Eleva-Strum, Fall Creek make bids for the top of league standings

Tri-County Area Prep Girls Basketball Review & Preview

The halfway point of conference play in prep girls basketball is upon us.

And the standings show two Tri-County Area teams vying for first place in their respective league.

No. 9 ranked Fall Creek is tied with Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls McDonell on top of the Western Cloverbelt Conference, each with 5-1 records. FC held their Division 4, top ten ranking (which Eau Claire Regis, 12-4 overall, did not after losing 58-50 on Monday, Jan. 13 to the same Cameron team FCHS beat earlier this season) despite a weekend non-conference loss at home to Division 2 La Crosse Central, 10-4 overall, 49-44 on Saturday, Jan. 10. The bigger game for the Crickets last week was also at home Thursday, Jan. 9 as they handed McDonell its first conference loss of the season 45-31. The Crickets, 9-4 overall, held the Macks to just 10 first half points and had three players score in double figures as Abby Haynes led the way with 13 points and post players Jasmin Heuer and Sophie Schmidgall both scored 11 points each. Erin Siegenthaler led McDonell, 7-7 overall, with 11 points.

The loss to Central broke a four-game winning streak for the Crickets but they still have won five out of their last six, ther fifth coming Tuesday, Jan. 14 in a walloping of Cadott, 7-7 overall, 72-29 at Cadott.

"We're improving," FC head coach Jason Martzke said. "I think our defense has been very solid all season so far but what's helped us become a better team is the work that we've put in to better our offense and when wer're able to move the ball and get good shots then we've done very well. They're playing together much better and it's been fun to watch."

FC begins the second half of league play this Friday, Jan. 17 at Thorp.

Against Central, Haynes scored 14 second half points to help build a 10-point lead for the Crickets but foul trouble and the play of junior guard Alahanna Simpson, one of the top players in the La Crosse area and who led all scorers with 21 points, helped the River Hawks rally for the win. Schmidgall had 10 points and Heuer finished with nine.

Eleva-Strum had its winning streak snapped at seven Tuesday evening, Jan. 14 at home against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran (The game was delayed coming out of halftime due to a scoreboard malfunction.) For new head coach Dave Hazuga, it's been fun watching his team turn around what started out as a 2-3 record to be, like Fall Creek 9-4 heading into the second half of league play.

"It's been a good seven-game winning streak," Hazuga said. "Our first few games of the season we didn't have a defensive philosophy and understanding very well. Once us coaches did a better job of instilling that, then our defense took off from there. And on offense, the players unleashing their strength and getting comfortable helped us win a lot of games too."

The Cardinals were in the middle of that winning streak last week into this week. E-S pounded Melrose-Mindoro on the road Friday, Jan. 10 by a 70-54 score. Central's Avery Glenz led all scorers with 26 points and also scoring in double figures were teammates Avaya Zwiefelhofer with 13, Neeley Lasher 11 and Maddea Brown with 10 points. Erin Radcliffe had 17 points for the Mustangs, 7-4 overall and was the only player for Mel-Min. in double figures.

Central played a non-conference game at Arcadia on Monday, Jan. 13, winning 58-34. Like their game vs. Mel-Min., E-S got off to a great start scoring 36 points in the first half to the Raiders' 11. Glenz had 14 points to lead the way again and Lasher was also in double figures with 13 points while Aliza Kulig finished with 11. Nine players scored all told for the Redbirds. Madison Gratjahn finished with 11 points to lead the Raiders, 7-6 overall.

Eleva-Strum had the lead at halftime against Immanuel 26-24 at home Tuesday, Jan. 14. But the Cards didn't have the energy to surge to a win as they were outscored 30-23 in the second half as Gabi Radichel led the Lancers, 7-3 overall, with 23 points. ECIL benefitted from having played in several weeks due to winter break at school while E-S was playing their third game in six days and second in a 24 hour period. E-S also struggled at the free-throw line going 12-for-24. Glenz and Lasher both finished with 13 points and Avery Spanberg scored seven points.

Despite the loss, E-S is just a game in back of Whitehall in the league standings and the Cards will have the Norse, 8-4 overall, and every opportunity to climb into a tie at the top of the Large Dairyland this Thursday, Jan. 16 at Central beginning at 7:15 p.m. The Redbirds will certainly wish to avenge an early-season loss to the Norse in overtime on a last-second shot in Whitehall. While Glenz leads the Large Dairyland in scoring at 18.2 points per game (followed by Osseo-Fairchild's Hailie Knudtson at 17 ppg.) Whitehall has a top-five scorer as well in Paige Lisowski at 14.7 ppg. Teammate Trinity Aasen scores 12.9 ppg. and leads the Large Dairyland in rebounds with 11 per game. Kyla Lambeck also averages in double figure sin points at 12 per contest. Aasen is also the Norse's assists leader as well. Whitehall took over sole possession of first place in the LDC after beating Independence/Gilmanton on Tuesday at home 63-54.

Both Augusta (2-11) and Osseo-Fairchild (1-12) hope for a better second half to the season as they have just one league win and three total wins between them so far. Both teams will match-up next week Tuesday, Jan. 21 at Augusta. The Beavers gave Whitehall a good tussel last week Thursday, Jan. 8, only losing 56-49 as Aasen led all scorers with 20 points. AHS lost to Alma/Pepin (7-6) at Pepin this past Tuesday, Jan. 14 by a 64-47 score.

Osseo-Fairchild came close to winning themselves on Monday, Jan. 13 in a non-conference game at home vs. Black River Falls. The Thunder cut a 14-point second half lead for the Tigers down to just one at 61-60 with a 1:19 to go but BRF, 5-7 overall, was able to slip away to win 65-60. The loss spoiled a 21-point effort for Knudtson while Myrisa Pettis scored 13 points and did much to lead the Thunder's second half rally. Kara Skoyen finished with nine points for O-F. BRF's Isabella Falcon led all scorers with 22 points and was named WHTL 102.3 FM Player of The Game for her efforts in leading the Tigers to the win. The Thunder also lost last week Thursday at Cochrane-Fountain City 71-32 and to Blair-Taylor (8-4) at home Tuesday, Jan. 14 by a 50-34 score. Skoyen had a 11 points and nine rebounds and Knudtson had nine points vs. the Pirates, 7-5 overall, as they were competitive in the first half before being outscored 36-11 in the second.

WSN Coaches Poll - https://www.wissports.net/page/show/8927334-week-7

Girls Basketball Standings (Updated through Jan. 15)

West Cloverbelt
Team W-L
Eau Claire Regis 5-1
Chippewa Falls McDonell 5-1
Fall Creek 5-1
Bloomer 3-3
Cadott 2-4
Stanley-Boyd 1-5
Thorp 0-6

This Week's Games
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Fall Creek 72, Cadott 29
Chippewa Falls McDonell 59, Thorp 27
Bloomer 73, Stanley-Boyd 27

Friday, Jan. 17
Fall Creek at Thorp
Cadott at Bloomer
Eau Claire Regis at Chippewa Falls McDonell

Large Dairyland
Team W-L
Whitehall 8-2
Eleva-Strum 7-3
Independence/Gilmanton 7-3
Melrose-Mindoro 6-4
Augusta 1-9
Osseo-Fairchild 0-10

Small Dairyland
Team ` W-L
Cochrane-Fountain City 7-3
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 6-3
Blair-Taylor 6-4
Alma/Pepin 4-5
Lincoln 2-8

This Week's Games
Tuesday, Jan. 14
Whitehall 63, Independence/Gilmanton 54
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 53, Eleva-Strum 49
Blair-Taylor 50, Osseo-Fairchild 34
Alma/Pepin 64, Augusta 47
Cochrane-Fountain City 58, Lincoln 47

Thursday, Jan. 16
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran at Augusta
Whitehall at Eleva-Strum
Lincoln at Independence/Gilmanton
Melrose-Mindoro at Osseo-Fairchild
Cochrane-Fountain City at Alma/Pepin

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