By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
ASHWAUBENON – It may have taken a bit, but the Notre Dame Academy girls’ basketball team is one step closer to winning another state title.
Four Tritons scored in double digits in a 64-45 victory in a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 state semifinal game at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon.
Hope Barington (13 points), Trista Fayta (12), Gracie Grzesk (12) and Sydney Whitehouse (10) led Notre Dame (28-1) in scoring.
The Tritons trailed 7-1 a few minutes into the game before grabbing a 12-10 lead at the 14:37 mark of the first half.
“We’re kind of used to those slow starts,” Notre Dame Head Coach Sara Rohde laughed. “We did the same thing with Beaver Dam (in the sectional finals). I have trust in my girls and know we’ll eventually score. If I felt it was getting out of hand, I would have called a timeout. Menomonie started well and tried to speed things up a bit.”
The Mustangs led 19-14 before the Tritons ended the first half on a 21-11 run to take a 35-30 lead at the break.
Picking up two first-half fouls, Grzesk committed her third and fourth personal fouls two minutes into the second half and was forced to sit on the bench for the next 10 1/2 minutes of play.
“When I picked up my second, I knew I couldn’t pick up my third (in the first half),” Grzesk said. “My (third and fourth) fouls were silly – I just needed to show my hands and be better about that.”
After Grzesk went to the bench, Menomonie clawed to within 41-39 after consecutive 3-pointers from Mary Berg, who led her team with 12 points.
From there, Notre Dame regained control with its patented full-court press, which caused numerous turnovers.
The Mustangs only scored nine points in the last 11 minutes of the game.
After shooting 55% (11-20) in the first half, Menomonie shot 22.2% (4-18) after intermission.
“Our press affected them,” Rohde said. “We wore them down.”
Sarah Hardwick grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and had six steals for the Tritons.
Notre Dame plays Pewaukee, a 73-43 winner over Reedsburg in the other semifinal, for the state title at 6:35 p.m. Saturday, March 12.
In the first game of the season Nov. 20, the Tritons beat Pewaukee, 67-60.