Xavier girls basketball defeats top-seed Winneconne in WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal
By Dustin Riese
For AppletonSportsPage.com
BRILLION – It wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win which is all you can ask for in the postseason, and with it, the Xavier girls basketball team is one game closer to a second-straight trip to state
Facing off in what was a sectional semifinal rematch from last year won by the Hawks, the No. 2 seed Xavier made it two times in two seasons as it took down the top-seeded Winneconne Wolves 44-38 in WIAA Division 3 matchup Thursday night at Brillion High School.
The win sends Xavier (17-10) to the sectional finals on Saturday where they will meet another No. 1 seed, unbeaten Wittenberg-Birnamwood (27-0), in what will be another rematch for the Hawks from their run to state in 2024. The Chargers took down Freedom 56-39 to move on to the sectional final at Seymour High School on Saturday at 1 p.m.
“We knew this would be a physical game and I am super proud of how our girls maintained their composure,” Xavier head coach Andy Vande Hey said. “They played with a lot of grit tonight.”
Facing off for the second time this season, both teams expected a physical game and it was the Wolves who took it to the Hawks early on.
Led by Jada Kaiser and her five quick points to open the game, it was all Winneconne in the early going as the Wolves jumped in front 9-2. All it took for the Hawks’ offense to get going was a Layna Peterson put-back to end the run as the Hawks struggled to find their shot most of the night.
That bucket from Peterson was the lift the Hawks needed as that was the beginning of an 8-0 run that put the Hawks in front 10-9. Brynn Krull played a part by picking up the final three points, but it was the clutch 3-pointer from Chole Pfefferle that took the momentum away from the Wolves.
“Winneconne came out strong and definitely punched us in the mouth,” Vande Hey said. “Our girls fought through their initial run and just kept fighting. Our girls know it is a long game with lots of runs on both sides of the ball and eventually if you keep shooting, shots will fall eventually.”
As it did in the early stages of the game, Winneconne not only took the Hawks’ best shot, but began to punch back as a pair of buckets from Camille Braman and Grace Mitchell was the beginning of another mini 6-0 run that put the Wolves in front 15-10.
Winneconne would only score one point the rest of the half as Hailey Hafner came up huge down the stretch to close out the half with five of Xavier’s final seven points and gave them a 17-16 lead at the break.
Looking to send a message to begin the second half, the Hawks once again turned to Brynn Krull, who not only opened the half with a corner three, but she scored the first five points to push the Xavier lead to 22-16. Krull was just getting started as she was responsible for the Hawks’ first nine points of the half and went on to score 17 of their 27 second-half points to finish with a game-high 22.
“Brynn (Krull) has worked so hard the last few years and continues to do so in every practice and every drill,” Vande Hey said. “Her work ethic and character allows her to see opportunities and take advantage of them. She is a pleasure to coach and certainly fun to watch. I am super proud of her.”
Trailing 26-19, the Wolves started to find their rhythm as they went right after the Hawks and put them in early foul trouble. That opened things up for Harper Neace on the inside as she went on to score six of her team’s next eight points to keep the Wolves within striking distance. Sensing the Wolves were starting to get the momentum after pulling within 32-28, it was Brynn Krull coming up clutch again as she knocked down another massive triple to push the lead back to five. Combine that with some impressive defense throughout the second half, and the Hawks held a 37-29 lead with less than six minutes to go.
“Our girls did a very nice job applying ball pressure and being aggressive,” Vande Hey said. “We believe our defense leads to offense. I thought the girls all worked really hard and rotated nicely at times to give us an opportunity for a steal. They were also scrappy on the glass, which helps a lot.”
Needing buckets in a hurry, Winneconne went back to the inside as Neace continued to have her way in the paint. Add in a tough finish by Mitchell and the Wolves were suddenly within 37-35 and one bucket away from taking the lead.
That was as close as they would get, however, as Hailey Hafner came away with a clutch layup in the closing minute before Joy Krull and Annika Heimann iced the game from the line in the Hawks’ 44-38 win.
Now, unbeaten Wittenberg-Birnamwood stands in the Hawks’ way of a return trip to Green Bay.
“They are a great team to get to the sectional final,” Vande Hey said. “They play fast and have some nice players. It should be a fun game and we are looking forward to it.”
Hawks 44, Wolves 38
Winneconne 16 22 – 38
Xavier 17 27 – 44
WINNECONNE (38): Jada Kaiser 5, Ari Reetz 1, Brooklyn Messerschmidt 5, Millie Braman 7, Grace Mitchell 7, Harper Neace 13. FT: 13. FT: 10-24. 3-pointers: 2 (Kaiser 1, Messerschmidt 1). Record: 23-4.
XAVIER (44): Hailey Hafner 7, Brynn Krull 22, Joy Krull 5, Pfefferle 3, Faith Hafner 2, Heimann 3, Petersen 2. FG: 14. FT: 11-14. 3-pointers: 5 (B. Krull 3, J. Krull 1, Pfefferle 1). Record: 17-10.