MADISON — Shooter after shooter calmly stepped up to the 3-point line and knocked down attempt after attempt.
The Aquinas High School boys basketball team didn’t break any records for 3-pointers made at the WIAA state tournament on Saturday, but it performance during a 74-45 Division 4 championship victory will be remembered.
The Blugolds presented an offensive clinic at the Kohl Center, and despite all of the successful nuances that accompanied it, those in attendance will remember the consistency of Aquinas from long range in a 74-45 victory over top-seeded Bonduel.
The Blugolds (26-3) won their fifth state championship since 2003 for many reasons, but 11 made 3-pointers by six players on 24 attempts may have been the most impressive of them all. Aquinas was the picture of efficiency, especially in the first half, as it built an 18-point lead that expanded quickly in the second half.
“Id say it probably was,” Aquinas coach Brad Reinhart said when asked if the first half was his team’s most efficient of the season. “I think it was a byproduct of being able to get the pace we wanted and going up and down (the floor) and getting them to chase us a little bit, so we had the opportunity to attack the paint, and we also had the chance to find those kids that were open on the outside.”
Brayden Young, Vincent Bahr, Trey Bahr, Logan Becker and Finley Strom each made two 3-pointers, and Calvin Bahr added one. They were interchangeable weapons made effective by the ability of Trey Bahr and Calvin Bahr to get to the rim against the Bears (28-2), who presented challenges with size and length.
Trey Bahr, in particular, found success in the paint early. He scored once in transition after a Becker steal and followed that up with a short, turnaround jumper in the lane to start a 10-0 run that pulled the Blugolds away from a 7-6 deficit.
“I wasn’t really expecting to get guarded by the big guy (6-foot-6 Ryan Westrich), but we were running some pick-and-roll stuff for me, and I think that helped open up the offense,” said Trey Bahr, who had 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting, nine assists, five rebounds and just one turnover.
The attempts were taken in rhythm, and the Blugolds made 7 of 13 3-point attempts during a 45-point first half.
Vincent Bahr. like he did in Thursday’s semifinal victory over Mineral Point, made two 3s early in the second half and quickly pushed the Aquins lead into the 20s, where it stayed the rest of the game.
BECKER CELEBRATES C-FC TITLE: Becker got to take the Kohl Center floor on Saturday after watching some history with which he had a connection.
Becker grew up in the C-FC program before leaving to join Aquinas as a freshman. The Pirates beat Sheboygan Lutheran 60-54 for the Division 5 championship and won the first state title in program history.
“It’s amazing,” Becker said of the Pirates’ 28-2 season. “I know they’ve worked so hard and Coach (Jesse) Cyrus has worked so hard.
“I have a lot of friends there, and I think this is great for all of us.”
C-FC won its last 10 games in a season where it only lost nonconference games to Arcadia and G-E-T. Seniors Porter Ehrat and Cameron Lipinski scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, in the win over Sheboygan Lutheran, which ended the team’s second-ever state tournament.
“They have a great senior class this year, and I know the upcoming juniors because I played with them my whole life,” Becker said. “We had some successful times, and I’m happy for them.”
Cameron Reinhart photos follow:
