By Kevin Naze
Contributing Writer
KEWAUNEE COUNTY – Kewaunee’s varsity basketball teams are both shooting to remain unbeaten in the Packerland Conference.
The Storm girls (6-0, 9-1) travel to Algoma (7-0, 8-3) in a much-anticipated Saturday afternoon battle for first place, while the Kewaunee boys (4-0, 5-3) host Southern Door (4-0, 6-2) Tuesday night.
Coach Matt Bosdeck’s Kewaunee boys’ losses were by a single point in overtime to Wrightstown in the season opener, by 21 at Bonduel a week later and by two to Manitowoc Lutheran Dec. 17.
Meanwhile, the Eagles — fresh off a 63-52 win over previously-unbeaten Packerland foe Algoma last Friday — lost to a pair of Div. 2 teams, Seymour (by 10) in mid-December, and Mosinee (by 8) two weeks ago.
On the girls’ side, the only loss for Coach Lynn Geier’s unranked Storm came Dec. 7 (58-48) to unbeaten Manitowoc Lutheran, the state’s third-ranked Div. 4 team.
Algoma’s losses were to Bonduel, Freedom and Brillion.
What will a win or a loss due to each team’s confidence, season and legacy?
It’s only one game — they’ll play each other again later this winter — but at minimum, the victors will be the sole occupants in their respective Packerland driver’s seat for now.
Eagles at Wolves
In a battle of Packerland unbeatens at Algoma, the hosts led 9-0 four minutes into the game after a three-pointer and slashing drive by Braeden Leist and buckets in the paint by Parker Lischka and Carson Leist.
The Wolves led by as many as 11, at 17-6, after a “3” from Charlie Prokash and a short banker from Cody Kirchman midway through the first half.
But the Eagles finished with a 17-2 run, then started the second half with a 9-0 run that made it 32-19 not even three minutes in.
“We started well,” said Algoma coach Eric Schneider. “Sometimes shots fall, sometimes they don’t. But we have to take care of the basketball, and we didn’t do that in stretches tonight. We turned it over too many times for points.”
Drew Daoust had a slow start, but once he got rolling the points came quickly.
The two-time Packerland Player of the Year had 19 in the second half, and 28 on the night. Caden Pierre added 18, including the team’s first nine points on three of his four triples.
Lauden Berg had 12 points.
Chase Romdenne led the Wolves with 17 points, including five 3s — four of them in the second half.
Braeden Leist added 12.
“We showed we can play with them,” Schneider said. “We’ll see them again, and we’ll give ‘em a battle.”
Girls highlights
On Dec. 30, Kewaunee stifled visiting Wrightstown, 45-19.
Three nights later, the host Storm led 45-12 at the half and finished off the state’s 10th-ranked Div. 5 team, Sheboygan Lutheran, 77-38. Jade Kroll, Breana Riha, Gabby Stangel and Lexie Hanrahan combined for 55 points and six three-pointers in that one.
On Tuesday, Kewaunee beat Sturgeon Bay at home, 69-34. Kroll had 23 points and Stangel 17 to lead the way.
That same night, Algoma got 19 from Jadyn Nellis, 12 from Sierra Slaby, 11 from Claire Gerdmann, 10 from Brooke Mattson and 9 from Therese Gerdmann in a 78-31 win at Gibraltar.
Also Tuesday, L-C lost a tough one on the road to Wrightstown, 43-41. The Spartans trailed 28-13 at the half.
Sienna Blohowiak had 12 of her 18 points after the break, and Brianna Bray 9 (three 3s) to close the gap.
Four nights earlier, Blohowiak and Bray combined for 17 in a 40-31 loss at home against Denmark.
Kewaunee boys busy
The Storm boys won at Brillion 51-49 Dec. 30 and at Peshtigo Jan. 3, 68-45.
Senior Avery Jerabek and freshman Dane Harrell each had 13 points, and freshman Diesel Bosdeck added 11 against the Lions.
Connor Kilgore scored 20, Bosdeck 15 (including three “3s”), Evan Maccoux 12 and Jerabek 10 vs. the Bulldogs.
On Tuesday night, Kewaunee got 18 from Harrell, 16 from Kilgore and 12 (four 3s) from Cooper Kolmorgen in a 74-51 win at Luxemburg-Casco.
The Spartans also lost at Seymour Dec. 30, 79-38, and at home against Denmark Jan. 3, 60-57. They hosted Wrightstown Jan. 9.
Algoma split a pair of road non-conference games earlier this week. The Wolves got 16 points from Lischka, 10 from Prokash and 9 each from Romdenne and Braeden Leist in a 69-61 loss to Denmark Monday.
Lischka had 19, Romdenne 13 and Leist 10 in a 69-38 win over Clintonville Tuesday.
Boys schedule following coverage
Jan. 10: Sturgeon Bay at Algoma, Kewaunee at Sevastopol
Jan. 13: L-C at Freedom
Jan. 14: Southern Door at Kewaunee
Jan. 16: NEWCHAA at Algoma
Jan. 17: L-C at Waupaca, Shiocton at Kewaunee
Girls schedule following coverage
Jan. 10: Waupaca at L-C
Jan. 11: Kewaunee at Algoma
Jan. 13: Mishicot at Algoma
Jan. 14: Freedom at L-C, Kewaunee at Southern Door
Jan. 16: L-C at Marinette
Jan. 17: NEW at Algoma, Kewaunee at Gibraltar
Packerland Boys Basketball Standings as of Jan. 3
Kewaunee 4-0
Southern Door 4-0
Algoma 3-1
Sturgeon Bay 2-2
Gibraltar 2-2
Oconto 2-3
Peshtigo 1-3
Sevastopol 0-3
NEW/Providence 0-4
Packerland Girls Basketball Standings as of Jan. 7
Algoma 7-0
Kewaunee 6-0
Oconto 4-2
Sevastopol 4-2
Peshtigo 4-3
NEW/Providence 2-5
Southern Door 1-3
Sturgeon Bay 1-7
Gibraltar 0-7
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here