LA CROSSE — Foul trouble made things difficult for the Aquinas High School boys basketball game on Saturday night.
Onalaska was more than happy to take advantage in the first big MVC game of the season.
The Hilltoppers trailed the Blugolds by two points when Aquinas junior Calvin Bahr was whistled for his fourth foul with 9 minutes, 19 seconds to play.
Onalaska quickly heated up from the 3-point line, seized control of the rebounding battle with Bahr off the floor and scored 19 of the next 21 points to propel itself to a 77-68 victory at the Reinhart Athletic Complex.
The Hilltoppers (5-0 overall, 2-0 MVC), second in this week’s Division 2 Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports media poll, scored their final 12 points from the foul line in beating the Blugolds (3-1, 1-1), who are ranked sixth in Division 3.
Sophomore Tyler Kowal scored Onalaska’s first nine points and finished with a game-high 28 to help his team move into a first-place tie with Central (3-1, 2-0).
The 19-2 run put the Hilltoppers up 61-46 after Kowal knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:22 left.
Onalaska senior Ian Kowal scored 10 points with limited looks at the basket, and senior Trent Oyen added nine.
Aquinas scored just two of the first 12 points but battled back to tie the score at 15 when senior Ryan Johnson sliced through the lane to score with 7:36 left in the first half.
Tyler Kowal scored Onalaska’s final two baskets of the first half to give the Hilltoppers a 27-23 lead.
The Blugolds, who were led by 17 points apiece from Bahr and senior Logan Becker, didn’t get their first lead until Johnson hit a 3 from the right corner for a 33-31 advantage with 14:33 left.
That lead was exchanged a few times, and Aquinas went up 42-36 after consecutive 3-pointers by senior Finley Strom and Bahr. But the Blugolds made just two field goals of the next 6:42 as the Hilltoppers took control.
Strom added 16 points for Aquinas, which plays at Baraboo on Tuesday.
Onalaska’s next game is against Sheboygan North at a tournament in Kettle Moraine on Dec. 27.
