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By Levi Zimmerman
The field for the WIAA Division 4 Girls Basketball State Tournament has been set with the number one ranked Mineral Point Pointers taking on Westfield in the semifinals Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
Here is a preview of the Division 4 field:
Schedule
Thursday, March 10 (Semifinals)
Game 1: #1 Mineral Point vs. #4 Westfield - 6:35 p.m.
Game 2: #2 Laconia vs. #3 Neilssville - approximately 15 minutes following Game 1
Saturday, March 12 (Final)
Championship: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 - approximately 15 minutes following Division 5 Championship, 11:05 a.m.
About the Division 4 field
#1 Mineral Point Pointers
The undefeated Pointers (28-0) receive the top seed in the bracket. This is their second straigh trip to the State Tournament, as Mineral Point lost to Mishicot in the title game in 2021. The Pointers are champions of the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League and claimed their fourth consecutive Regional Championship. Mineral Point knocked off Aquinas in the Sectional Semifinals 63-55, and they handled New Glarus 63-43 in the Sectional Championship to advance.
#2 Laconia Spartans
Laconia received the second seed in the bracket. This is the Spartans second appearance in the State Tournament, as they finished runner-up in 2019. Laconia defeated Racine Lutheran 47-45 in overtime the Brown Deer Sectional Final. The Spartans won the Flyway Conference with a record of 14-0 and finished 24-4 overall.
#3 Neillsville Warriors
Neillsville received the third seed and enters with an overall record of 25-2. The Warriors make their first appearance in the State Tournament since 2014 and sixth appearance in program history. They claimed a conference championship in the Eastern Division of the Cloverbelt Conference with a record of 16-0. The Spartans scored a 48-42 victory over Phillips in the River Falls Sectional Championship.
#4 Westfield Pioneers
This is Westfield's second trip to the State Tournament after losing in the Division 3 Semifinals last year. The Pioneers won the South Central Conference and come in with an overall record of 27-1. Westfield defeated Bonduel on a buzzer-beater three-pointer by Carly Drew 41-38 in the Waupaca Sectional Final.
Mineral Point Pointers
Season record: 28-0
Conference record: 14-0
Conference champions of the SWAL
Head coach: Mike Keyes is 64-10 in 3 years with Mineral Point
Assistant coaches: Mike Chambers, Sam Weinbrenner, Rilee Hammer, Abbi Trainor
School enrollment: 227
Meet the Pointers:
#1 Delaney Ross, sr, 5-8, W
#2 Rilyn Mootz, jr, 6-0, C
#5 Laci Lindsey, fr, 5-7, SG
#10 Mallory Lindsey, sr, 5-4, PG
#11 Belle Watters, so, 5-7, W
#13 Ella Chambers, sr, 5-3, SG
#15 Kennedy Kabat, jr, 5-10, PF
#20 Brea Goninen, so, 5-4, SG
#21 Blair Watters, sr, 6-0, W
#24 Ella Kroll, fr, 5-4, SG
#32 Kennedy Wenger, jr, 6-0, PF
#34 Katelyn Cox, jr, 6-0, PF
Pointers notes:
Senior point guard Mallory Lindsey leads with 1,097 career points, 15.5 points per game and 403 points this season. Lindsey is a finalist for WSN's Senior Shooter award, making 96-of-220 for a 44 percent mark, and she leads in assists with 85. Blair Watters averages 13.9 PPG with 362 points this season. Watters leads in steals with 117 and blocks with 18. Kennedy Wenger averages 11.7 PPG, 73 steals, 73 assists and 6 rebounds per game. Ella Chambers averages 10.7 PPG, and has 64 steals and 63 assists. Katelyn Cox leads the Pointers in rebounding with 6.9 per game and leads with a 55% mark in field goals. Cox leads in rebounds with 180 and averages 7.6 PPG.
Laconia Spartans
Season record: 24-4
Conference record: 14-0
Conference champions of the Flyway Conference
Head coach: Chris Morgan is 194-98 in 12 years with Laconia
Assistant coaches: Kevin Engel, Greg Smit, Lance Wurtz, Kelsey Birschbach, Caitlin Tipton
School enrollment: 318
Meet the Spartans:
#3 Eva Engel, fr, 5-10, F
#4 Molly Duel, fr, 5-7, G
#5 Autumn Engel, sr, 5-9, F
#11 Molly Johannes, sr, 5-8, F
#12 Callista VandeBerg, so, 6-0, F
#13 Kaylee Taplin, so, 5-6, G
#14 Aubrey Leonard, fr, 5-8, G
#15 Cassie Coffeen, sr, 5-3, G
#21 Payton Morgan, fr, 5-10, G
#22 Tierney Madigan, fr, 5-10, G
#23 Reece Keel, jr, 5-9, G
#24 Emma Bohn, fr, 5-5, G
#30 Julia Pierstorff, so, 5-9, G
#34 Anna Schneider, sr, 5-8, F
Spartans notes:
Molly Johannes leads with 12.1 PPG and 339 points this season and leads in steals with 89, rebounds with 191 and dished out 53 assists. Tierney Madigan follows closely with 11 PPG and 309 points. Madigan shoots 48% from the field, a team best. Aubrey Leonard leads Laconia in assists with 75. Leonard has 53 steals and averages 7.5 PPG. Callista VandeBerg averages 6.3 PPG and has 131 rebounds, 39 steals and 27 assists. Payton Morgan, coach's daughter, averages 5.7 PPG and has 48 assists and 45 steals.
Neillsville Warriors
Season record: 25-2
Conference record: 16-0
Champions of the Eastern Division of the Cloverbelt Conference
Head coach: John Gaier is 481-112 in 25 years with Neillsville
Assistant coach: Jamie Kuhn
School enrollment: 291
Meet the Warriors:
#10 Gracie Schoengarth, fr, 5-2, G
#12 Delaney Rochester, jr, 5-4, G
#14 Lilly Opelt, so, 5-4, G
#20 Ava Mortenson, sr, 5-5, G
#23 Emma Moseley, sr, 5-11, F
#24 Amelia Trunkel, jr, 5-8, G
#30 Kylie Boyer, sr, 5-8, G
#32 Paris Opelt, so, 5-11, G
#40 Kati Mayer, sr, 5-8, F
#42 Amanda Schneider, sr, 5-8, F
#44 Sydney Subke, fr, 5-10, F
#50 Abby Koepp, so, 5-10, C
#52 Paige Voigt, so, 5-11, C
#54 Skyler Hart, sr, 5-8, C
Warriors notes:
Paris Opelt leads in scoring with 11.5 PPG and 321 points overall. Opelt shoots a team best 41% from three-point land and 50% from the field. Emma Mosley averages 9.7 PPG and leads in assists with 112. She also is the leading rebounder with 146, averaging 5.2 RPG. Mosley shoots a team best 75% from the free throw line, making 51-of-68. Amelia Trunkel also averages 9.7 PPG. Trunkel shoots 72% from the line and has made the most three-pointers on the team with 51. Delaney Rochester averages 7.1 PPG and leads in steals with 86. Rochester shoots 56% from the field. Paige Voigt averages 6.5 PPG and averages 4 RPG with 109 overall.
Westfield Pioneers
Season record: 27-1
Conference record: 10-0
Champions of the South Central Conference
Head coach: Luke Showen is 78-44 in 5 years with Westfield
Assistant coaches: Michael Groskreutz, Kirk Kangas
School enrollment: 269
Meet the Pioneers:
#1 Haddie Showen, fr, 5-8, G
#2 Trista Drew, sr, 5-6, G
#3 Carly Drew, so, 5-8, F
#4 Kimberly Sengbusch, sr, 5-4, G
#5 Haile Barrera, fr, 5-5, G
#10 Holly Goodwin, fr, 5-7, G
#12 Breanne Czaplewski, jr, 5-11, F
#15 Mya Reetz, jr, 5-5, G
#21 Natalie Grant, fr, 5-6, F
#23 Sidney Hoffa, jr, 5-7, G
#24 Kylie Barton, fr, 5-8, G
#30 Nadia Hoffa, jr, 5-8, G
#32 Brandi Lentz, jr, 5-9, F
#33 Madyson Bitsky, fr, 5-7, F
Pioneers notes:
Carly Drew leads in scoring with a scorching 19.6 PPG and 549 points overall. She also leads with 120 steals. Drew shoots 80% in free throws, 47% from three and 54% from the field. Drew brings down 5.6 RPG. Haddie Showen averages 12.4 PPG and leads in assists with 135. Showen shoots 39% from three, making 55-of-141 attempts. Brandi Lentz averages 10 PPG and leads in RPG with 7.6 and 214 rebounds total. Nadia Hoffa averages 7.5 PPG. Hoffa enters with 76 assists and 45 steals. She shoots 44% from the field. Trista Drew averages 5.5 PPG and has dished out 84 assists and brought down 78 rebounds.