2026 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament recap

AppletonSportsPage.com

GREEN BAY – Five state champions were crowed a the 50th annual WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament, which was held Thursday, March 12, through Saturday, March 14, at the Resch Center.

Stevens Point Pacelli (25-4), making its first state tournament appearance, picked up the Division 5 title with a 70-40 rout of previously unbeaten Eleva-Strum (30-1).

Cloverbelt Conference East Division champion Neillsville (29-1) won the Division 4 state title with a 43-40 victory over Albany/Monticello (27-3). The title is Neillsville’s second in its seventh state trip, with the other coming in 2012.

Oostburg repeated as the Division 3 champions, completing an undefeated 30-0 season with a 64-37 win over Wisconsin Dells (29-1). The title is Oostburg’s fifth to go along with ones in 1990, 1994, 2008 and last year.

In the Division 2 championship game, Whitefish Bay (26-4) outlasted Beaver Dam (23-7) 64-63. The state title is Whitefish Bay’s first in its ninth appearance.

The tournament was completed Saturday night with the Division 1 final and Hartland Arrowhead (28-2) defeated Wauwatosa East (29-1) 80-74 in a double-overtime thriller. Arrowhead, playing in its 13th state tournament, picked up its fourth state title having also won in 1988, 1991 and 2024.

2026 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament
Thursday, March 12, through Saturday, March 14
At Resch Center, Green Bay
Thursday, March 12
Division 3 Semifinals
No. 1 Oostburg (29-0) 63, No. 4 Mosinee (24-5) 50
No. 3 Wisconsin Dells (29-0) 77, No. 2 Kettle Moraine Lutheran (27-2) 71
Division 4 Semifinals
No. 1 Neillsville (28-1) 58, No. 4 Lomira (22-7) 31
No. 3 Albany/Monticello (27-2) 45, No. 2 Neenah St. Mary Catholic (25-4) 31
Friday, March 13
Division 5 Semifinals
No. 1 Eleva-Strum (30-0) 70, No. 4 Fall River (17-12) 54
No. 2 Stevens Point Pacelli (24-4) 49, No. 3 Barneveld (22-8) 40
Division 2 Semifinals
No. 4 Beaver Dam (23-6) 70, No. 1 Rice Lake (25-4) 58
No. 2 Whitefish Bay (25-4) 78, No. 3 Elkhorn (24-5) 42
Division 1 Semifinals
No. 1 Wauwatosa East (29-0) 62, No. 4 Green Bay Notre Dame (24-5) 58
No. 2 Hartland Arrowhead (27-2) 72, No. 3 Pewaukee (24-5) 49
Saturday, March 14
Championship Games
Division 5: Stevens Point Pacelli (25-4) 70, Eleva-Strum (30-1) 40
Division 4: Neillsville (29-1) 43, Albany/Monticello (27-3) 40
Division 3: Oostburg (30-0) 64, Wisconsin Dells (29-1) 37
Division 2: Whitefish Bay (26-4) 64, Beaver Dam (23-7) 63
Division 1: Hartland Arrowhead (28-2) 80, Wauwatosa East (29-1) 74 (2 OT)