Saturday, September 14, 2024
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiBRzCEvxfc
By Rich Palzewic
Sports Editor
ASHWAUBENON – The Bay Port girls’ basketball team is one win away from a WIAA Division 1 state championship.
The Pirates used a big scoring run in each half to post a 63-53 win over Kimberly in the state semifinals March 8 at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
Bay Port (26-1) will face Middleton (22-5) in the title game at 8:15 March 9.
Middleton, who the Pirates beat 48-42 last December at a tournament, shocked top-ranked Mukwonago in the other semifinal, 62-53.
“I’m extremely proud of my girls,” said Bay Port head coach Kati Coleman. “It took us a few minutes to feel things out, but after that, we got rolling and played the way I know we can.”
Emma Nagel had her usual big game with 23 points and 16 rebounds, but the Pirates also got a huge game from Raegan McIntyre.
McIntyre, who made the game-winning shot in Bay Port’s 26-24 overtime win over Arrowhead in the sectional finals, scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
“I have been more of a role player this year,” McIntyre said. “But I think the shot I hit against Arrowhead gave me a lot of confidence. I was relaxed out there and just played my game.”
Nagel, who recently announced her commitment to play Division I soccer at Drake University, had 10 points and 8 rebounds at the half.
“There are a lot of similarities between soccer and basketball,” Nagel said. “One of my strengths is my vision, both on the court and on the soccer field. I have to move laterally in both sports.”
Trailing 12-7 and out of sync offensively, the Pirates went on a 12-2 run to take a 19-14 lead with 6 minutes remaining in the opening half.
Freshman Emma Krueger scored five points during the spurt and also took an offensive foul on a Kimberly charge.
McKenzie Johnson also nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key during the surge.
The Pirates took a 26-25 lead into the intermission.
Bay Port began the second half on a 9-2 run to go up 35-27 with 14:30 remaining.
They maintained the lead from there against a good Kimberly squad.
“Give credit to Bay Port,” said Kimberly head coach Troy Cullen. “They hit their shots and we missed too many. It also hurt that Taylor Hietpas and Kennedy Litvinoff went out with injuries. Our strength all year has been our depth, so without those two, our other girls had to log a lot of minutes.”
In the rematch with Middleton, the Pirates will see a much different team.
“Any team that beats Mukwonago is a really good team,” Coleman added. “It’ll be a different game for sure.”
A handful of the girls on the roster won the WIAA Division 1 girls’ state soccer championship last year, and Coleman is just happy to have the athletes she does.
“I can say that I have a bunch of soccer players who play basketball,” laughed Coleman. “I’m happy that they are two-sport athletes and play basketball, too. My girls are very aggressive and they will do anything to win. I’m just glad they are on my team.”
Bay Port had some difficulties at the free-throw line in going only 11-of-22, but offset that by shooting 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the floor.
Johnson added 11 points for the Pirates, and Krueger ended with 8.
The duo each had a pair of three-pointers.
Grace Krause led Bay Port with five assists.
Box score
Bay Port: 26, 37 – 63
Kimberly: 25, 28 – 53
Bay Port: Nagel 23, Krause 2, Abel 5, Johnson 11, Szelagowski 1, Krueger 8, McIntyre 13.
Kimberly: Murray 7, Schreiber 15, Hietpas 2, Sikora 3, Dechant 19, Schmidt 7.
