Barneveld girls defeat Argyle/Pec in WIAA Regional semi-final to advance

By John Dalton

After splitting their regular Six Rivers-East girls basketball matchups, Argyle/Pecatonica and Barneveld met for a third time in a Division 5 WIAA Sectional semi-final at Dodgeville High School. In front of a crowd of more than 1,300, Barneveld—the state's #5 ranked team—defeated Argyle/Pec, ranked #4, with a score of 53-36.  

AP’s Kylie Butler, who averages 20.8 points per game and surpassed 2,000 career points earlier this year, was limited to just eight points and didn't score at all in the second half. Barneveld's defense was instrumental in restricting AP’s opportunities near the basket; their total of 36 points marked their lowest output of the season. This is notable since AP typically averages 62.7 points per game.  

Butler scored the first bucket of the game seconds into it.  Barneveld’s Erin Lasse and Aleea Norton hit back-to-back 3-point shots for an early 6-2 lead.  The Golden Eagles were up 9-6 when AP went on a 7-0 run, thanks to a layup and 3-point shot by Loretta Tisch, and a bucket by Brooke Wellnitz.  

The Eagles answered the run and regained the lead 15-13 with two 3-point baskets, the first one by Eliza Gordon, the second by Izzy Durst.  Butler tied the game on a jump shot in the lane, but Durst then hit back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Golden Eagles take a 25-21 halftime lead.  

In the second half, Wellnitz helped AP close the gap early with two baskets, cutting Barneveld’s lead down to one, 28-27.  Wellnitz led AP in scoring with 16 points on the night.  But Lasse made a move in the lane for a bucket, and Gordon hit a long-range clutch 3-point shot at the 10:00 minute mark to increase the Eagles lead, 33-27, a lead they never relinquished.  

Barneveld increased their lead to 41-34 after a hoop by Durst, and on its next possession Durst found Mya Norton alone under the hoop. Durst led all scorers in the game with 23 points.  

Despite getting some good looks at the basket, AP could not buy a basket the balance of the game.  AP was forced to foul, and the Eagles were sound at the free throw line, connecting on 13 of 16 to help the Eagles advance to the sectional final game.  

Barneveld Head Coach Jim Myers said after the game that winning tournament games never gets old.  “It doesn’t get old because there’s always somebody new that you’re doing it with and it’s their first time, or second time doing it, so that’s the fun part, seeing the joy in their faces.”  

Myers said he didn’t do much differently to prepare his team than when they beat AP in February 59-56.  “Really when you get to this stage you kind of do what you do well. We might have tweaked a couple coverages but nothing major, the kids bought into it tonight really well, they talked well if they had to switch. But our rebounding, our box outs were so much better, and that was key because AP can kill you on offensive boards,” he said.  

It was not the outcome AP was looking for.  “It’s not what I expected at all,” said AP Head Coach Jen Wellnitz-Krogman.  “I came in confident, not over-confident, but I felt really good coming into this. I watched so many Barneveld games and I feel that I have no regrets, I felt like I had a good game plan, but some days, the ball doesn’t want to go in the basket, and I can’t fault their effort because our girls worked their butts off.”

“But it was awesome atmosphere. Dodgeville did an amazing job hosting the game. That atmosphere, like in starting warmups, it was goose bumps,” she said.  “The girls, hopefully, remember this atmosphere, because it was so special.  I wouldn’t trade this group of girls, we have had an awesome journey, these kids are so great, a bunch of goof balls and I love it.” 

AP ends their season with a 22-5 record.  Barneveld advanced to the sectional final game on Saturday and you can read about their victory in this edition of the newspaper as the Golden Eagles are heading back to the WIAA State Tournament.  For video highlights of the Barneveld vs Argyle/Pec game, check out The Dodgeville Chronicle Facebook page.  

Box Score

Barneveld              25 – 28 – 53

Argyle/Pecatonica 21 – 15 – 36

Barneveld (fg-ft-tp); Izzy Durst 6-8-23, Erin Lasse 3-1-8, Eliza Gordon 2-0-6, Mya Norton 2-2-6, Aleea Norton 1-3-6, Hannah Esch 2-0-4.

3-pointers; Durst 3, Gordon 2, Lasse 1, Aleea Norton 1. 

Argyle/Pecatonica (fg-ft-tp); Brooke Wellnitz 6-4-16, Loretta Tisch 3-2-10, Kylie Butler 4-0-8, Avari Steiner 0-2-2.  

3-pointers; Tisch 2.