LA CROSSE — The La Crosse Central High School girls basketball team has been rather quietly winning a lot of game this season.
That could be because the RiverHawks have come up short in the big games they’ve played, but that’s starting to change.
Second place in the MVC was on the line at the Mark Sutton Memorial Gymnasium on Thursday, and Central played well defensively and kept its cool when Holmen tried to make a run at it in the second half.
The RiverHawks had a 14-point halftime lead and turned it into a 51-35 victory over the Vikings.
“What’s plagued us in the four games we’ve lost is the other team making 3s,” Central coach Quartell Roberson said. “(The Vikings) can hit 3s and did, but to see (Central players) maintain, be patient and be solid was great to see.”
Holmen (6-7, 3-2) was within 32-22 when senior Danika Rebhahn knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner, but the RiverHawks never let the Vikings get any closer in completing their third win in a row.
Junior Alahnna Simpson had 13 points for Central (11-4, 4-2), which had three double-figure scorers. Eight of those came in the second half after the RiverHawks forged a 27-13 lead. Sophomore Ellie Gillitzer also scored 13, and senior Zaya Whitaker added 11.
Rebhahn made five 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 17 points for Holmen, which had no one else score more than five.
“It’s a huge win for us with both of us near the top of the conference,” Roberson said.
Central is now 3-0 since a disappointing 69-32 loss at first-place Aquinas. The RiverHawks were within 19-16 late in the first half of that game before things fell apart. Roberson is proud of the way his players have bounced back from that defeat.
“We had a tough team to play in Fall Creek the next day,” he said. “Smaller school but always solid, and we had to move on to that.
“We were down in that game but we maintained, were steady, held our composure and won.”
The RiverHawks also beat Logan 42-21 on Tuesday and put that winning streak on the line against visiting Eau Claire Memorial (12-1) on Monday.
Luther 61, Westby 39
ONALASKA — The Knights (10-3, 6-1) got back on the winning track after a loss to first-place West Salem and sit a half-game behind the Panthers in the Coulee Conference standings.
Luther pulled away from a nine-point halftime advantage and was led by senior Macie Neumeister’s 23 points. Neumeister made 5 of 10 attempts from the 3-point line and both of her free throws.
Senior Allie Zittel added four 3-pointers and 14 points, and freshman Natalie Hackbarth made four 3s and scored 12 points. Kayla Schiebel led the team with five rebounds, and Hackbarth had three steals.
Arcadia 54, Black River Falls 42
BLACK RIVER FALLS — The third-place Raiders (8-6, 5-2) won their third straight conference game by outscoring the Tigers 27-21 in each half.
Sophomore Tatum Drazkowski scored 16 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, and senior Kaitlyn Bremer had seven of her nine in the second half.
Arcadia coach Evan Pagel said Bremer, known mostly for her perimeter game, was invaluable in the paint during a very physical game.
Sophomore Madison Grotjahn also scored nine points for Arcadia, which has won two of its past three games and plays at Stanley-Boyd (5-10) on Tuesday.
West Salem 73, Viroqua 27
VIROQUA — The first-place Panthers (11-2, 6-0) won their third game in a row and completed a regular-season sweep of the Blackhawks.
Senior Megan Johnson scored 27 points, and junior Josie Brudos added 11 for West Salem, which plays Aquinas (10-3) — a team that has won nine straight games — in the Midwest Players Classic at the La Crosse Center on Friday.
That game tips off at 4 p.m.
AREA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES
Bangor 69, Brookwood 24
Cashton 55, Royall 44
De Soto 67, North Crawford 45
Hillsboro 45, New Lisbon 37
Caledonia 75, Lewiston-Altura 45
La Crescent-Hokah 51, St. Charles 44
Eau Claire Immanuel 60, Augusta 47
Independence/Gilmanton 76, Alma Center Lincoln 35
Kickapoo 38, Wauzeka-Steuben 34
