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ASHWAUBENON – After her Wauwatosa East girls basketball team got destroyed in a WIAA Division 2 state semifinal against Green Bay Notre Dame last season, Red Raiders coach Mary Merg remarked that the Tritons looked like a group of women playing girls.
Unfortunately for West De Pere, it got the grown-up version of Wauwatosa East on Friday.
The Phantoms’ first trip to the big stage in almost five decades ended with a 71-58 loss to the Red Raiders in a D2 state semifinal at the Resch Center.
It looked early on like West De Pere might play the role East did last year in its loss to Notre Dame.
The Red Raiders (28-1) started the game hitting 11 of their first 14 attempts, including all three 3s, to take a 25-13 lead with 11 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the first half.
At one point, it almost looked they were doing layup drills.
But as hot as they were to start the half, the Red Raiders were equally cold to end it.
They went the final 7 minutes with just one field goal, going 1-for-7 during that span.
West De Pere (23-6) not only chipped away at a 12-point deficit, but it completely overcame it just before the break.
The Phantoms led for only 1:39 of the half, but they took a 35-33 advantage and all the momentum with them into halftime.
“I mean, it was an intense game between two really good teams,” West De Pere coach Chris Abaray said. “I thought when they came out, we kind of knew they were going to come out the way they did. They are kind of a fast-starting team. We talked a lot this past week about having to weather that storm early, and I thought our girls did a great job of it. Even to take the lead at the end of the first half was awesome.
“It showed a lot about our team.”
West De Pere started the second half like it ended the first, scoring the first four points on layups from senior center Mia Racine and senior forward Madisyn Berggren to take its biggest lead of the game.
The Red Raiders responded with seven straight points, starting a back and forth between the teams that featured four more lead changes over the next couple of minutes.
With East clinging to a 52-50 lead with 7:25 remaining, it got a huge lift from junior forward Audrey Sellinger that helped shape the rest of the game after she snatched an airball from teammate Emma Close under the hoop.
Sellinger was fouled while hitting a layup, completing a three-point play and giving her team a little breathing room.
Close followed by hitting a 3-pointer the next time down the floor, putting the Red Raiders up 58-50 with 5:54 left.
East led by at least six points the rest of the way, building its lead to double-digits in the final 25 seconds.
It was able to overcome some serious foul trouble from senior forward Makenzie Hawk, who is the team’s top rebounder and shot blocker. Hawk was whistled for three fouls in the first three minutes of the game and played only 17 minutes.
“This is a team, when you make a mistake, any sort, even a missed shot, they leak certain girls out,” Abaray said. “First half, some of those things didn’t happen for them. Then in the second half, I feel like when we would make a mistake or something would happen where it wouldn’t go our way, they seemed to be in rhythm and really did a good job finding girls in space.
“Again, that’s a really good basketball team. I thought even down the stretch when we were making a run back at them, they handled some of the stuff we threw at them. It shows the level of play. But I really like the fact that our girls didn’t quit. They went on a run, and we could have easily been down double-digits in the second half, and we were able to respond offensively a bunch after that.”
The Red Raiders feature a roster with several players who can step up on any given night, and they all seemed to against the Phantoms.
Sellinger and Close each had 19 points, while Mikaia Litza had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists and Ellie Deprey 11 points.
East shot 59.1% overall (26-for-44) and 47.1% from 3 (8-for-17). It went 12-for-19 overall and 5-for-9 from long range in the second half.
Berggren led West De Pere with 22 points, while Racine and standout point guard Faith Walder each had 12.
The trio shot a combined 18-for-30, keeping the Phantoms within striking distance almost until the very end.
“I think we just kept picking each other up,” Walder said. “There wasn’t a point in the game where we necessarily felt down and out of the game. We kept huddling up and just kept our heads up. We picked each other up.”
Abaray couldn’t help but be emotional toward the end of the game and afterward.
He has watched the Phantoms’ senior class grow up before his eyes, and the group of seven helped the program accomplish something it hadn’t done since 1978 by reaching state.
He might have helped make them better players, but they made him a better coach.
“Just the thought of waking up tomorrow and it being over, that hasn’t hit me yet,” Abaray said. “Sorry, I’m a little teared up about it right now. They have worked so hard to get here. I remember even when they were younger, they had a drive about them. There was something special about them. They definitely put a gleam in my eye. This is why you want to coach, when you have kids who really want to be as successful as they want to be and play for each other. They don’t know it, but the impact they have made on me as a person is more than they will ever know.
“They are amazing kids, and man, they are going to go and do some really special stuff. I’m really excited for their futures.”
The Phantoms have a big void to fill with the 2025 class graduating, but there is a good chance the group has helped shape the future of the program as they leave the building.
“I know we say it all the time, but we really wanted to do this since we were little girls,” Berggren said. “Coach said before, there were so many little girls here watching us today. That just means so much. To be able to be out there and set a good example for them is just amazing.
“I think we are proud that we came here together, the seven seniors, and we finished it out together.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: West De Pere girls basketball falls to Wauwatosa East in semifinal
Continue reading...
Unfortunately for West De Pere, it got the grown-up version of Wauwatosa East on Friday.
The Phantoms’ first trip to the big stage in almost five decades ended with a 71-58 loss to the Red Raiders in a D2 state semifinal at the Resch Center.
It looked early on like West De Pere might play the role East did last year in its loss to Notre Dame.
The Red Raiders (28-1) started the game hitting 11 of their first 14 attempts, including all three 3s, to take a 25-13 lead with 11 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the first half.
At one point, it almost looked they were doing layup drills.
But as hot as they were to start the half, the Red Raiders were equally cold to end it.
They went the final 7 minutes with just one field goal, going 1-for-7 during that span.
West De Pere (23-6) not only chipped away at a 12-point deficit, but it completely overcame it just before the break.
The Phantoms led for only 1:39 of the half, but they took a 35-33 advantage and all the momentum with them into halftime.
“I mean, it was an intense game between two really good teams,” West De Pere coach Chris Abaray said. “I thought when they came out, we kind of knew they were going to come out the way they did. They are kind of a fast-starting team. We talked a lot this past week about having to weather that storm early, and I thought our girls did a great job of it. Even to take the lead at the end of the first half was awesome.
“It showed a lot about our team.”
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Wauwatosa East takes control in the final 18 minutes
West De Pere started the second half like it ended the first, scoring the first four points on layups from senior center Mia Racine and senior forward Madisyn Berggren to take its biggest lead of the game.
The Red Raiders responded with seven straight points, starting a back and forth between the teams that featured four more lead changes over the next couple of minutes.
With East clinging to a 52-50 lead with 7:25 remaining, it got a huge lift from junior forward Audrey Sellinger that helped shape the rest of the game after she snatched an airball from teammate Emma Close under the hoop.
Sellinger was fouled while hitting a layup, completing a three-point play and giving her team a little breathing room.
Close followed by hitting a 3-pointer the next time down the floor, putting the Red Raiders up 58-50 with 5:54 left.
East led by at least six points the rest of the way, building its lead to double-digits in the final 25 seconds.
It was able to overcome some serious foul trouble from senior forward Makenzie Hawk, who is the team’s top rebounder and shot blocker. Hawk was whistled for three fouls in the first three minutes of the game and played only 17 minutes.
“This is a team, when you make a mistake, any sort, even a missed shot, they leak certain girls out,” Abaray said. “First half, some of those things didn’t happen for them. Then in the second half, I feel like when we would make a mistake or something would happen where it wouldn’t go our way, they seemed to be in rhythm and really did a good job finding girls in space.
“Again, that’s a really good basketball team. I thought even down the stretch when we were making a run back at them, they handled some of the stuff we threw at them. It shows the level of play. But I really like the fact that our girls didn’t quit. They went on a run, and we could have easily been down double-digits in the second half, and we were able to respond offensively a bunch after that.”
The Red Raiders feature a roster with several players who can step up on any given night, and they all seemed to against the Phantoms.
Sellinger and Close each had 19 points, while Mikaia Litza had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists and Ellie Deprey 11 points.
East shot 59.1% overall (26-for-44) and 47.1% from 3 (8-for-17). It went 12-for-19 overall and 5-for-9 from long range in the second half.
Berggren led West De Pere with 22 points, while Racine and standout point guard Faith Walder each had 12.
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The trio shot a combined 18-for-30, keeping the Phantoms within striking distance almost until the very end.
“I think we just kept picking each other up,” Walder said. “There wasn’t a point in the game where we necessarily felt down and out of the game. We kept huddling up and just kept our heads up. We picked each other up.”
West De Pere senior class leaves big legacy
Abaray couldn’t help but be emotional toward the end of the game and afterward.
He has watched the Phantoms’ senior class grow up before his eyes, and the group of seven helped the program accomplish something it hadn’t done since 1978 by reaching state.
He might have helped make them better players, but they made him a better coach.
“Just the thought of waking up tomorrow and it being over, that hasn’t hit me yet,” Abaray said. “Sorry, I’m a little teared up about it right now. They have worked so hard to get here. I remember even when they were younger, they had a drive about them. There was something special about them. They definitely put a gleam in my eye. This is why you want to coach, when you have kids who really want to be as successful as they want to be and play for each other. They don’t know it, but the impact they have made on me as a person is more than they will ever know.
“They are amazing kids, and man, they are going to go and do some really special stuff. I’m really excited for their futures.”
The Phantoms have a big void to fill with the 2025 class graduating, but there is a good chance the group has helped shape the future of the program as they leave the building.
“I know we say it all the time, but we really wanted to do this since we were little girls,” Berggren said. “Coach said before, there were so many little girls here watching us today. That just means so much. To be able to be out there and set a good example for them is just amazing.
“I think we are proud that we came here together, the seven seniors, and we finished it out together.”
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: West De Pere girls basketball falls to Wauwatosa East in semifinal
Continue reading...
