By Kevin Naze
Contributing Writer
KEWAUNEE COUNTY – Earlier this week, it was beginning to look a lot like the Algoma and Kewaunee boys and girls basketball teams could all go into the Christmas break unbeaten in Packerland Conference play.
On paper, the boys games Thursday — Algoma (3-0, 4-1) at Sevastopol (0-2, 2-2) and Kewaunee (2-0, 2-3) at Oconto (1-2, 3-2) — both looked very winnable.
On Friday, the Algoma girls (5-0, 5-2) host winless Sturgeon Bay, while the Storm girls (4-0, 6-1) welcome a solid Sevastopol team (3-1, 5-3).
A year ago, Coach Lynn Geier’s team lost only three games all year, and all were at home. Don’t think she’s letting the players forget that.
For coaches, it’s still a one-game-at-a-time approach, but many girls basketball fans are looking ahead to a Saturday, Jan. 11 afternoon game when Algoma hosts Kewaunee.
The Storm will welcome the Wolves in the regular season finale Feb. 20.
Kewaunee’s girls hammered Peshtigo on the road Tuesday night, 79-36.
Last Thursday, they beat Oconto at 52-36. No stats were available.
The Storm host Wrightstown Monday, Dec. 30 in a non-conference battle.
Kewaunee boys split
Last Friday, Kewaunee jumped out to a 49-17 lead at home against NEW Lutheran/Providence Academy on the way to an 86-48 win.
The Storm hit 14 three-pointers, including six from Evan Maccoux — all in the first half — four from Avery Jerabek, and three from Cooper Kolmorgen.
Jerabek had 24 points, Maccoux 22, Kolmorgen 13, Connor Kilgore 10 and Dane Harrell 10.
Tuesday night, the Storm trailed 38-37 to visiting Manitowoc Lutheran at the half and were down 54-40 with 11:35 left before heating up.
Kewaunee tied the game at 65 with 3:20 left, and had several chances to take the lead after that before falling, 76-74.
“The boys don’t quit,” said Storm coach Matt Bosdeck. “There’s no lead that’s too big that we don’t think we can overcome. We just could never get that extra basket to get out in front.”
Jerabek had 25 points, including five three-pointers.
His triple-try at the buzzer rimmed off. Maccoux had a trio of threes among his 14 points and Kolmorgen added 11.
Diesel Bosdeck and Mason Kovacs each had 8 points, including two threes for Kovacs off the bench.
“We’re not losing a ton when we bring kids off the bench,” Bosdeck said. “We just have to find a way to close out. We have to play better defense; especially for us being younger, we need to work harder.”
Lady Wolves win
Algoma trailed 9-2 early and 20-17 at the half before outscoring Sevastopol 25-12 in the second half in 42-32 win at home last Thursday.
In her first varsity start, freshman Bristol Schmidt scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed many rebounds.
She was 4-for-4 from the line, with the Wolves hitting 16-of-21. Sierra Slaby added 9 points and Brooke Mattson 7.
Back-to-back baskets by Schmidt and Slaby gave the Wolves the lead for good with just over 13 minutes remaining.
Algoma’s mostly-zone defense held Sevastopol star senior Naomi Rikkola to 13 points.
She fouled with about three minutes left and the Pioneers down six.
The other senior star, Kayla Ranly, had 10 points.
“We’ve got more length with the two freshmen (Schmidt and Lauren Loucks), and that allows us to get a little more aggressive in that zone,” said Algoma coach Mark Zastrow.
For the most part, the Wolves handled Sevastopol’s pressure.
“We were rushed early, but they settled in,” Zastrow said. “They fought through it, they battled and did the things you need to do. Against aggressive teams, you have to be able to go get the ball, and once you get it out of that trap, you have to take advantage because you have numbers.”
Meanwhile, at Southern Door Tuesday, Mattson had the hot hand.
She scored a career high 21 with five three-pointers in a 68-35 win. Schmidt added a dozen.
Bulldogs beaten
The Algoma boys survived poor free-throw shooting (8-for-21) in beating Peshtigo 60-48 at home Friday. Cody Kirchman scored 12 of his co-team-high 16 points in the first half.
After falling behind 39-25, the Bulldogs clawed their way back with a 15-4 run. It was a three-point game with 8:06 left before Kirchman scored, followed by two quick buckets from Parker Lischka and a 49-40 lead.
Lischka had 10 of his 16 points in half number two. Chase Romdenne added 11.
Dominik Baxter had a game-high 24 points to lead Peshtigo.
Coach resigns at L-C
Varsity boys basketball coach Logan Vander Velden resigned last week, and former assistants Matt Piesler and Mitchell Jandrin took over as co-coaches.
The Spartans (1-2 in the North Eastern Conference, 1-5 overall) played under the new head coaches last Friday, falling at Clintonville 57-52. Josh Parins led L-C with 16.
The Spartans lost to NEC co-leader Little Chute Tuesday, 75-34.
L-C girls win two
Beth Budnik’s Spartans improved to 3-1 in NEC play by beating Clintonville 70-27 last Thursday and 67-24 over Little Chute Tuesday night.
Erin Cherovsky had 27 points combined in the two wins, Brianna Bray 28 and Sienna Blohowiak 23.
Packerland Boys Basketball Standings (as of Dec. 13):
Algoma 3-0
Kewaunee 2-0
Southern Door 2-0
Sturgeon Bay 2-1
Gibraltar 1-2
Oconto 1-2
Peshtigo 1-2
Sevastopol 0-2
NEW/Providence 0-3
Packerland Girls Basketball Standings (as of Dec. 17):
Algoma 5-0
Kewaunee 4-0
Sevastopol 3-1
Oconto 3-2
Peshtigo 3-2
NEW/Providence 2-3
Southern Door 1-3
Sturgeon Bay 0-5
Gibraltar 0-5
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here