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SWNEWS4U.COM ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Braden Crubel
Sophomore guard scores career-high 27 points in win over Highland, and 13 in upset of No. 8 Fennimore
Crubel
River Ridge sophomore guard Braden Crubel scored a career-high 27 points in Saturday's win at Highland, then chipped in 13 during a 53–52 upset win of Division 4 #8-ranked Fennimore Tuesday night. Crubel is averaging a team-high 16.2 points per game for the undefeated Timberwolves (13–0). - photo by A.J. Gates

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

Braden Crubel, So., G, River Ridge boys basketball
HIGHLAND — Braden Crubel and the River Ridge boys basketball team keeps rolling along. Last Saturday Crubel made five 3-pointers, all six free throws he attempts and poured in a career-high 27 points to lead the undefeated Timberwolves to a 68–58 Six Rivers West road victory. Tuesday night Crubel scored a 13 points in a 53–52 upset of Division 4 8th-ranked Fennimore at FHS to help the perfect Timberwolves notch their 13th straight victory.

Crubel, a 5'11" guard, is leading the team in scoring at 16.2 points per game, while averaging 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game, but he has really upped his game over the past three weeks. He scored 24 points each in back-to-back wins at Barneveld Dec. 30 and at Benton Jan. 5. He also scored 12 in a 77–26 blowout win over Cassville Jan 8 and pumped in a team-high 18 in a 57–54 victory over Southwestern last Tuesday. Crubel is averaging 19.7 points on 48 percent shooting (43 of 89) from the field, including 41.7 percent (15 of 36) from 3-point land, and a sizzling 94.4 percent (17 of 18) at the free throw line.

Crubel and the Timberwolves (13–0) will travel to Pecatonica Friday night before going to Wauzeka/Steuben (10–1, ranked #5 in Division 5) Saturday night.


HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order)
Olivia Argall, Sr., G, Dodgeville girls basketball
Argall was nearly unguardable in a 55–35 trouncing of Lancaster (13–4, 4–3 SWC) last Friday night. Argall poured in a game-high 30 points, connecting on 4 of 8 3-point attempts and 6 of 7 from the free throw line. The UW–Oskhosh recruit also grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and had two assists for the winners. She is averaging a team-high 18 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game for the second-place Dodgers (8–4, 3–1 SWC).


Bailey Butler, Sr., PG, Black Hawk girls basketball
Butler finished with a career-high 36 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and four steals to lead the top-ranked Warriors (11–0, 7–0 SRE) a 68–51 victory over #4 Albany (12–2, 6–2) last Friday night. The win gives Black Hawk a season sweep of the Comets and a commanding two-game lead in the SRE standings with five conference games remaining. Butler had another huge night at Argyle, posting 31 points, 10 assists, nine steals and six rebounds in an 85–43 win over Argyle last week. Monday night she narrowly missed her second career quadruple-double with a 27-point, 13-assist, 9-rebound, 9-steal effort in a 88–17 victory over Juda. 


Devin Digman, Jr., F, Platteville boys basketball
Digman scored in the post on Platteville's first overtime possession, then Valley’s next possession resulted in a steal on a inbound play by sophomore Digman, who chased down the lose ball and finished the play with a two-handed dunk to make it 51–47 with 1:50 left. Digman finished with a career- and game-high 23 points on 10 of 14 shooting from the field, and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds to lead the Hillmen to a 55–52 OT victory. It was his fifth double–double of the year.


Brandon Hoppman, Sr., G, Shullsburg boys basketball
Hoppman finished with 24 points, on 8 of 12 shooting and 7 of 9 from the free throw ling, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals to lead Shullsburg to a 59–47 win over visiting Argyle last Monday night before the Miners (6–4, 3–2 SRW) were put into a two-week quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test on the Argyle team. Hoppman is averaging a team-high 17.5 points, and 8.7 rebounds per game, as well as 2.9 assists.


Logan Hubbard, Sr., G, Potosi/Cassville girls basketball
Hubbard averaged 13.5 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals and 2 assists in a pair of Potosi/Cassville wins over River Valley, 59–30, last Tuesday and Southwestern, 73–41, Monday night. Hubbard and the Chieftains (7–4) have won six games in a row and are outscoring their opponents 60.2–31.2 during the winning streak.


Jack Misky, Sr., F, Cuba City boys basketball
Misky erupted for a career-high 30 points in an 80–65 win over Wisconsin Heights Saturday. He made 4 of 5 3-point attempts, all four free throws and also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. The 6'5" Division 1 track and field recruit also had 14 points and 9 rebounds in Tuesday's 80–70 SWAL victory over Darlington in a battle of first place teams. Misky has averaged 19 points and 7 rebounds in three games since the top-ranked Cubans (9–0, 5–0 SWAL) lost D1 UW–Green Bay recruit and leading scorer/rebound Brayden Dailey to a broken wrist Dec. 28. 


Brynlee Nelson, Sr., G, Fennimore girls basketball
Nelson drilled the go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute to lift the streaking Fennimore Golden Eagles to a 44–40 non-conference victory over Lancaster (13–4) Monday night. Nelson finished with a game-high 16 points to lead Fennimore (8–7), which won its sixth straight game after a 2–7 start. Nelson is averaging a team-high 15.4 points a game this year and 20.8 per game during the Eagles' six-game winning streak.


Robby Roe, Jr., G/F, Cassville boys basketball
Roe pumped in a career-high 27 points in a 73–64 win over Iowa–Grant last Tuesday. He then scored 17 points in a 71–31 blowout victory over Belmont Tuesday night. Roe is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game for the Comets (7–5, 3–3 SRW)