LA CROSSE — The Aquinas High School girls basketball team needed a shot in the arm, and sophomore guard Olivia Passehl was happy to provide it during a key time at the Reinhart Athletic Complex on Friday.
The Blugolds were hosting La Crosse Central — both unbeaten in the MVC as the game tipped off — and struggling early while trying to post their 106th straight conference victory. The RiverHawks trailed by three points when Passehl boosted her team with a pair of 3-pointers just before halftime.
One from near the top of the key pushed the Aquinas lead to six and another from the left side made it nine. Those shots powered a run that was an important part of a 69-32 victory.
“It was really tight, and those shots gave us a little bit of separation,” Aquinas coach Dave Donarski said. “Then you could kind of see us take a little sigh of relief. After that, it was about playing a little looser and settling down to make more shots.”
The Blugolds (9-3, 4-0 MVC) extended their season winning streak to eight games and stopped Central’s at five. The RiverHawks (8-4, 2-1) hadn’t lost since Dec. 16.
Aquinas had 10 players score, and Passehl’s 12 points on four 3s led the way. Junior teammate Sammy Davis added 11 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Senior Emma Dobbins and sophomore Eva Willenbring each made two 3-pointers and scored eight points.
“I like our balance as a team,” Donarski said. “I like the fact that we have players willing to make the extra pass to get an open shot. You look at how many 3s we made today and how many of those were open.”
That ball movement was spearheaded by sophomore Ava Fernholz’s team-high six assists. Junior Alaina Elias matched Davis with four more to go with her seven points. Elias and Fernholz also scored baskets during the 10-2 run at the end of the first half. Fernholz sliced through the lane to beat the buzzer and give Aquinas a 29-18 halftime lead after the RiverHawks had pulled within 19-16.
Central was led by senior Zaya Whittaker’s eight points, but all of those came in the first half. Junior Alahnna Simpson, who entered with a per-game scoring average of 23.9 points, was held to seven.
The RiverHawks scored 14 points in the second half and made three field goals — all 3-pointers.
West Salem 46, Luther 31
WEST SALEM — The Panthers (10-2, 5-0) pulled away from a tight game when junior Josie Brudos knocked down a pair of 3-pointers near the end of the first half to become the first Coulee Conference team to beat the second-place Knights (9-3, 5-1).
Brudos scored a team-high 13 points, and Megan Johnson added 13 as West Salem won its second game in a row and for the seventh time over the past eight.
Luther overcame a slow start to get within 14-12 before Sydney Quick made a free throw to add a point to that deficit with 1:28 on the clock. Brudos then knocked down a 3-pointer from near the top of the key with 29.2 seconds left and another from the left side of the court with 2.2 seconds remaining for a 21-12 halftime lead.
“Those were huge, huge momentum swings,” West Salem coach Mike Malott said. “I was a little shocked, to be honest, that (the Knights) pressed. That allowed us to pitch the ball ahead and get some easy looks.
“They were doing a great job with their halfcourt defense, but that gave us some opportunities, and we converted.”
Luther fought hard to cut into the nine-point deficit throughout the second half and got within seven points once after consecutive 3-pointers by senior Allie Zittel and freshman Natalie Hackbarth, but the Panthers were able to answer whenever necessary the rest of the way.
Senior Macie Neumeister scored 12 points to lead the Knights, who also received six from Zittel.
Holmen 58, Logan 16
LA CROSSE — The Vikings (5-6, 2-1) won their second game in a row by shutting down the Rangers (2-10, 1-3).
Junior Macy Kline scored 13 points and recorded five steals in a game Holmen led 37-5 at halftime.
Freshman Reese Tierney had 10 points and junior Charley Casey eight points and 12 rebounds. Junior Kaia DePaolo scored nine points to lead Logan.
Onalaska 51, Tomah 34
TOMAH — The Hilltoppers (6-5, 2-1) had a 31-13 lead by halftime on the strength of six 3-pointers, five of which came in a row.
Sophomores Finley Walters and Lauren Pica each made two of those 3s. Senior Tatum Walters and freshman Kayla Ketelhut also hit one each.
Pica’s 13 points led Onalaska, which had nine players score. Ketelhut and Finley Walters added eight points apiece for Onalaska, which plays at Menomonie on Saturday and hosts Aquinas on Tuesday.
Arcadia 46, Viroqua 44
VIROQUA — Sophomore Sacia Boland knocked down a 3-pointer with about a minute left, and sophomore Madison Grotjahn forced a tough shot by freshman Allyah Schwem in the closing seconds as the third-place Raiders (7-5, 4-2) brought to an end a two-game losing streak and won their second straight Coulee game.
Schwem scored 23 points but her final attempt was a tough one with Grotjahn hounding her on the final possession.
Grotjahn also scored a team-high 12 points, while sophomore teammate Tatum Drazkowski added 11 in a game Arcadia led 29-21 at the half.
Boland’s 3-pointer was her first of the game and her team’s only one in the second half.
OTHER GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES
Bangor 53, Necedah 33
Cashton 71, Wonewoc-Center 38
Whitehall 56, Augusta 49
Eleva-Strum 70, Melrose-Mindoro 54
Independence/Gilmanton 55, Blair-Taylor 34
De Soto 45, Ithaca 40
Wauzeka-Steuben 65, La Farge 22
Seneca 56, North Crawford 48
Zumbrota-Mazeppa 58, La Crescent-Hokah 35
Hillsboro 60, Brookwood 24
