6:04 to go
McDonell hasn't been able to quite strike the knockout blow, though Zack Osterhaus had a layup that was halfway down before rolling out that could have cut Fall River's deficit even more, down to 4 points.
As it stands, the Pirates have the ball, down 56-50 with 6:04 to play. McDonell's shooting has come back down to earth a little bit, but Mittermeyer has 17 and Huss 16 for the Macks. Fall River still led by Vieth's 19.
Back-to-back 3-pointers a huge lift for Macks
Aidan Misfeldt and Eddie Mittermeyer hit 3-pointers, the latter to cap a possession after Fall River's Cullen Rauls just lost the dribble off his back foot, and Galvez adds a couple free throws to make the lead 53-45 with 8:21 to go. All 9 of Galvez's points have been in the second half.
Shavlik Schultz scores for Fall River on the other end to make it 53-47. Pirates doing just enough to stay out of the danger zone.
Fall River officially in a rut and McDonell takes the lead!
Ceegan Rauls just committed his third foul on a driving Eddie Mittermeyer, who steps to the line and drains both freebies to tie the game at 37 with 13:05 to go. It's the first time McDonell has gotten back to even since 0-0.
Then, he comes back down the floor and hits a 3-pointer to spot the Macks their first lead, at 40-37.
Mittermeyer is up to 14 points for McDonell. Fall River leading scorer Cullen Rauls still hasn't hit a field goal (0 for 7) and has 5 points.
How about this; Keagan Galvez just got another highlight hoop-and-harm, throwing the ball up behind his back and getting it to fall. Last time, it makes the highlight reel because the ball came down on his face as he lay on the ground. This time, it gets the student section in a frenzy.
McDonell's lead is 42-37 with 11:35 to go, and Fall River needs a timeout. Fall River has led in this game by 11 points, but the Macks are on a roll, and Galvez still has a free throw coming.
McDonell is right back in this game, down to one possession
Keagan Galvez with a big 3-point play for McDonell (and he took a twisting, hard fall, plus the basketball falling on his head for his troubles), but that's got the Macks back to within 35-33 at the first timeout of the second half, with 14:40 left in the game.
McDonell shooting 46% in this game, and it really feels like they have another gear than what they've shown so far, but the 8-0 run it's on over the past 2:22 has turned the tide.
Canan Huss up to 11 points for the Macks.
Halftime: Fall River leads McDonell Central, 32-25
Wild sequence toward the end of the half that got Colin Vieth another basket and helped Fall River keep a 7-point lead at halftime.
Vieth stole the ball at midcourt but fell on his way to the basket, barely getting the ball to teammate Shavlik Schultz before McDonell players could swoop in. Schultz missed both a layup attempt and a follow-up, but by then Vieth was on his feet for the rebound and score.
McDonell had gotten the lead down to 3 points, but Fall River will take a 32-25 lead at the break in the Division 5 semifinal.
Vieth is the difference. He's got 17 points (averages 15.3 per game) on 6 of 7 shooting, with three steals, three rebounds, an assist and a block.
Slow start for Fall River standout Cullen Rauls
He came in averaging 18 points per game and was the conference player of the year, but Cullen Rauls has yet to get on track for Fall River, shooting 0 of 6 from the field and scoring just 1 point so far, though he does have three assists.
Colin Vieth (15 points, two rebounds) has filled in pretty brilliantly as the lead scorer.
Meanwhile, McDonell has gotten back in the game again. Canan Huss is back on the floor with two fouls and is up to 8 points, and the lead is down to 26-22 for Fall River with 2 minutes to go.
Fall River seizes momentum right back thanks to Vieth, Osterhaus
What a play by reserve Zack Osterhaus, who just stole the ball away from behind when a McDonell player went up for a shot and took it the other way for a score. On the back of another Vieth 3-pointer (up to 15 points for him now), and Fall River has replenished its lead to 26-17 with 4 minutes left in the first half.
Suddenly, the tide seems to have turned
Fall River has missed five straight shots and gone quiet, while McDonell has been able to battle back with one of its best players off the floor. It's 21-17 now with 6:44 to go, and Eddie Mittermeyer is up to 7 points for McDonell.
The Macks still don't have an assist, while Fall River has seven on eight baskets.
Macks up to six turnovers now, but Mittermeyer provides a spark
Fall River is playing really, really smooth basketball. Vieth is up to 12 points and a Pirates steal is immediately converted to more points and a 21-10 lead. That's six turnovers now for McDonell, which will be playing presumably most of the rest of this half without second-leading scorer Canan Huss, sidelined with two fouls.
Eddie Mittermeyer's hoop-and-harm basket for McDonell gives a little bit of life back to the Macks though, cutting the lead to 21-13 with 8:46 to go.
We're halfway through the first half and it's 17-8, Fall River
Colin Vieth has been the star of the show so far with 10 points for Fall River.
Canan Huss has 6 for McDonell but also two fouls. Ethan Mittermeyer, who joins Huss in averaging more than 20 points per game this year, has no points on 0 for 2 shooting.
(I hit send on this and then Mittermeyer gets a steal and takes it the other way for a score right out of the break).
Fall River making first state appearance since 2000 but looks plenty comfortable
It's been a long time coming for the Pirates, who have only been to state once before (2000), but they look like the team less rattled in the early going by the surroundings. It's a 17-6 lead now with 11:20 to go. McDonell, the 2021 runner-up and a program that's been here six times before, already has four turnovers.
Vieth has been a beast for Fall River, already up to 10 points on 3 of 3 shooting from the field and 3 of 3 at the line.
First punch goes to Fall River
Fall River scored the first 7 points of the game and now has an 8-2 lead at the first break, with 14:28 left in the first half. Colin Vieth, the team's second leading scorer, hit a 3-pointer and has 5 early points.
McDonell has hit just 1 of 4 shots and has two turnovers, with three fouls committed.
Next up: McDonell Central and Fall River
Early impressions during warmups of the other semifinal is that I give Fall River the edge based on mullets and the full rock band that it brought to Madison. Impressive.
McDonell Central owns the No. 2 seed after winning the Western Cloverbelt and going 28-1 (with one loss against Fall Creek this year). It defeated Solon Springs in overtime at the sectional final, 58-56, rallying from 13 points down to force overtime.
The Macks have two 20-point scorers in Eddie Mittermeyer (21.9) and Canan Huss (21.4), both seniors. Mittermeyer is committed to NCAA Division III UW-Superior, and Huss, who also averages 9.5 rebounds per game, is in his second year with the program after transferring from Alaska.
Fall River is led by Cullen Rauls (18.0 ppg), a senior who missed all of his junior season with an ankle injury and returned to become the Trailways West Player of the Year. He runs the offense (127 assists this year) and shoots 49% from the field. Colin Vieth (15.3 ppg) is another key senior, one of four players who average double figures.
McDonell is located in Chippewa Falls, and Fall River is located northeast of Madison (halfway to Beaver Dam) in Columbia County.
Fall River went 21-3 this year but also needed overtime in the sectional final against Heritage Christian, rallying to win, 82-75.
Final: Wausau Newman 52, Royall 42
Sophomore Landon Lipke, a 6-7 reserve, just hit a 3-pointer off a broken play for Royall and did a major fist pump — cool moment for the kid in a state final. Royall called timeout to make sure every last person sees the floor here in Madison with 9.1 seconds left.
Newman runs out the clock and wins, 52-42. The Cardinals will be back tomorrow to face McDonell Central or Fall River for the D5 state championship.
Carter Uppena had 14 points as the only Royall player in double figures. Newman was led by 25 points from Isaac Seidel, who scored 15 in the first half and was pretty quiet in the second half until the final stages, when he basically took all the free throws to salt the game away. Seidel made 10 of 11 from the line and also finished with seven rebounds an dhtree assists.
Conner Krach had 11 points and a big floor game for Newman.
Eli Gustafson finishes with 16 (!!) rebounds and rattled in one free throw (he shot 39 percent for the year, so it was a big deal!) for 1 point. He also had three blocks.
Newman going to win, touching moment for Uppenas
Brady Uppena, who tore his ACL last year and came back this year as a senior, just fouled out with less than a minute to go. He shared a moment with his coach and father, Scott Uppena, after checking out of the game. Brother Carter, a sophomore, is the team's leading scorer, and Brady is No. 2.
Royall's shooting just hasn't been there today. Newman is going to wind up winning by double digits and had the upper hand all game long, but the Panthers didn't ever go away.
It's 50-39 with 30 seconds left.
Cardinals are seizing control of this game
It's only 43-35 with 2:53 to go, but it feels like Newman has this thing locked up. Royall has accelerated the aggressiveness of its defense, sensing the urgency, and it's led to some free-throw opportunities that the Cardinals have finally started to cash in.
Leading scorer Mason Prey only has 8 points, and Newman has 17 turnovers, but it's also holding Royall to 29% shooting (including 3 of 14 from beyond the arc).
Isaac Seidel has 17 points (though only two since halftime) to lead Newman, and Carter Uppena has 14 for Royall.
Newman's struggles at free-throw line keeping Royall in the ballpark
It hasn't been a pretty offensive showcase in this first game of Friday's six-game slate, with Newman now 5 of 11 at the free-throw line and Royall still below 30% from the field. Royall is hovering, down 40-35, but the Panthers just haven't been able to connect on consecutive trips down the floor to finally get over the hump.
There's 4:17 left to play.
Royall has forced 16 turnovers but not knocking down shots
Royall has now fallen to below 30% from the field in this game, so even though the Panthers have coaxed 16 turnovers out of Newman while giving away only six, the Cardinals remain in control.
There's 8:44 left and Newman has a 35-29 lead.
Conner Krach giving Newman a major lift
Whether making a superb rebound/assist to Mason Prey or flying into a defender to draw a block on a fastbreak, Conner Krach has been a force for Newman Catholic, and he's up to 9 points and six rebounds. The Cardinals lead is 33-27 with 11:09 to go in the game.
Offensive fouls galore
We've had four straight possessions (and five of six!) end with an offensive foul as we hit a timeout with 14:51 to go, with Newman's lead at 27-22. Newman forward Eli Gustafson just got the last of them, so he goes to the bench with three fouls. He's got quite the line: 0 points, 11 rebounds and a block. And a sweet, sweet headband.
Royall back to within 27-23 after splitting two free throws shortly after the break.
Newman's first appearance at state going well so far
When I saw Newman Catholic in the field, as the top seed in Division 5 no less, it made sense since I think of the program has such a fixture at state basketball. But this is actually their first trip; it's the girls team that makes so many voyages to state basketball (13 of them since the post-2000 merger, with three titles, to be precise).
The Cardinals boys, however, are in uncharted territory. They went 25-4 this year and won the Marathon Conference, with comfortable wins all along the playoff ladder.
Royall comes in as the underdog, the third-place finisher in the Scenic Bluffs Conference and 22-7 overall. The Panthers also won handily in five playoff games, with a 58-40 victory over Wauzeka-Steuben to get here.
We're under way in the second half, with Royall trying to cut into a 9-point halftime deficit.
Late start for the blog, but Wausau Newman has halftime lead on Royall in D5 opener
Didn't get here for the start of the Division 5 semifinal between Wausau Newman and Royall, but Newman has a 27-18 lead at halftime. Some early observations:
Tremendous mullet game from Newman, namely senior Thomas Bates and senior Conner Krach. I feel like we've reached an era where everyone needs a mullet on the team, and Newman has certainly delivered.
Royall has a player named Jacob Dragon, which is awesome.
Royall also has twins Tucker and Tyrus Wildes. Tucker is 6-5 and has a full beard; Tyrus is 6-0 with wavy hair. Truly wild(es) stuff.
More importantly, two big 3-pointers by Isaac Seidel of Newman at the end of the half helped the Cardinals get some separation before the break. He's the team's second leading scorer at 18.6 points per game and shot 6 of 9 from the field in the first half. That was good for 15 points, with leading scorer Mason Prey limited to just 4.
Carter Uppena of Royall's steal turned into a score the other way over the final 4 seconds of the half, giving the Panthers a little bit of momentum into the break.
Uppena, the team's leading scorer at 12.4 points per game, shot 4 of 11 in the first half but does have 10 points.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WIAA high school boys basketball state tournament live updates
