DODGEVILLE — Sports fans love upsets … unless they are fans of the team that was upset.
Though their records — 9–1 overall and 3–0 on top of the Southwest Wisconsin Conference — were identical, Platteville, the number one ranked Division 3 girls basketball team according to WisSports.net, was considered by most to be the favorite against Dodgeville, which fell out of the WisSports.net D3 rankings last week, particularly with two Dodger starters out.
The Dodgers probably will return to the rankings, and the Hillmen won’t be in first place, this week after the Dodgers’ 81–63 win over the Hillmen Friday night.
Senior Hannah Jones set Dodgeville’s career scoring record early in her 33-point night. Jones was 8 of 13 from the field and 14 of 17 from the foul line. The NCAA Divivision II Sioux Falls commit also had nine rebounds, five assists and five steals, all team highs. Freshman Olivia Argall added a career-high 31 points, going 17 of 21 at the free throw line, and eight rebounds, and fellow freshman JoJo Heimerl added 12 points and seven boards.
“We did not defend the ball and our gaps well enough and that allowed Jones and Argall driving angles to the basket,” said Platteville head coach Brandon Temperly. “They took advantage and were able to draw fouls and get to the line. This game has given us plenty of ammunition for practice as our weaknesses were exposed. The only thing to do from here is to get to work and get better.”
Platteville led only once, 5–3, fell behind by 13 late in the first half before cutting the margin to nine at halftime, trailed by 19 points four minutes into the second half, and got only as close as four before being outscored 18–2, almost all from the free throw line, in the last three minutes of the game.
The most surprising thing about the game may have been Platteville’s defense, which gave up more points in the first half than the Hillmen gave up in each of their previous eight games. Dodgeville took 30 fewer shots, but shot 48 percent from the field vs. Platteville’s 40 percent. The Hillmen came into the game averaging 14.4 steals per game, but stole just three Friday night.
Platteville’s offense didn’t help, though, going 3 of 15 from the 3-point line and just 10 of 23 from the free-throw line — the Hillmen missed their first nine free throws — and committing 19 turnovers. Dodgeville, in contrast, went 37 of 48 from the foul line.
Sami Martin led Platteville with 22 points on 11-of-17 shooting and 16 rebounds before fouling out with 1:34 left. Skye Digman added 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Josie Nies added 13 points and three assists.
Argall opened the game with a 3-pointer, but a Martin basket and Nies 3-pointer gave Platteville what turned out to be its only lead, 5–3 70 seconds into the game. A 10–2 Dodgeville run, helped by four missed Platteville free throws, gave Dodgeville a 13–7 lead with 14:45 left in the first half. The lead doubled to 12, 27–15, on a Jones 3-pointer with 11:15 left in the half, and Dodgeville led by 13 before a Digman 3-pointer and a Digman free throw cut the lead to 44–35 at the half.
A 12–2 Dodger run to start the second half — which included two missed Argall free throws but an offensive rebound and Heimerl basket — expanded the lead to 56–37 with 14:22 left. Platteville then got back into the game with a 15–2 run over the next seven minutes to trim the deficit to 58–52 with 7:22 left. Back-to-back three-point plays by Nies and Hanna Langmeier cut the deficit to 65–61 with 3:02 left.
“Dodgeville was able to get off to a good start and gained confidence from there,” said Temperly. “We did not defend up to our capabilities and Dodgeville took advantage. Our girls fought hard to get back within striking distance in the second half but we were not able to get over the hump.”
Dodgeville closed the door by going 14 of 18 from the foul line, including four free throws on technical fouls, while Platteville scored only once in the last three minutes.
Platteville goes to River Valley, while Dodgevile goes to Richland Center, to end the first half of the SWC season Friday.
Dodgeville 81, Platteville 63
(from Friday, Jan. 5 @ Dodgeville)
Platteville 35 28 — 63
Dodgeville 44 37 — 81
Platteville (9–2, 3–1) — Josie Nies 13, Rachel Bailie 2, Hanna Langmeier 3, Sami Martin 22, Sami Knockel 4, Skye Digman 19. Totals — 25-63 10-23 63.
Dodgeville (10–1, 4–0) — Jojo Heimerl 12, Hannah Jones 33, Amanda Ludwig 4, Olivia Argall 31, Brooke Rhyner 1. Totals – 16-33 37-48 81.
3-point goals — P: 2, P: 1 (Hoyer 1). Total fouls — P: 27; D: 19. Fouled out — P: Martin, Langmeier. Technical fouls — Platteville coach.
