GAME OF THE WEEK (Feb. 16–22)
GIRLS BASKETBALL: Cuba City (15–5, 11–2 SWAL) at Mineral Point (17–4, 12–1 SWAL), Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m., KIYX (106.1 FM)
Coach Jeff Pustina’s Cubans can claim share of the 2016–17 Southwestern Wisconsin Activities League crown tonight with a win over league-leading and 10th-ranked Pointers (17–4, 12–1), who already clinched at least a share of the title with a 68–31 win at Fennimore last Friday.
Mineral Point senior point guard Sydney Staver finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and two assists, and senior Destinee Kruser added 10 points to lead the Pointers to a 49–44 win at Cuba City on Friday, Jan. 13. Point built a 30–25 halftime lead in that first meeting and held on for the win through a defensive second half. Staver is averaging 17.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season.
Sophomore guard Elizabeth Misky scored a game-high 19 points in the loss.
The Cubans won four straight SWAL titles from 2011–2014, before Mineral Point swept Cuba City a year ago to win the 2016 SWAL crown. Point then beat the Cubans a third time in last year’s WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal 57–55 on their way to winning the D4 state title.
GIRLS BASKETBALL: WIAA regional quarterfinals, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m.
The WIAA girls basketball playoffs begin with regional quarterfinal action next Tuesday night. The winners will advance to next Friday’s regional semifinals. Here are next week’s are first-round pairings.
Division 3
#2 Platteville (17–4) has a first-round bye
#10 Prairie du Chien (1–20) at #7 River Valley (7–14)
#11 Westfield (0–20) at #6 Nekoosa (10–11)
#3 Richland Center (18–2) has a first-round bye
Division 4
#1 Wisconsin Heights (20–1) has a first-round bye
#9 New Glarus (9–11) at #8 Lancaster (12–8), WPVL (1590 AM)
#12 Orfordville Parkview (4–16) at #5 Belleville (14–7)
#4 Darlington (14–7) has a first-round bye
#2 Mineral Point (17–4) has a first-round bye
#10 Waterloo (7–14) at #7 Deerfield (13–6)
#11 Iowa–Grant (7–13) at Cambridge (10–11)
#3 Cuba City (15–5) has a first-round bye
Division 5
#16 Southwestern (1–19) at #1 Shullsburg (17–3)
#9 Ithaca (11–10) at #8 Potosi (9–12), KIYX (106.1 FM)
#12 Kickapoo (10–11) at #5 River Ridge (15–5), WGLR (97.7 FM)
#13 Highland (6–15) at #4 Benton (13–7), WPVL (197.1 FM)
#15 North Crawford (3–16) at #2 Riverdale (17–4)
#10 Cassville (8–13) at #7 Wauzeka–Steuben (11–8)
#11 De Soto (8–13) at #6 Belmont (10–11)
#14 La Farge (6–14) at #3 Seneca (18–2)
PREP WRESTLING: WIAA Sectionals, Saturday, Feb. 18
WIAA Division 2 Richland Center Sectional, 10 a.m., WPVL (1590 AM)
Richland Center will host Saturday’s WIAA Division 2 sectional. The top three finishers in each eight-man weight class will advance to next week’s WIAA State tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Area sectional qualifiers include:
106 — Max Schmidt (31–1), fr., Richland Center; Tristen Gilbertson (20–11), fr., Belmont/Platteville.
113 — Isaac Wiegel (39–3), jr., Belmont/Platteville; Rowen Wipperfruth (24–13), so., River Valley.
120 — Caleb Radtke (30–9), jr., River Valley; Reid Koenig (34–10), so., Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka.
126 — Dustin Hatfield (35–0), sr., River Valley; Blake Garia (32–10), jr., Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka.
132 — Zach Licht (37–3), jr., River Valley; Traeton Saint (37–8), fr., Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka.
138 — Miller Tylor (17–13), jr., Richland Center; Cayden Robson (15–11), fr., River Valley
145 — Gavin Wipperfurth (28–3), sr., River Valley
152 — John Phelan (32–7), jr., Dodgeville; Nick Rogge (37–7), sr., Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka.
160 — Shane Liegel (36–4), so., River Valley
170 — Elijah Alt (38–1), sr., River Valley; Ethan Swiggum (30–13), sr., Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka
182 — Lucas Fugate (38–5), sr., Belmont/Platteville; Caleb Coleman (28–10), sr., Richland Center
195 — Stephen Ronnfeldt (37–7), jr., Prairie du Chien/Wauzeka; Brock Mahoney (16–19), so., River Valley
220 — Alex Peters (26–11), so., Richland Center
285 — Aaron McCarthy (30–3), sr., Cuba City/Benton/Southwestern; Tennessee Hatfield (27–12), sr., River Valley
WIAA Division 3 Mineral Point Sectional, 10 a.m., WGLR (97.7 FM)
Mineral Point will host Saturday’s WIAA Division 3 sectional. The top three finishers in each eight-man weight class will advance to next week’s WIAA State tournament at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Area sectional qualifiers include:
106 — Danny Pittz (28–2), so., Mineral Point; Mason Lull (38–4), fr., Fennimore; Dalton Kehoe (20–12), fr., Hillsboro.
113 — Alex Birchman (27–8), fr., Fennimore; Cody Blosch (20–16), Darlington/Black Hawk; Caden Carey (25–12), so., Mineral Point; Jason Griffiths (24–6), jr., Hillsboro; Trea Steele, (22–10), jr., North Crawford/Seneca.
120 — Sawyer Sarbacker (40–1), sr., Iowa–Grant/Highland; Cayden Milz (26–13), Darlington/Black Hawk; Aiden Nutter (33–10), Fennimore; Dakota Wells (19–9), jr., Hillsboro.
126 — Dyaln Hill (21–10), jr., Hillsboro; Paul King (30–8), jr., Darlington/Black Hawk; Brian Mathews (32–11), sr., Riverdale; Trevor Wanek (33–10), so., Fennimore
132 — Gavin Burch (29–4), jr., Ithaca/Weston; Kolbe Ubersox (35–2), so., Darlington/Black Hawk; Maguire Fitzgerald (27–17), so., Fennimore; Logan Schmitz (25–17), Mineral Point
138 — Hunter Bredeson (26–14), so., Darlington/Black Hawk; Monty Jennings (21–5), fr., Ithaca/Weston; Collin Lull (25–16), so., Lancaster; Hunter Wardell (34–13), sr., Fennimore.
145 — Justin Tollefsen (39–6), sr., Fennimore; Clayon Kite (30–11), jr., Iowa–Grant/Highland; Riley Astle (13–12), fr., Ithaca/Weston.
152 — Max Maylor (40–1), jr., Iowa–Grant/Highland; Chase Beinborn (30–10), so., Bosocbel.
160 — Bradon Roen (16–2), sr., Riverdale; Riley Workman (28–12), jr., Mineral Point; Sawyer Willis (17–12), Ithaca/Weston), fr.
170 — Brady Peat (37–6), jr., Iowa–Grant/Highland; Tyler Klaas (26–20), jr., Fennimore; Tyler Mosely (21–15), jr., Darlington/Black Hawk; Tristan Vesbach (14–17), so., Hillsboro.
182 — Drew Hennessy (31–9), so., Iowa–Grant/Highland; Troy Klein (23–16), so., Lancaster; Cade Netteshiem (22–9), so., Ithaca/Weston; Bailey Schiling (2–4), fr., Darlington/Black Hawk.
195 — Caleb Johnson (33–7), jr., Riverdale; Kyle Juedes (28–14), jr., Mineral Point; Brody Milz (21–11), jr., Darlington/Black Hawk; Jacob Urban (5–2), jr., Hillsboro.
220 — Cody McCollough (40–4), sr., Fennimore; Terrry Hrubes (13–15), so., Riverdale; Cody Nielsen (18–11), so., Darlington/Black Hawk; Tye Schafer (24–11), sr., North Crawford/Seneca.
285 — Deven O’Brien (36–9), sr., Fennimore; Ben Wheeler (32–10), jr.; River Ridge/Cassville; Carson McCauley (20–6), jr.; Ithaca/weston; Jacob Tuescher (22–13), Darlington/Black Hawk.
BOYS BASKETBALL: Area game of note this week
Highland (14–5, 8–1 SRW) at Shullsburg (18–2, 10–0 SRW, ranked #7 in D5), Friday, Feb. 17, 7:30 p.m., WGLR (97.7 FM)
Highland has one final shot at league-leading Shullsburg and gaining a split of this year’s Six Rivers West title. The Cardinals most find a way on the road. Highland held a 23–20 halftime lead when the two teams first met back on Jan. 12, but the Miners outscored the Cardinals 38–15 in the second half to run away with a 58–38 victory. Senior point guard Hunter Matye scored a game-high 15 points and senior guard Noah Wand added 14 to lead Shullsburg in that game. Senior guard John Ross Linscheid scored a team-high 14 points to lead the Cardinals in defeat.
PREP GYMNASTICS: Southwest Wisconsin Conference Championships (at Platteville), Friday, Feb. 17, 5:30 p.m.
The Platteville/Belmont/Lancaster gymnastics team will host this year’s SWC Championships Friday night at 5:30 p.m. Dodgeville/Mineral Point went 4–0 in the SWC during the regular season and is the favorite to win this year’s conference title. The host Hillmen (3–1 SWC) and Southwestern/Cuba City (2–2) are expected to challenge the Dodgers.
BOYS SWIMMING: WIAA Division 2 State Championships (at UW Natatorium, Madison), Friday, Feb. 17, 6:30 p.m.
Platteville senior Dan Iselin will compete in his second straight WIAA Division 2 boys swimming state championships Friday night. Iselin qualified for state with a pair of sixth-place finishes in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke at last Saturday’s WIAA D2 Stoughton sectional. He is seeded 15th (out of 16) in the 100 fly and 13th in the 100 backstroke entering Friday’s state meet.
