MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Dec. 9–16)

GIRLS BASKETBALL: Black Hawk 70, Mineral Point 66 (OT)

MINERAL POINT — Black Hawk hasn’t had too many close calls during their current state-best 58-game winning streak, but a couple of those close calls have come against Mineral Point.

The two state-ranked foes went toe-to-toe in another battle on the hardwood on Monday night with the unbeaten Lady Warriors (4-0 overall, ranked #1 in Division 5 in the Wissports.net Coaches Poll) needing to rally from a double-digit first-half deficit to defeat the host Pointers (3-1, #8 in D4) by a score of 80-76 in a wild overtime contest in front of a low-capacity crowd at MPHS on Dec. 14.

“This is the second year in a row where Mineral Point has shot the ball incredibly well against us. They came in with a lot of energy and confidence. We got down by as many as 12 in the first half but kept battling. This is the kind of game that we can learn a lot from,” said Black Hawk head coach Michael Flanagan.

All-State senior point guard Bailey Butler scored 23 of her career-high 34 points in the second half to lead Black Hawk back from a seven-point halftime deficit. The UW-Green Bay recruit posted a double-double adding 12 rebounds to go along with all her scoring and she dished out a team-high seven assists and registered three steals in the victory.

The Pointers used a balanced offensive attack to put the Warriors into a 38-31 hole heading into the locker room at the intermission. Sophomore forward Kennedy Wenger scored 13 of her team-high 19 points in the opening stanza to lead the barrage, while guards Mallory Lindsey and Ella Chamber added nine and seven points, respectively, in the first half. Ivy Lawinger sank two 3s and Macy Aschliman buried another trey for the hot-shooting Pointers.

After falling behind by as many as 12 in the first half, the Warriors steadily chipped away at Point’s lead until eventually pulling in front behind the combination of Butler and fellow senior guard Kaylee Marty along with sophomore forwards Raylin Peterson and Tara Wellnitz.

The two talented teams kept on the offensive throughout the second half, attacking and counter-attacking one another until the final horn of regulation– and still that wasn’t enough to settle the outcome.

The Warriors were clinging to a 73-71 lead with time running down when Wenger drove in for the game-tying layup with four seconds remaining to even the score. Butler’s desperation third-quarters court heave at the buzzer fell short.

Butler gave the Warriors the lead for good with a layup at the 2:37 mark of OT, and then Wellnitz added a basket with just under two minutes remaining to up the lead to 77-73.

A three-point play by Aschliman pulled the Pointers back within a point with 1:21 to go, but another basket by Wellnitz with a minute to go and a free throw by Butler with :26.9 left sealed the 58th victory in a row for the Warriors.

Wellnitz scored six of her eight points in the second half while contributing a team-high 14 rebounds and adding four assists. Peterson tallied 10 of her career-high 15 points in the second half, while Marty added eight of her 14 points in that half and had four assists and two steals to aid the comeback. Senior Makayla Mau scored six points for Black Hawk.

Chambers scored 12 points and Aschliman added 11 to join their teammates in double figures, while Blair Watters netted nine and Lawinger finished with eight for the Pointers.  

Black Hawk’s SRE games at Juda on Thursday, Dec. 10; at Pecatonica on Monday, Dec. 14; and at home against Barneveld were all postponed to later this season. The Warriors are now scheduled to face the Panthers at JHS on Monday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m., and the Vikings in Blanchardville on Monday, Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m. The game with Barneveld has not been rescheduled at press time.

The Warriors’ non-conference game at Dodgeville on Tuesday, Dec. 15, has been moved to Saturday, Jan. 30, at 7:30 p.m., while the non-conference home game against Cambridge on Saturday, Dec. 19, has been cancelled. Next up, the Warriors travel to Shullsburg to face the #7-ranked Lady Miners (5-0) on Monday, Dec. 21.

Black Hawk 80, Mineral Point 76
(From Tuesday, Dec. 15 @ Mineral Point)
Black Hawk…... 31  42  7 – 80
Mineral Point… 38  35  3 – 76
    Black Hawk – Bailey Butler 34, Raylin Peterson 15, Tara Wellnitz 8, Kaylee Marty 14, Macie Stauffacher 3, Makayla Mau 6. Totals – 36  5-7  80.
    Mineral Point – Lindsey 17, Aschliman 11, Chambers 12, Lawinger 8, Watters 9, Wenger 19. Totals – 31  5-7  76.
    3-point goals – BH 2 (Butler 1, Stauffacher 1), MP 9 (Lindsey 3, Aschliman 1, Chambers 2, Lawinger 2, Watters 1). Total fouls – BH 9, MP 11. Fouled outv– BH: Peterson.