TOMAH — The Central High School boys basketball team dodged a bullet to remain in the hunt for the MVC championship on Friday.
The RiverHawks (16-3, 8-2) — ranked ninth in Division 2 for this week’s Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports media poll — survived a late four-point play by Tomah junior Owen Laudon and forced a turnover on the final possession to save a 67-64 victory over the Timberwolves.
Central, which has won 12 of its past 13 games, held a 65-60 lead before Laudon’s big play with 3 seconds on the clock.
Senior Joey Pretasky made two free throws for Central, intercepted the pass on Tomah’s final possession for the win.
Junior Gabe Servais led the RiverHawks in points with 23 and rebounds with seven in a game where they shot just 33.9 percent (21 of 62) from the floor but made 20 of 21 free throws. Servais made 3 of 8 3-point attempts.
Junior Anthony Jones had 15 points and five rebounds and junior Will Schilling 10 points for Central, which is one game behind first-place Onalaska in the MVC with two to play.
Aquinas 87, Logan 51
LA CROSSE — The Blugolds (18-3, 8-2) had a 22-point halftime lead, then held the Rangers (2-18, 1-8) to 24 second-half points at the Reinhart Athletic Center to keep their share of second place in the MVC.
Aquinas, like Central, trails first-place Onalaska by a game with two to play after sweeping Logan.
Junior Calvin Bahr scored 15 points in the first half and 14 in the second and had a game-high 29 points for the Blugolds, who have won three games in a row since a nonconference loss to McFarland.
Aquinas — ranked seventh in Division 3 by the media poll — also received six 3-pointers and 24 points from senior Logan Becker. He made four of those 3s during an 18-point first half.
Senior Finley Strom added 15 points for Aquinas, which doesn’t play again until Feb. 20, when it hosts Central.
Sophomore Tommy Check scored a team-high 19 points for the Rangers. He made three 3-pointers during a 15-point first half.
Senior Dio Leone scored all 10 of his points in the first half, and junior Ryan Thurman made two second-half 3-pointers on his way to eight points.
Caledonia 92, Fillmore Central 61
HARMONY — Sophomore Grant King poured in 36 points as the Warriors had little trouble beating the Falcons.
King made three of his team’s nine 3-pointers for Caledonia (15-8, 6-1 Three River-East), which closes out its conference season at Winona Cotter on Tuesday before nonconference games at Cannon Falls (18-5) and Minnehaha Academy (15-4) on Feb. 20 and 21.
Senior Aaron Stemper made three 3-pointers and scored 18 points for the Warriors, who also received 12 from junior Jacoby Hammell.
Whitehall 63, Melrose-Mindoro 55
WHITEHALL — The Norse (15-6, 13-4 Dairyland-Large) got revenge for a 20-point loss to the Mustangs (8-11, 7-8) earlier this season.
