WIAA GIRLS BASKETBALL: Panthers win regional title

Wilmot Union High School won a WIAA Division 2 girls basketball regional Saturday. Top row, from left: Karoline Klahs, Rachel Jenkins, Ashley Lesko, Karina Leber, Delaney Brown, Andie Brown, Cailin McCracken, Morgan Zenon. Bottom: Kenzi Ketterhagen, Julia Hickey, Haley Lamberson, Devin Coleman, Riley Alexander, McKenna Stanek, Delaney Sjong (Jason Arndt/The Report).

Writers note: With Wilmot playing Milton at Fort Atkinson 7 p.m. Thursday, the school is offering a presale of tickets to the contest during school hours (7:15 a.m.-3:15 p.m.) until the day of the game. Cost of tickets are $5 for anyone older than 6 years old. Free for anyone under 6.

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

For the second time in four seasons, the Wilmot Union High School girls basketball team captured a WIAA Division 2 regional title, which came down to an 11-0 run toward the end of its 64-59 defeat of No. 3 McFarland Feb. 25 in Wilmot.

Senior Devin Coleman, a 5-foot-6 guard, recalled the Panthers’ first regional title as a freshman.

“It feels awesome, my freshman year, I got moved up for the playoffs and I remember winning the regional championship with that team,” said Coleman, who finished with 17 points along with five assists and five rebounds.

Wilmot Union High School senior Devin Coleman was one of several Panthers who cut the net following the team’s regional championship (Jason Arndt/The Report).

Like Coleman, 5-2 senior guard McKenna Stanek was another member of the 2014-15 regional title team.

“We just had to come out with a lot of heart and energy, and we did that,” said Stanek, who scored five of her eight points in the second half. “We really wanted to end our season here with a bang.”

With the regional title, the Panthers look to Thursday, when they play No. 5 Milton at Fort Atkinson High School starting at 7 p.m.

The title, however, came after the Panthers endured four first half lead changes, including a 13-8 Wilmot lead and a 29-23 halftime deficit.

Heading into the contest, the Panthers faced dual threats on the Spartans’ squad, consisting of 5-foot-11 sophomore Annalise Demuth, 6-0 junior Katie Rounds and 5-8 junior Gabi Runde.

“They had a lot of length, but we had to make sure that we attack them, and get into the post, get them in foul trouble,” Square said. “They are an impressive team. They got three kids that average over 12 points per game.”

Runde scored a game-high 20 points and collected 10 rebounds

Demuth, who fouled out with less than a minute in the game, pitched in another 18 points.

Second half surge
With the season at stake, a trio of Panther seniors took control in the second half, led by Coleman, who contributed 15 points in the last frame.

Coleman, who went 4-for-4 from the free throw line, went 6-for-8 in field goals, including 1-2 from the perimeter, attributed her surge to the team’s unconditional support.

“Tonight, my team was 100 percent behind me,” she said. “Pushing me, picking me up, and made me realize that I can do it.”

After Coleman opened the second half with 3-pointer, McFarland built its largest lead of the contest, courtesy of a 6-0 run.

When both teams swapped buckets, the Panthers diminished the McFarland lead to 37-33, following three points from senior Andie Brown and another two by Stanek.

As the second half moved forward, with McFarland clinging to a narrow lead, the Panthers pulled the game even at 41-41, following four Delaney Sjong points and three by Coleman with 7:51 left of regulation.

Then, Sjong added the go-ahead bucket with seven minutes left, which was erased by a Rounds 3-pointer to swing the contest in McFarland’s favor at 44-43.

Following a Coleman basket, which put the Panthers back in the lead at 45-44, McFarland’s Annalise Demuth responded with five points to put Wilmot in a 49-45 deficit.

A freshman Julia Hickey 3-pointer followed by a Sjong layup gave the Panthers a 50-49 edge, but Demuth answered, adding four points to help McFarland reclaim a 53-50 lead.

The Panthers, however, then responded with an 11-0 run the last three minutes, sparked by back-to-back buckets by Sjong and Zenon, who delivered the eventual game-winner at 54-53.

Sjong, who contributed 12 of her team-leading 18 points in the second half, said the team entered with a mission.

“I knew we were going to need a lot of focus tonight, so I had to take it to an extra level,” Sjong, a 5-10 senior, said. “I really wanted this.”

Zenon, a 5-11 junior, collected eight rebounds and pitched in eight points.

From there, Wilmot added four points from Coleman and sophomore Haley Lamberson free throw to give the Panthers a 61-53 lead.

After Lamberson’s free throw, the Panthers held on the last minute of the contest to capture the regional title at 64-59.

McFarland, which took second at 14-2 in the Rock Valley Conference-North Division, finished its season 18-6 overall.

The Panthers, a No. 2 seed, placed second to Union Grove in the Southern Lakes Conference at 11-3, thought they would see a rematch against the Broncos in the sectional semifinal.

Unexpected opponent
Following the contest, the Panthers were notified their SLC rival, No. 1 seed Union Grove dropped its regional contest against No. 5 Milton.

Although Sjong and Coleman were disappointed the teams would not meet again, they noted last season’s playoff loss to Milton.

“We were actually a bit disappointed, we wanted to see them again, but Milton took us out last year and we have something to come for them,” Coleman said.

Sjong agreed, adding the team recognizes the Red Hawks’ strengths this season.

“We really wanted to play Union Grove just to get redemption, and also Milton is redemption time too because of last year,” Sjong said. “But we know we can get the job done and beat them.”


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