By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Lake Geneva Badgers got some payback Friday with a home 70-68 win over Wilmot. The Badgers had given up 101 points to the Panthers in a loss Dec. 10, but the Badgers were missing leading scorer Jake Berhorst and Austin Jackson in that game.
This time around, Coach Forrest Larson said the pace of the game was much slower and the number of possessions for each team was way down compared to the December game. Larson said the Badgers still did struggle with some things defensively and Wilmot’s Bobby Brenner was outstanding with 36 points. Brenner is averaging 29.7 points per game.
Larson said the Badgers did a better job on Wilmot’s other two scorers, Latrell Glass and Jeremy Bruton. Glass had 14 and Bruton had nine compared to 17 and 12 in December. Larson also said it was nice to get double-figure scoring from someone other than Berhorst. Berhorst scored 29 in a loss to Westosha Central earlier in the week but no one else had more than nine. Berhorst again led the Badgers with 25 against Wilmot but got help from Mason DuMez (22) and Ian Schirtzinger (11).
Wilmot led 35-33 at the half but Badger won the more important second half 37-33. Berhorst was fouled with eight seconds left and the game tied and calmly nailed both free throws to give the Badgers (6-7, 5-3 Southern Lakes Conference) the lead. Brenner got off a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have won it for Wilmot (5-9, 3-5 SLC) but came up empty.
The Badgers came up short against Westosha Central on Jan. 19 at home in a 69-51 loss. The Falcons led just 28-25 at the half but took control in the second half outscoring Badger 41-26.
Berhorst had 29 points but no one else had more than DuMez’s nine. Jordan Easthon led the Falcons (9-4, 6-1) with 25. Tre’ Williams added 24.
Badger hosts Union Grove on Friday. The split of two conference games last week left the Badgers in a three-way tie for second place in the conference at 5-3 with Waterford and Delavan-Darien. Westosha Central has a two-game lead for first place at 6-1.
Badger girls fall twice
The Badger girls lost a non-conference road game to Beloit Turner 65-63 in overtime on Jan. 18. Badger led 28-14 at the half but Turner (9-6) came storming back in the second half outscoring the Badgers 41-27 to force overtime. The Trojans then pulled it out in the extra frame.
Badger had four scorers in double figures, led by Sam Tisa’s 19. Jennifer Freeman had 17, Marissa Nurnberg added 14, and Courtney Oomens had 11. Turner was led by Ashley Himmelmann’s 21. Carsen Nitz had 17 and Kenzie Krizmanich added 12.
The Badgers lost at home to Wilmot 59-39 last Friday to fall to 6-9 (4-4 SLC). Wilmot dominated the first half 31-17 and Badger could make no progress in the second half.
The Badgers were led by Freeman’s 13. Wilmot was led by Devin Coleman with just ten, but ten different Panthers scored.
Badger hosted Union Grove on Tuesday and travels to Waterford on Friday.
Wrestlers win
The Badger wrestling team won a hard fought battle against SLC foe Elkhorn 36-30 on Jan. 21. The win keeps Badger undefeated in the SLC at 6-0.
Badger jumped out to a 12-0 lead on wins by Stevie Kraus over James Welsh (9-4 decision at 132 pounds), Nate Otero over Isaac Taylor (pin, 138), and Douglas Reuss over Kevin Pauley (6-3 decision, 145). Elkhorn won the next two matches to cut the lead in half at 12-6, but Badger won the next three to lead 26-6. George Somerville defeated Jon Palmer (12-0 major decision, 170), Nick Halpin beat Myles Schumaker (9-1 major decision, 182), and Reggie Kelly pinned Trey Howes at 195 pounds.
Elkhorn’s Jordan Barr pinned Badger’s Matt Szescol at 220 pounds to earn six points but Cole Mikrut got them right back by pinning Richard Heidemann at 285. Elkhorn won the next three matches to pull within 32-30. Grant Truesdale pinned Beau LaDu at 106 pounds, Teddy Woyak pinned David Dublin at 113, and Benji Peak pinned Michael Sanders at 120.
The match came down to the 126 pound pairing of Robby Mutimer and Daniel Stilling. Badger’s Mutimer won by 13-5 major decision to give Badger the win.
Swimmers beat Comets
The Badger swimmers defeated Delavan-Darien 119-51. Top events by Badger swimmers included:
- 200-yard individual medley – first, Zach Kieszkowski, 2:20.50; second, Paul Schulz, 2:27.99; and third, Jacob Stout, 2:35.70;
- 50-yard freestyle – first, Logan Rogers, 25.66; third, Cameron Jaeger, 27.68; and fourth, Conor Laroche, 28.53;
- 100-yard freestyle – first, Takuma Suzuki, 55.42; second, Douglas Clements, 58.05; and third, Vincient Divito, 1:03.42;
- 500-yard freestyle – first, Emmett Matthews, 5:24.63; third, Alex Laing, 6:18.77; and fourth, Andrew Hake, 6:22.13;
- 100-yard backstroke – first, Andrew Shane, 1:05.88; second, Kieszkowski, 1:06.95; and fourth, Jaeger, 1:10.66;
- 100-yard breaststroke – first, Shane, 1:14.06; and third, Stout, 1:19.43;
- 400-yard freestyle relay – first, Laing, Clements, Suzuki, Rogers; 3:53.43; and second, Kieszkowski, Stout, Schulz, Shane; 3:55.69;
- 200-yard medley relay – first, Rogers, Suzuki, Clements, Matthews; 1:58.48.
The Badgers also took third place in the Kenosha Bradford Red Devil Invitational with 393 points on Saturday. Greenfield/Greendale/Pius took first with 433 and Racine Case too second with 424.
Top individual finishes for Badger included: first in the 50-yard freestyle (22.88) and the 100-yard freestyle (49.24) by Shane, fourth in the 100 yard breaststroke (1:08.51) by Kiezkowski, fifth in the 200-yard freestyle (1:55.82) by Matthews, sixth in the 100 yard backstroke (1:02.97) and eighth in the 100-yard freestyle (54.39) by Rogers, and 8th in the 500 yard freestyle (5:43.40) by Schulz.
The 400-yard freestyle relay team of Matthews, Laing, Rogers, and Shane took third (3:35.64) and the 200 yard freestyle relay team of Matthews, Laing, Suzuki, and Shane took fourth (1:37.05).
