Wrestlers place fifth at Mukwonago
By Michael S. Hoey
Correspondent
The Badger High School girls’ basketball team lost to Slinger 49-37 on Dec. 28 in the championship game of the Badger Holiday Invitational.
Badger was missing several key players due to injury and Christmas vacations. Leading-scorer Maria Mieres-Rey scored 20 to lead the Badgers to a 65-21 win over Burlington Catholic Central in the semi-final round of the tournament on Dec. 27 but was in Chicago for the championship game. Kortlyn and Jennifer Freeman missed both games because of a vacation. Julia Adams and Andrea Chironis missed both games because of injury.
While Badger (5-2) stayed competitive for most of the championship game with hustle and good defense, the Badgers struggled to score and could not overcome turnovers. Badger also struggled with foul trouble in the second half. Jessica Kozlowski fouled out, Bianca Brown picked up her fourth foul mid-way through the third quarter, and leading-scorer Lily Quinn played most of the fourth quarter with four fouls.
Quinn scored the first basket of the game giving Badger its only lead. Slinger (6-2) led by just one as the first quarter expired until Megan Breuer nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Owls a 13-9 lead at the end of one.
Slinger expanded its lead to 10 at 25-15 in the second quarter, but Badger would not go away. Badger cut the lead to eight on a basket by Brianna Flower just before the half and closed the gap to 25-21 on baskets by Flower and Quinn in the opening minute of the third quarter.
Slinger then went on a 7-0 run to expand the lead up to 11 at 32-21. Slinger led 35-27 at the end of three.
The Badgers drew within six on two free throws by Quinn, but then Quinn picked up her fourth foul against Shannon Roscoe. Roscoe made the shot and the free throw to put the Owls up by 11 again. Brown answered back with her own traditional three-point play, but the Badgers could not cut further into the lead until there were just more than two minutes left.
A free throw by Quinn cut the lead to 42-36. Quinn missed the second attempt, but the Badgers got the rebound. Brown and Quinn both missed put-back opportunities, and Slinger was able to hang on from there.
Quinn scored 17 to lead the Badgers. Flower and Brown both had eight. Lainey Russell led the Owls with 17. Kiley Sabin added 11.
Badger advanced to the championship game by dominating Burlington Catholic Central in the semi-final. Mieres Rey was the only Badger in double figures. Jaclyn Teuting and Flower both added eight. Every Badger on the roster scored at least two points.
Slinger advanced to the championship game by defeating East Troy (3-4) 54-47. East Troy beat Catholic Central 47-15 in the consolation game Dec. 28.
Wrestlers finish fifth
The Badger wrestlers took fifth place at the Mukwonago Dual on Dec. 28. Sauk Prairie won the event.
Badger lost its first match against Wauwatosa West 38-33. Individual winners for Badger were George Somerville at 106 pounds, Alex Martinez at 113, Sam Carmona at 132, Bryan Nugent at 145, Reggie Kelly at 182 and Andrew Nugent at 285.
Badger won its second match against Racine Horlick 51-24. Individual winners were Andrew Nugent, Somerville, Martinez, Michael Peter at 120 pounds, Chase Craig at 126, Zack Leonard at 138, Bryan Nugent, Tony Howard at 152 and Kelly.
Mukwonago defeated Badger 51-21 in Badger’s third match. Individual winners were Somerville, Peter, Leonard, Bryan Nugent and Howard.
Badger won twice in the consolation bracket. The Badgers beat Kenosha Bradford 46-28. Individual winners were Somerville, Martinez, Peter, Craig, Leonard, Bryan Nugent, Kelly and Andrew Nugent.
Badger won the fifth-place match against Hamilton 39-36. Individual winners were Martinez, Peter, Craig, Leonard, Bryan Nugent, Howard, Kelly and Somerville.
Overall Somerville and Bryan Nugent both went a perfect 5-0.
Badger also finished 14th at the Marty Loy Invitational in Fond Du Lac on Dec. 21. Sauk Prairie also won that event. Andrew Cychner had the highest finish for Badger taking second place ad scoring 28 points. Somerville and Martinez both finished fourth and earned 18 and 16 points respectively.
