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MCDONALD'S GAME OF THE WEEK (Girls Basketball): Girls Dream Tournament 2nd Round results
Girls Sweet 16

NOTE: The second round results of the SWNews4U.com SW Wisconsin Girls Dream Tournament were published in the Grant County Herald Independent, The Platteville Journal, Fennimore Times, Republican Journal, Tri-County Press and the Richland Observer May 20-21. Sweet 16 results will be published in this week's (May 27-28) same area newspapers.

West Regional

1) 2007 Cuba City 71, 8) 1993 Bloomington 56 
CUBA CITY — The undefeated, three-time state champion 2017 Cuba City Cubans continued to roll with a 71–56 second-round victory over 1993 Bloomington.

Senior Tami Gleason (6’2”), who went on to play D2 volleyball at UW–Parkside, scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds and anchored the Cubans’ defense with six blocked shots.

Junior Brianna Kaiser (5’11”), who also went on to play college volleyball at D3 UW–Platteville, added 14 points and five boards for coach Jeff Pustina’s Cubans (29–0), who went 80–1 and won three consecutive state D3 state titles from 2005–07.

Senior point guard Molly Moor added 10 points and six assists, senior Kaitlyn Pustina chipped in nine points, and juniors Brianna Droessler, who went on to play at D3 Edgewood College, and Kelsey Pustina scored eight points apiece for the 2007 Cubans, who led by 12 at the break.

Senior Jessica Edwards, who became a 1,000-point scorer at UW–La Crosse, scored a team-high 16 points and had five rebounds to lead coach Caron Townsend’s Bluejays (21-5), who advanced to the D4 state semifinals in 1993.

Fellow senior Angie Bohringer, who went on to play at D2 Winona State, added 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss. Sophomore Ellie Nies (who played at UW–Platteville) finished with eight points and five assists.


4) 2020 Platteville 66, 12) 2012 Fennimore 51
PLATTEVILLE — Fennimore senior Breland Prochaska may have won the head-to-head statistical battle, but Platteville sisters Josie and Camryn Nies won family bragging rights, leading their 2020 Platteville team to a 15-point victory over their first cousin Breland’s and uncle Jim Prochaska’s 12th-seeded 2012 Fennimore team in the second round of the SWNews4U.com Girls Dream Tournament.

Platteville senior center Sami Martin, a Division 1 Bradley recruit, scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead coach Mike Foley’s Hillmen (28–0), who advanced to the 2020 D3 state championship game before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the rest of the tournament.

Josie Nies, a D3 UW–Stevens Point recruit, finished with 13 points, five assists and four steals in a head-to-head battle against her first cousin. Senior Becca Hoyer added 12 points and classmate Izzy Carroll chipped in 10 points for the winners. Freshman Camryn Nies finished with six points.

Breland Prochaska finished with a game-high 22 points on 8 of 19 shooting, six assists and five steals to lead 2012 Fennimore (23–4). Sophomore Alexi Needham added 14 points and nine rebounds, but no other Eagle scored more than five points.

Prochaska led her coach/father Jim’s Golden Eagles to a 66–10 record, two sectional appearances (including a 2010 sectional final) and back-to-back SWAL titles from 2010–12.


6) 1999 Potosi 72, 3) 2005 Barneveld 66
BARNEVELD — Coach Eric Briehl’s 1999 Chieftains went on the road and knocked off 2005 D4 state champion Barneveld 72–66 in a first round thriller at BHS, avenging Potosi’s loss to coach Jim Myers’ Golden Eagles in the 1999 D4 state championship game.

Potosi senior guard Jamie Nebel drilled a 3-pointer with 54 seconds left to break a 66–66 tie. 

Barneveld junior Inger Hodgson, who tied the game with a 3-pointer moments earlier, missed a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 47 seconds left and the Golden Eagles were forced to foul. Potosi senior Tiff Flesch split a pair of free throws with 43 seconds left and after a Barneveld turnover on the ensuing possession, and Nebel made a pair from the line to close out the victory.

Barneveld led 63–62 with 2:24 left before Flesch scored on back-to-back possessions to give the 1999 Chieftains a three-point lead with 1:14 left in the game.

Hodgson, a two-time Six Rivers East Player of the Year who later played at D2 North Dakota State, tied the game with a clutch 3-pointer on the next possession.

Hodgson finished with a team-high 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals in the back-and-fourth contest, that featured 11 lead changes, seven in the first half alone. Sophomore Katie Sutter added 15 points in the loss for 2005 Barneveld (26–3). Senior Brianna Strelow added 11 points and five rebounds.

Nebel, who went on to play at D2 UW–Parkside, finished with a team-high 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.  Flesch, who later played at UW–Platteville, added 20 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Senior Megan Koeller chipped in 12 points and classmate Jena Edge added nine for 1999 Potosi (27–1).


2) 1993 Cuba City 66, 10) 1985 Ithaca 49
CUBA CITY — The 1993 Cubans overall team depth overwhelmed the Chris Biser-led 1985 Ithaca Bulldogs by 17 points in a second round game at Cuba City High School.

Senior point guard Aimee Tranel had 16 points and six assists to lead coach Jeff Pustina’s Cubans (24–3), who led 39–20 at the half. Tranel was the three-time SWAL 1 Player of the Year and went on to play at D3 UW–Whitewater.

Fellow senior Holly Klein finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds and senior Shey Roth added 12 points. Seniors Sarah Busch and Natalie Bussan added nine points apiece for the winners. Cuba City’s five senior starters helped Pustina’s Cubans win state titles in 1990, 1991 and 1993.

Junior Chris Biser, who led the 10th-seeded 1985 Bulldogs to a first round upset of 2002 D4 state runner-up Pecatonica, finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in the second-round loss to 1993 Cuba City. Biser went on to have a Hall of Fame career at D2 Fort Hays University (Kan.).

Shawn Clary added 10 points in the loss for coach Ron Donahoe’s Bulldogs (24–2), who went a combined 65–5 from 1984–86, losing to West Grant in the 1984 Class C sectional semifinals, before losing to Fall Creek in back-to-back sectional finals in ‘85 and ‘86.


South Regional

1) 2015 Cuba City 65, 9) 2001 Richland Center 63

CUBA CITY — After having just two games decided by less than 10 points during their unbeaten 2014–15 campaign, the top-seeded Cuba City Cubans had to dig deep to defeat the 2001 Richland Center Hornets in the second round of the Dream Tournament. 

The Cubans sank 12 of 14 free throw attempts over the final 2:38 of the game to hold off the visiting Hornets 65–63.

The Cubans (30–0) trailed 4–2 early on until a 10–4 run gave them the lead for good at 12–8. That lead swelled to as many as 10 in the second quarter, however the Hornets (23–3) used a late 11–4 burst at the end of the half to trim the Cubans’ advantage down to 31–28.

Senior center Mollie Wedige poured in 11 of her team-high 18 points in the second half to help stave off every rally by the Hornets. A three-point play and layup by Wedige gave the Cubans a 57–49 lead with less than four minutes to play, and Hall of Fame coach Jeff Pustina’s squad put the game away at the foul line the rest of the way.

A 3-pointer by senior Kim Fruit in the closing seconds brought the Hornets’ deficit down to two, but with Richland Center out of timeouts, the Cubans did not have to inbound the ball before time ran out. 

Senior point guard Chloe Pustina went 6 of 7 from the foul line in the game as she finished with 13 points, six assists and five rebounds. Junior guard Jesse Marti went 4 of 5 from the line and sank three 3-pointers on her way to 17 points, while Wedige went 4 of 6 at the line and added nine rebounds and three assists. Senior Shay Lierman was a perfect 4 of 4 from the line on her way to nine points, and junior Kaitlyn Kaiser netted six points for the Cubans.

Senior Karen Fruit tallied a game-high 21 points to lead Richland Center, while her twin sister, Kim, added 10 points in the game. The Hornets’ 6’4” junior center Ann Wilson had a double–double at the half with 12 points and 10 rebounds, but was held in check in the second half as she finished with 16 points and 12 boards. Freshman Erin Templin chipped in nine points for coach Steve Board’s squad.


5) 1984 West Grant 67, 4) 1991 Monticello 62
MONTICELLO — Trailing by three at the intermission, the 1984 West Grant Falcons turned up their full-court pressure in the second half to corral the 1991 Monticello Ponies 67–62 for a second-round upset.

The Falcons (26–2) opened the game with their patented press, however it had little effect on the Ponies (27–2) for much of the first half. With seniors Mindy Rosensteil and Shana Komprood taking care of business in the post and freshman guard Laura Peterson sinking a pair of clutch 3-pointers, Coach Ken Bartlet’s Ponies charged into the intermission leading 24–21.

The Falcons’ pressure started paying off in the second half as they turned a number of Monticello turnovers into transition layups.

A 22–14 scoring advantage in the third quarter sent West Grant into the final frame sporting a 43–38 lead, and the Falcons scored 10 of their 24 fourth-quarter points from the foul line to hold on for a five-point victory.

Senior Lacey Myers scored 20 of her game-high 30 points in the second half to fuel the Falcons’ comeback, and also grabbed 15 boards for a double-double. Senior Maureen Vorwald, who went on to play at UW–La Crosse, tallied 15 points, nine assists and seven boards, while Tracy Wheeler chipped in with 10 points and four blocked shots and fellow senior Vickie Meyers added nine points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Komprood (22 points and 12 reb) and Mindy Rosensteil (16 points, 15 reb, 5 blocks) each registered a double-double for the Ponies, who became the first state championship team in any sport at Monticello in 1991.

Peterson finished with 10 points, five steals and five assists, while senior Michelle Rosensteil followed with eight points.


3) 1977 Cuba City 46, 6) 2009 Potosi 43
CUBA CITY — Cuba City’s 5’3” senior point guard Mary Kay Leifker scored 10 of her game-high 14 points in the fourth quarter to rally the 1977 Cubanettes past the 2009 Potosi Chieftains 46–43 in a down-to-the-wire thriller at CCHS.

The Cubanettes (25–0) trailed 31–26 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Class C state champions got things going in their favor early in the final stanza after Leifker converted three steals into breakaway layups to erase the deficit.

The Chieftains (26–3) pulled within a point at 36–35 with 3:48 remaining following a basket by senior point guard Thresia Elskamp, who finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, eight steals, five assists and three blocked shots.

A basket by senior Deb Tranel put coach Sy Sincock’s squad back up by three, and the Cubanettes put the game away at the free throw line down the stretch thanks to Liefker (4-for-4) and freshman Lynn Timmerman (3-for-4).

Potosi had a chance to tie the game and force overtime, however Lass’ 35-foot desperation heave at the buzzer hit off the front of the rim sealed the Chieftains’ fate.

Leifker finished with eight steals and seven assists in the win, while Tranel finished with 12 points and seven boards. Timmerman grabbed 17 rebounds and netted seven points. Reserve Linda Brown came off the bench to score 10 points for Cuba City.

Lass hit two 3-pointers and scored eight her of team-high 13 points in the first half to lead Potosi. Senior Allison Tobin chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds for the Chieftains.


2) 1999 Barneveld 62, 10) 1989 Mineral Point 53
BARNEVELD — Barneveld’s relentless defensive pressure kept Mineral Point’s offense out of synch for much of the game, and the two-time defending WIAA Division 4 state champion 1999 Golden Eagles used a 9–0 scoring run at the start of the second half to pull away for a 62–53 victory over the 1989 Pointers.

Hall of Fame coach Jim Myers’ Eagles (29–0) had plenty of chances to pull away in the first half after forcing 14 turnovers on defense, but held just a slim 24–22 lead at the intermission after shooting just 9 of 29 from the field and making nine turnovers of their own.

A pair of free throws by Staci Dimpfl, followed by a 3-pointer by UW–Green Bay recruit Jess Arneson and layups in transition by Shannon Clerkin and Casey Thousand extended Barneveld’s lead to 33–22 midway through the third quarter.

Mineral Point junior Janet Schubert (who went on to play at UW–Milwaukee) did all she could do to keep the Pointers (25–3) in the game, scoring 14 of her game-high 27 points in the final 12 minutes of play. However, the Eagles — who had beaten their previous opponents by an average 37 points per game before posting a pair of seven-point victories in the 1999 state tournament — never let the Pointers get closer than seven in the fourth quarter thanks to their balanced offensive attack and swarming defense.

Arneson finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven steals to lead Barneveld. Senior Megan Hodgson chipped in with 12 points and five rebounds, while seniors Liz Meyer and Heidi Hodgson added eight points and six boards apiece for the Eagles.

Schubert tallied eight rebounds, four assists and three steals to pace Coach Chuck Bennett’s Lady Pointers. Senior Carolyn Kinch scored eight points, while junior Jenny Kinch and seniors Denise James and Tammy Richardson netted five points each.


North Regional

1) 2014 Barneveld 71, 9) 1983 Seneca 53
BARNEVELD — The dynamic duo of sophomore Hannah Whitish and junior Rachel Slaney led the 2014 D5 state champions from Barneveld to a convincing victory over the 1983 Class C state qualifiers from Seneca.

As one of the best basketball players in the history of this part of the state, Whitish, a University of Nebraska recruit, led Barneveld to a 109–4 overall record, four state championship appearances and two state titles during her career with the Eagles.

Whitish scored a game-high 26 points before leaving our fictitious game late in the third quarter, getting most of her points on drives to the basket.

Barneveld teammate Rachel Slaney, a future D1 player at Cleveland State, chipped in 18 points in the second-round route, while McKenzie Sporle added eight and Maggie Oimoen six.

The Indians (22–5) got a team-high 14 points from Karen Greene, while Lori Olson added 12 and Shelly Biggin nine.


4) 1984 Platteville 60, 12) 2006 Lancaster 57
PLATTEVILLE — In a very close second-round match up in the Southwest Wisconsin Girls Dream Tournament, the 1984 Class B state champions from Platteville held off a very talented 2006 D3 sectional qualifying team from Lancaster.

The difference in this game was Platteville’s Finnish exchange student, Anja Hellman, who dropped a game-high 22 points. Hellman, who was the youngest member of the Finland National Team, went on to play D1 basketball at California, and was named to the Pac 10 All-Freshman team before playing professionally in Europe.

Platteville teammates Erin Stoffregen added 16 points in the win over Lancaster, while Debbie Malone chipped in 15.

After leading 37–31 at the half, Platteville (25–2) held their largest lead of 43–33 early in the third quarter, only to see Lancaster pull to within 52–50 early in the fourth on a steal and layup by senior point guard Brianna Klaas.

The Flying Arrows (23–3) never got any closer, as Hellman and Stoffregen gave the Hillmen a comfortable lead late in the contest, before the home team made 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch.

Klaas led Lancaster with 16 points in the loss, while Mary Lynn Driscoll added 14. Megan Starrett chipped in eight, while Teresa Logmann added seven and Brittany Petrowitz and Beth Larsen each had five.


3) 1976 Lancaster 59, 6) 2010 Black Hawk 50
LANCASTER — A one-point game with 6:40 to play, turned into a nine-point win for the 1976 Class B state champions from Lancaster over the 2010 D4 state runners-up from Black Hawk.

Clinging to a 44–43 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Lancaster outscored the Warriors 15–7 down the stretch, getting seven of those points from junior Jodi Eisens.

An Eisens bucket pushed Lancaster’s lead to 46–43, and was followed by three straight empty possessions by the Warriors, who trailed 49–43 with just over four minutes to play.

Black Hawk (28–3) got a three-point play from Kim Wellnitz with 3:20 showing on the clock, pulling the Warriors to within 51–46, but that was as close as the road team could get in this second-round battle.

Eisens, a UW–Oshkosh recruit, led Lancaster (22–2) with 15 points, including a near-perfect 6 of 7 from the free throw line. She was followed by Darcia Davies with 12 points and Kim Pecinovsky with 10. Linda Shaw chipped in eight and Karla Lambert six.

Wellnitz, a UW–Platteville recruit, had a sensational game with 14 points, eight rebounds and four steals, while Rachel Rygh added 10 points and Katie Place eight.


2) 2010 Cuba City 55, 10) 2012 Richland Center 38
CUBA CITY — With an average margin of victory of 24 points during their 2010 D3 state title run, this Cuba City team rolled through their opponents in real life, and did so in their second-round match up against the 2012 Hornets of Richland Center in our fictitious dream tournament.

Coach Jeff Pustina’s state title team of 2010 was loaded with talent on offense, but on defense came together to make things very difficult for opposing teams, who were often times held below 35 points per contest.

Katie Langmeier, a Loras College recruit, was the team’s top scorer with 14 points, while Emily Kaiser, a UW–Platteville volleyball recruit, chipped in 12. Daniell Matuszak finished the game with eight points, followed by Grace Stotmeiser with seven and Megan Pickel with five for the Cubans (31–0).

The 2012 D3 sectional runners up from Richland Center (23–5), were led by all-state selection Kelsey Collins,  who netted 16 points in the loss. Emily Anderson was close behind with 10, while Kelley Lynch and Abbey Beranek each finished with eight.


East Regional

1) 2019 Black Hawk 71, 8) 2012 Seneca 47
SOUTH WAYNE — Yes folks, the 2019 Division 5 state champions from Black Hawk (30–0) were so good that they could conceivably turn a 1–8 match-up into a 24-point blowout over the 2012 D5 state qualifying team from Seneca.

The Indians were loaded with talent, led by All-State selection Kalli Boland and first-team all-conference selection Logan Lessard, but the Warriors had so much firepower that their top two players were D1 recruits and another is headed to UW–Platteville.

Senior Natalie Leuzinger, a walk-on at the University of Wisconsin, scored a team-high 23 points against the Indians before leaving the game midway through the fourth quarter with the game in hand.

Junior Bailey Butler, a UW–Green Bay recruit, chipped in 18 points, and senior Hannah Butler, a UW–Platteville recruit, added 14. 

Boland led the Indians (27–2) with 16 points, while Lessard finished with 12 and Sawyer Robert and Taylor Redman each had six.


4) 2016 Mineral Point 40, 5) 1979 Lancaster 34
MINERAL POINT — One would expect a low-scoring contest when playing against the 1979 Class B state champions from Lancaster, who held their playoff opponents to just 32.2 points per game during their state title run.

The 2016 D4 state champions from Mineral Point (28–2) were definitely held below their tournament scoring average of 64.2 ppg, but managed enough offense in the second half to pull away with a six-point victory.

Throughout the first three quarters of action, neither team held a lead bigger than three points, with Mineral Point up, 23–20, at the half. Lancaster’s largest lead was 16–14 early in the second quarter.

Clinging to a 31–29 advantage with just over five minutes to play, the Pointers outscored the Flying Arrows 9–5 down the stretch, getting four of those points from senior Jessica Schultz and three from Clare Chambers.

Schultz, a D2 Northern Michigan recruit, netted a team-high 17 points, while Chambers, a Concordia University recruit, was close behind with 14. Sydney Staver, a D1 UW–Milwaukee recruit added 12 points in the win, while McKenna Reichling an Edgewood College recruit, finished with nine.

Lancaster (24–3) was led in scoring by 6’3” Donna Freese, who finished with 11 points and four blocks, while Laurie Shaw added eight points, Denise Croft seven and Jonna Vesperman five.


3) 1980 Cuba City 48, 6) 2004 Richland Center 40
CUBA CITY — Despite a heroic effort from three-time SWAL 1 Player of the Year and future four-year starter at UW–Green Bay Erin Templin, the 2004 D2 state runners up from Richland Center (24–4) couldn’t contain an undefeated 1980 Class B state championship squad from Cuba City (27–0).

Coach Syd Sincock’s Cubans were led by Linda Brown, the Southern 8 Player of the Year in 1980, who scored 17 points in our second-round match up. Lynn Timmerman netted 12 points in the contest and Jackie Slaats 10 to pace the Cubans.

Templin led all scorers with 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and pulled the Hornets to as close as 36–34 midway through the fourth quarter.

The Cubans then used an 8–0 scoring at the start the fourth quarter to gain a comfortable lead and hold on for the win.

Richland Center senior Katie Mueller added 11 points in the loss, while junior Leah Tenney had nine and Jennifer Salisbury seven.


2) 1993 Pecatonica 57, 10) 2004 River Ridge 52
BLANCHARDVILLE — The 1993 D4 state champions from Pecatonica knocked off a very talented and well-coached 2004 squad from River Ridge, by five points.

The Vikings (29–0) were so deep in 1993 that they won the state championship without their leading scorer, Tracey Powell, who was injured in the sectional finals. 

In this fictitious match up though, Powell leads the Vikings into the Sweet 16 by scoring four points over her season average of 14 points per game.

Powell got plenty of help from teammates Nicole Jeglum (12 points), Barb Kapke (9 points), Kristine Lee (8 points), Steph Jorenby (8 points) and Tami Norton (8 points) in their second-round tournament victory.

Coach Caron Townsend’s 2004 Timberwolves, who were certainly talented in their own rights, were led by Stacia Nemitz, a UW–Platteville recruit, who scored 16 points in the loss.

Nemitz was followed by Frankie Weber with nine points, and Kelly Kalinowski with eight, as River Ridge (24–3) also got six points from Vanessa Nemitz and five from Patty Meoska.