Appleton East girls basketball grinds out home win over Neenah

By Paul Lecker
AppletonSportsPage.com

APPLETON – The Appleton East girls basketball team faced a tough test in the Fox Valley Association as it tried to keep its conference title hopes alive.

Down four at halftime, the Patriots fought back to take the lead for good with about 11 minutes to go and held off a late push to defeat Neenah 71-68 on Friday night at Appleton East High School.

Ambria Fischer scored 13 of her 20 pointers in the final 5½ minutes to help East stave off Neenah’s comeback attempt as the Patriots improve to 17-3 overall and 13-2 in the FVA, 1½ games behind first-place Kimberly with three conference games remaining in the season.

Ella Jazdzewski was a force inside for the Patriots, scoring 21 points on an efficient 9-for-12 from the field.

“We had a couple of illnesses and different things and have worked through them, and luckily we did a lot of our work early in the season and will end up OK on the seeding line (in the playoffs),” Appleton East coach Brian Paschen said. “The kids have come back and played hard, and this game will be a nice springboard for what we’ve got left in the season.”

A 3-pointer by Brooklyn Feller capped a 7-0 run to give the Patriots an early 14-8 lead.

Neenah responded with a 7-0 run to go ahead and the lead went back and forth for the remainder of the first half.

Neenah senior Rowan Klesmit, who finished with a game-high 34 points, scored nine in a row for the Rockets at one point. A 14-0 run, capped by 3-pointers from Ellie Buss and Sydney Michalkiewicz, helped Neenah take a 32-28 lead into halftime after Fischer stopped the run with a 3-pointer of her own six seconds before the buzzer.

East was plagued by 13 first-half turnovers, but took care of the ball better in the second half and it paid off with a 43-point frame.

A three-point play by Jazdzewski and a 3-pointer by Jenna Ott sparked a 16-8 run to put East up 45-42 with 9:29 to go. The Patriots led the rest of the way.

Neenah came as closed as 59-57 after a basket by Klesmit and two free throws by Carli Bultus with 2:45 left, but Fischer responded with a 3-pointer, Ott scored and Fischer had a three-point play off a fast break to up the lead to eight.

East made four of seven free throws in the final minute to hold on for the win, which ended up by three as Buss nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the Rockets (14-6, 10-4 FVA).

“We talked at halftime about how we’ve been very good and efficient with the basketball this year, and we were missing on the ball fakes, throwing it at their hands,” Paschen said. “We talked about this is what we do, this is how we’re good and the kids responded pretty well in the second half.”

Appleton East will have a week off before hosting Fond du Lac on Friday, Feb. 13.

Patriots 71, Rockets 68
Neenah   32   36   –   68
Appleton East   28   43   –   71
NEENAH (68): Marin Stier 0-2 0-0 0, Izzy Malloy 1-3 0-1 2, Rowen Klesmit 12-20 6-8 34, JB Kennedy 0-0 0-0 0, Carli Baltus 1-2 3-5 5, Ellie Buss 6-12 3-3 18, McKenna Freier 0-2 0-0 0, Sydney Michalkiewicz 3-9 2-2 9. FG: 23-50. FT: 14-19. 3-pointers: 8-28 (Klesmit 4-11, Buss 3-8, Michalkiewicz 1-5, Baltus 0-1, Freier 0-1, Stier 0-2). Rebounds: 20 (Malloy 6). Turnovers: 15. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: Michalkiewicz, Baltus. Record: 14-6, 10-4 Fox Valley Association.
APPLETON EAST (71): Jenna Ott 4-7 0-0 10, Brooklyn Feller 1-3 1-2 4, Ambria Fischer 6-7 5-7 20, Aubrie Erickson 0-5 3-4 3, Ella Sweeney 4-6 0-1 11, Ella Jazdzewski 9-12 3-3 21, Allena Neubauer 1-2 0-0 2. FG: 25-42. FT: 12-17. 3-pointers: 9-21 (Fischer 3-4, Sweeney 3-5, Ott 2-5, Feller 1-3, Neubauer 0-1, Erickson 0-3). Rebounds: 25 (Jazdzewski 8). Turnovers: 19. Fouls:15. Fouled out: none. Record: 17-3, 13-2 Fox Valley Association.