Wilmot loses heartbreaker against Comets
Westosha Central 60, Waterford 42
According to James Hyllberg, the Falcons were able to take control early, crediting the team’s defensive efforts in a 60-42 defeat at Waterford Friday.
The Southern Lakes Conference victory gives Westosha Central a four-game winning streak (4-1, 2-1 SLC).
The win against the Wolverines is the first time Westosha Central held an opponent under 50 points.
“It was all around great defense, much better than in previous games,” Hyllberg said.
Westosha Central junior Tre Williams notched a game-high 23 points, with three coming from 3-point range.
Hyllberg cited Williams’ ability to get down to the paint in heavy traffic for his recent stretch of games, including a 34-point output against Wilmot Union High School Tuesday.
“He is being aggressive, and patient when the shots are not there,” Hyllberg said.
Adding to Williams’ 23 points were seniors Jordan Easthon (16) and Ron Hall (13).
Waterford’s two leading scorers were held to single digits, with Chris Saltzman and Matt Korman contributing 9 points apiece.
In addition to an improved defense, Hyllberg credited the Falcons’ ability to stay focused from wire-to-wire.
“From the start, we were consistent pretty much all game,” Hyllberg said.
Westosha Central’s win puts them a half game out of first (2-1), behind Waterford and Delavan-Darien at 3-1.
Delavan-Darien 77, Wilmot 74
The shots were not there when the Panthers needed them the most against Delavan-Darien Friday.
The Panthers, led by senior Bobby Brenner’s 29 points, lost 77-74.
“With five minutes left, I thought we took some tough shots,” said Panthers’ coach Jake Erbentraut. “Not that our guys couldn’t make those shots, but because of the time and score, I felt we could have gotten a better shot.”
Wilmot entered halftime with a 37-33 deficit, and attempted to spark a comeback that included a tie at 65, but were unable to keep up the defensive pressure.
“We didn’t get the stops we needed to defensively,” Erbentraut said.
In addition to Brenner’s 29 points, senior Christian Janssen pitched in 21 points, and sophomore Latrell Glass had 13 for Wilmot (2-2, 2-2 SLC).
Despite the loss, the leadership of Brenner and Janssen has been instrumental in responding to pressure at the start of the year.
“They are the players with the most experience of anyone else on the team,” he said. “They’ve been in big games from last season and know the expectations. That being said, they have definitely answered the call.”
Leading for Delavan-Darien (5-2, 3-1 SLC) was Brandon Edmonds with 24 points.