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MADISON − Racine Park boys basketball coach Casey Robbins said it best Saturday night: Star players don't win you games, role players do.
Jake Hansen's steal of an Isaiah Robinson inbounds pass in front of the Park fan section with just under six seconds to play in an extra session put him on the line for the two biggest free throws of Wauwatosa West's season.
Hansen shot 1-of-7 from the field Saturday, but the 85% free throw shooter swished both at the line to give the Trojans a three-point lead into a Park timeout. Robinson's buzzer-beating triple for the tie missed the mark and Tosa West won its first state championship in program history in a 60-57 Division 2 overtime classic.
"I'm going to be honest with you. When our team was down a little bit during the season, a lot of people gave up on us or didn't really believe us as much as they used to," Trojans big man Matthew Kloskey said.
"But, we made sure to keep a level head. This 14-game stretch has been great. Everybody wants us to win, even some of the people over at Tosa East. It's been really, really cool and fun to see."
Kloskey was sensational for the Trojans with a game-high 29 points on 14-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds (four offensive), but it was the second-half stretch where Trojans coach Christopher Newbauer made a bit of a bold call that kept the game within Tosa West's grasp.
He turned to his bench after Kloskey picked up his fourth foul with 10:12 to play in regulation, followed by co-star Jalen Brown (14 points, five rebounds) picking up his fourth foul less than a game minute later.
A five-man unit without Tosa West's two foul-riddled stars with the game hanging in the balance down the stretch? That's not just bold, that's nuts according to Newbauer when pitching the idea to his coaching staff.
"They've been playing really well during this 14-game win streak," Newbauer said. "I thought it was funny. We were reading an article and I brought it to the guys in the locker room ... some article saying that we didn't have a bench and I think they took that personally."
Brown and Hansen departed for Max Gogin and Roman Long, who joined DJ Hennings, Kason Magnum and Messiah Chambers, with the latter playing all 40 minutes Saturday. The substitutions were made with 9:21 to play and Park leading, 45-42.
By the time Brown checked back in with 5:14 to play, Tosa West held a 50-48 advantage before Jaxson Moss tied the game for the Panthers at 50 with 3:35 left. Zare Gwinn, who provided a huge boost for Park on Saturday, put back a missed Robinson layup to give the Panthers a 54-52 lead with about 47 seconds left.
Hennings, who played just 13 minutes because of his own foul troubles in Friday's semifinal win over Wausau East, got the shooter's bounce and tied the game at 54 with about 20 seconds to go. Hennings' heroics set the stage for Hansen's title-winning sequence.
"This is huge for this program," Brown said. "It's never been done before and as a program. We should be happy. This is a great accomplishment."
The year prior to Robbins' arrival at Park − the freshman seasons for Jaxson Moss and Isaiah Robinson − the Panthers finished 4-21 and Robinson had doubts as to what he wanted for his future.
"Everybody thinks about quitting," a tearful Moss said at the postgame podium. "But, you get that support from everybody else and from the city, it makes you want to keep going."
"I didn't have no connection with the team, but as soon as Casey came, I feel like that bond got closer and closer," Robinson said. "This was the best year I ever had playing basketball. I feel like we was more than just a basketball team. We was a family. You can see outside always together. We stay at each other's houses. We got team dinners. It was more than just basketball."
Robbins' first year was a 13-13 campaign for the Panthers, followed by a 20-8 season a year ago. The Panthers played a brutal schedule compared to many in D2, winning 22 of their 24 games before a four-game playoff run ended a 65-year state tournament appearance drought.
Moss was excellent Friday with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. He finished with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting with six rebounds and a huge triple to give Park a 57-56 lead with 2:44 to go in overtime.
Robinson broke the previous single-game D2 state steal record with seven Friday against Cedarburg and then followed it up by breaking his own record with eight more, including a pick pocket of Chambers inside of the final minute of regulation that led to Gwinn's putback layup and a 54-52 lead for Park.
"What they did was something that hasn't been done in a very long time," Robbins said. "It wasn't just a team thing. It was a community. And I think that's more legendary than anything. (They) brought the whole city out to this championship game but like I said, sometimes everything doesn't roll your way. But, these seniors were unbelievable."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: High school boys basketball: Tosa West wins first state championship
Continue reading...
Jake Hansen's steal of an Isaiah Robinson inbounds pass in front of the Park fan section with just under six seconds to play in an extra session put him on the line for the two biggest free throws of Wauwatosa West's season.
Hansen shot 1-of-7 from the field Saturday, but the 85% free throw shooter swished both at the line to give the Trojans a three-point lead into a Park timeout. Robinson's buzzer-beating triple for the tie missed the mark and Tosa West won its first state championship in program history in a 60-57 Division 2 overtime classic.
"I'm going to be honest with you. When our team was down a little bit during the season, a lot of people gave up on us or didn't really believe us as much as they used to," Trojans big man Matthew Kloskey said.
"But, we made sure to keep a level head. This 14-game stretch has been great. Everybody wants us to win, even some of the people over at Tosa East. It's been really, really cool and fun to see."
Kloskey was sensational for the Trojans with a game-high 29 points on 14-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds (four offensive), but it was the second-half stretch where Trojans coach Christopher Newbauer made a bit of a bold call that kept the game within Tosa West's grasp.
He turned to his bench after Kloskey picked up his fourth foul with 10:12 to play in regulation, followed by co-star Jalen Brown (14 points, five rebounds) picking up his fourth foul less than a game minute later.
A five-man unit without Tosa West's two foul-riddled stars with the game hanging in the balance down the stretch? That's not just bold, that's nuts according to Newbauer when pitching the idea to his coaching staff.
"They've been playing really well during this 14-game win streak," Newbauer said. "I thought it was funny. We were reading an article and I brought it to the guys in the locker room ... some article saying that we didn't have a bench and I think they took that personally."
Brown and Hansen departed for Max Gogin and Roman Long, who joined DJ Hennings, Kason Magnum and Messiah Chambers, with the latter playing all 40 minutes Saturday. The substitutions were made with 9:21 to play and Park leading, 45-42.
By the time Brown checked back in with 5:14 to play, Tosa West held a 50-48 advantage before Jaxson Moss tied the game for the Panthers at 50 with 3:35 left. Zare Gwinn, who provided a huge boost for Park on Saturday, put back a missed Robinson layup to give the Panthers a 54-52 lead with about 47 seconds left.
Hennings, who played just 13 minutes because of his own foul troubles in Friday's semifinal win over Wausau East, got the shooter's bounce and tied the game at 54 with about 20 seconds to go. Hennings' heroics set the stage for Hansen's title-winning sequence.
"This is huge for this program," Brown said. "It's never been done before and as a program. We should be happy. This is a great accomplishment."
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The end of a ride for Racine Park that finished at a destination few thought it could reach
The year prior to Robbins' arrival at Park − the freshman seasons for Jaxson Moss and Isaiah Robinson − the Panthers finished 4-21 and Robinson had doubts as to what he wanted for his future.
"Everybody thinks about quitting," a tearful Moss said at the postgame podium. "But, you get that support from everybody else and from the city, it makes you want to keep going."
"I didn't have no connection with the team, but as soon as Casey came, I feel like that bond got closer and closer," Robinson said. "This was the best year I ever had playing basketball. I feel like we was more than just a basketball team. We was a family. You can see outside always together. We stay at each other's houses. We got team dinners. It was more than just basketball."
Robbins' first year was a 13-13 campaign for the Panthers, followed by a 20-8 season a year ago. The Panthers played a brutal schedule compared to many in D2, winning 22 of their 24 games before a four-game playoff run ended a 65-year state tournament appearance drought.
Moss was excellent Friday with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. He finished with a team-high 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting with six rebounds and a huge triple to give Park a 57-56 lead with 2:44 to go in overtime.
Robinson broke the previous single-game D2 state steal record with seven Friday against Cedarburg and then followed it up by breaking his own record with eight more, including a pick pocket of Chambers inside of the final minute of regulation that led to Gwinn's putback layup and a 54-52 lead for Park.
"What they did was something that hasn't been done in a very long time," Robbins said. "It wasn't just a team thing. It was a community. And I think that's more legendary than anything. (They) brought the whole city out to this championship game but like I said, sometimes everything doesn't roll your way. But, these seniors were unbelievable."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: High school boys basketball: Tosa West wins first state championship
Continue reading...
