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Sauk Prairie's boys basketball team stepped away from a very tough conference and traveled to Dodgeville to test a good team down a division.
The Eagles came up with a 58-51 win over the Dodgers thanks to a great start, some strong defense and allowing the game to come to them.
The Dodgers responded with much of the same as both teams showed they can run their offense and hunt for a high percentage shot. In the end Sau Prairie did it just a little better.
"It was one of those nights that it felt like we got a good thing or two and they would match it," said Dodgeville coach Matt McGraw. "We just couldn't get over the hump. It seemed we couldn't buy a bucket for some long stretches. Those nights happen but on those nights we have to rely on our defense to carry us. We didn't play bad defense but it can be better."
Sauk was spot on offensively at the start of the game. Both teams climbed to 17 with 4:15 left in the first 18 minutes but a trio of threes, a reverse lay-up and back to back breaks off steals gave the visitors a 26-19 lead at intermission.
The first half difference remained as both teams scored an identical 32 the second half. Reilly Berg and Chandler Batchelor, Dodgeville's two bigs, both had 10 points in the last 18 minutes.
Batchelor led the Dodgers with 20 points with Berg adding 10.
Sauk had three hit double digits with Carson Brickl netting 14 Devin Kerska 13 and Connor Breunig 11. Breunig got all his points the first half with his three triples helping create the fast start.
Helping the Eagles to the win the second half were Kerska and Brickl with eight with Nicholas Keyser the Corben Wardrop as both hit seven.
"I feel like the guys see we are playing pretty solid ball against some good competition," McGraw said. "We just have to clean a few things up and good things can happen in our last stretch before the playoffs."
SCORE BY HALVES
Sauk Prairie 26 32 58
Dodgeville 19 32 51
BOX SCORE
Sauk Prairie 58: Keyser 2-3-7, Cars. Brickl 4-2-14, B. Wardrop 1-0-2, T. Kerska 0-0-0, Breunig 4-0-11, Henderson 1-0-2, C. Wardrop 4-0-9, D. Kerska 4-4-13. Totals 20-9/12-58. Fouls-13
DODGEVILLE 51: (fg-ft-tp) M. Pittz 1-0-3, Walker 3-2-8, Keith 2-0-4, Berg 3-1-10, Jabs 2-0-5, N Pittz 0-0-0, Haakenson 1-0-2, Batchelor 9-1-20. Totals 20-4/12-51. Fouls-12
3 point goals:
SP-Cars. Brickl 4, Breunig 3, C. Wardrop 1, D. Kerska 1
Dodge-M. Pittz 1, Berg 3, Jabs 1