The Aquinas High School girls basketball team has won 21 of its past 22 games, and that includes two victories over Bangor, two over Central and one over Caledonia.
The Blugolds are playing well — their only blemish during that time is a three-point loss to 26-1 Wisconsin Rapids Assumption — and that will have to continue if they want a chance to play for a berth in the WIAA Division 4 state tournament on Saturday.
Second-seeded Aquinas (22-4) meets top-seeded Neillsville (25-3) at Osseo-Fairchild in a sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. Thursday. The winner advances to play either top-seeded Cuba City (21-5) or third-seeded Belleville (21-5) from the other side of the bracket in a Saturday final at Wisconsin Dells.
Aquinas coach Dave Donarski said his team has to be prepared for a deliberate offensive and defensive approach from the Warriors, who lost twice to Fall Creek and once to Assumption this season.
One primary defensive focus will have to be on senior Sydney Subke, who is averaging 15.6 points per game and has made 83 of 175 attempts from the 3-point line for an impressive 47.4 percent.
“If we don’t do the job on her,” Donarski said, “we’re in trouble.”
Something the Blugolds have going for them in that regard, however, is senior Kathryn Savoldelli.
Savoldelli successfully shut down Bangor standout Anna Fronk during a 69-50 victory over Bangor in the regional championship game last weekend. Fronk, who will play at Division II Sioux Falls and averaged 17 points per game this season, scored just five on 1-for-13 shooting and made no 3-pointers in that game.
“(Savoldelli) jammed everything she wanted to do,” Donarski said. “She played perfect distance. Kathryn is one of the best athletes in the school.
“Fronk is one of the best players in the state, let alone the area.”
Neillsville also has sophomore Madi Davel averaging 10.6 points per game with 33 3-pointers.
To counter that, Aquinas will have to find successful opportunities for junior Sammy Davis when it has the ball. To do that, it needs to find holes in the various zone defenses the Warriors run and knock down outside shots when they become available.
“We have come up with some offensive schemes to try and get her some touches,” Donarski said of Davis, who averages 17.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. “We have to move the ball the way we need to so we can get those opportunities.”
Rebounding well and getting out in transition will be another key, but successful perimeter shooting — sophomore Olivia Passehl has made 63 3-pointers and senior Emma Dobbins 28 — is important for the Blugolds to be able to take advantage of having Davis every minute she’s on the court.
“We need to keep her out of foul trouble,” Donarski said of Davis. “We’ll try to do some things defensively to help that, of course.”
DIVISION 2
(1) West Salem (21-4) vs. (3) DeForest (13-13)
The Panthers meet the Norskies in Portage for the chance to play either top-seeded Madison Edgewood (25-1) or third-seeded Stoughton (20-6) in Baraboo on Saturday afternoon.
West Salem has won four games in a row and is trying to qualify for the state tournament for the third straight year.
Senior Megan Johnson, a Winona State commit, has been just the leader the team needs throughout the season and enters this game averaging 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds. Johnson has averaged 24.5 points during the current winning streak and had 32 in a regional championship win over Onalaska.
Junior Josie Brudos has averaged 14.4 points and leads the Panthers with 53 3-pointers and has made at least one in 22 straight games.
DeForest advanced with a 44-43 win over Central in the regional final. The Norskies took the lead with less than a minute remaining and had to withstand a tough baseline jump shot by Alahnna Simpson that bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
The Norskies don’t feature a dominant scorer and are led by Alexis Accuardi (9.6 ppg) and Ally Armstrong (9 ppg). Brinley Goninen leads the team with 30 3-pointers, and they hold opponents to an average of around 50 points per game.
Just one of DeForest’s last seven opponents has reached 50 points, and that was in a 79-52 victory over Fort Atkinson. The Norskies beat Central twice this season and lost a nonconference game to Holmen.
