EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday morning throughout the calendar year.

Madison Rizner, Jr., G, Richland Center girls basketball

     The Richland Center girls basketball team has yet to suffer a loss in the 2016–17 season and Madison Rizner is a big reason why. The athletic junior guard is this week’s Mast Water Technology SWnews4U.com Athlete of the Week after leading the undefeated Hornets (8–0) to a pair of wins at their own tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday.

     Rizner scored a game-high 24 points in a 70–55 semifinal win over Mineral Point (6–2, ranked sixth in Division 4) on Tuesday night and added a game-high 22 points in a 63–58 victory over Barneveld (5–5) Thursday night to lead the Hornets to a 2–0 record at the Richland Center Candy Cane Classic Classic. Mount Horeb (9–2) also went 2–0 at the two-day, six-team event, with wins over Living World Lutheran and Mineral Point.

     Rizner scored 10 points in the first half of Tuesday’s semifinal win over the Pointers, then scored the

Hornets’ first seven points of the second half as Richland Center took the lead for good.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Cole Crubel, Fr., River Ridge boys basketball

     Crubel made the first seven shots he attempted en route to a career-high 30-point outburst to lead River Ridge to a dominating 73–29 Six Rivers West victory over visiting Belmont last Tuesday night as the Timberwolves held JoeyStrong Night to raise funds for junior Joseph Hamman, who was recently diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Crubel finished 12 of 15 from the field, including a perfect 5 for 5 on 3-point attempts. He scored 21 points in the first half as Ridge (2–5) bolted to a 42–12 halftime lead. Crubel also made 3 of 6 3-point attempts and scored 10 points in a 71–44 loss at Seneca last Thursday night.

Oliva Liddicoat, Fr., Iowa–Grant girls basketball

     Liddicoat continued her early-season scoring assault with a career-high 34 points in Iowa–Grant’s 62–25 non-conference victory at Pecatonica last Thursday night. Liddicoat has scored 28 points or more on three occasions this year and is averaging 22.3 points through seven games for the Panthers (5–2, 2–1 SWAL).

Conner Meyer, Sr., G, Black Hawk boys basketball

     Black Hawk sophomore Conner Meyer scored a game-high 20 points in a 56–50 semifinal win over Platteville and netted 23 points in a 65–61 championship game win over host Mineral Point to lead the Warriors (6–1) to the title at the Mineral Point Holiday Tournament.

Joey Meyer, Sr., C, Shullsburg boys basketball

     Meyer led three Miners in double figures with a game-high 16 points in last Thursday’s 69–22 victory over Scales Mound in the semifinals of the Benton Mike Alexander Christmas Classic, then the University of Minnesota–Crookston recruit again lead undefeated Shullsburg (6–0) with 15 points in Friday’s 67–47 championship game victory over the host Zephyrs. Meyer and the Miners have now won three straight Alexander Tournament titles.