PORTAGE — The West Salem High School girls basketball team is one victory away from making a third straight trip to the WIAA state tournament.
The top-seeded Panthers (22-4) used a 13-point run in the first half to take control of DeForest and never let the third-seeded Norskies (13-14) back in the game on the way to a 51-43 victory in a Division 2 sectional semifinal played at Portage on Thursday.
West Salem meets top-seeded Madison Edgewood (26-1) in a 1 p.m. sectional championship game at Baraboo on Saturday after the Crusaders, who won last year’s Division 3 state title, handed third-seeded Stoughton a 67-38 semifinal loss.
The Panthers gained separation by scoring 13 straight points after DeForest had built a 13-8 lead.
“I thought the game was too slow, so I made some substitutions, and we pressed for four of five straight possessions,” West Salem coach Mike Malott said. “It allowed us to play at a faster speed.
“Maclaine Heilman and Addy Ferguson did some good things, and (Brynlee) Kelley really attacked them as we made it more open-floor basketball.”
DeForest defended West Salem senior Megan Johnson with a box-and-1, but she still responded with 20 points and five rebounds. She has scored 52 points in her last two games.
Malott said his biggest key entering the game was handling DeForest’s pressure, and that didn’t end up being a factor.
“The kids adjusted well,” he said. “They used the box-and-1 on Megan, and we used some wrinkles and twist that I would rather not say out loud because we have another game.
“But when we did that, it created some opportunities for other kids, and they played through the system.”
Senior Makena Ihle added eight points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers, and Sydney Quick had seven points to go with three assists. Sam Niemeier had five points, six rebounds and four steals.
“Makena played very gritty basketball,” Malott said. “She was good around the rim, looked to score and it the ball at them.”
The Norskies did respond to a bit of a West Salem burst to open the second half and were within 38-32 with 8 minutes, 58 seconds remaining in the game.
Kelley and Quick responded with consecutive baskets to push the advantage back to double figures.
DeForest was also with 47-40 with 1:06 left, but Kelley knocked down a free throw with 33.7 seconds left, and Johnson followed with two more.
