It’s been awhile since the Weyauwega-Fremont girls’ basketball team has lost a game.
More than two months, in fact.
The Indians improved to 10-2 in Central Wisconsin 8 Conference play and moved into a three-way tie for first place with Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Amherst Feb. 8 with a 64-49 road win over Iola-Scandinavia.
W-F also picked up a 55-38 win Feb. 5 over Stevens Point Pacelli, while I-S held on to beat Manawa 39-30.
W-F 64, I-S 49
IOLA – The Thunderbirds stayed with the Indians into the second quarter, but a 16-1 run gave the Indians a 38-23 halftime lead.
W-F trailed 14-13 after one quarter, but outscored the T-Birds 25-9 in the second and 14-12 in the third before I-S closed the game with a 14-12 advantage over the final eight minutes.
It was a sluggish start,” W-F coach Joe Titus said. “Credit the Iola girls, they hit shots early and crashed the boards well. We got into a nice flow in the second quarter and moved the ball very well. We have talked this year about getting our outside shot through the post. Jenni (Hellweg), Morgan (Wilson) and Karissa (Akey) did a great job of finding Mariah (Hulbert) when the defense would collapse on them.”
Hellweg, Wilson, Hulbert and Akey led the Indians with 18, 17, 15 and 10 points, respectively, while Macey Schoenick tied a career record with nine assists. Karina Welch led the T-Birds with 11 points, while Natalie Gauerke and Kylie Johnson chipped in with eight each.
“Having our front court come up with 45 points, 24 rebounds and eight assists helps,” Titus said. “Jenni’s 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists and Morgan’s double-double were big for us. Alyssa (Goode) and Karissa did a great job off the bench, they are really growing up by fire. Maggie (Knecht’s) defense and ability to find our post players down low was also a big key to our win.”
W-F 55, Pacelli 38
WEYAUWEGA – Schoenick, Wilson and Hellweg scored 13 points in the Indians’ 11th straight win.
W-F led 14-9 after one quarter and 32-16 at halftime before Pacelli cut into the lead with a 17-10 advantage in the third quarter.
The comeback came up short, however, as the Indians outscored the visitors 13-5 in the fourth quarter.
“Our full-court pressure gave us some opportunities early in the game and for the most part, our half-court offense and defense was pretty sharp in the first half,” Titus said. “We had some breakdowns in the third quarter. but we were able to take control early in the fourth quarter.
“(Coach) Todd (Rice) has done a great job with the Pacelli program,” he added. “They get tougher each time we play them.”
Hellweg added seven rebounds, six assists and three blocks, while Wilson added rebounds.
“Macey did a great job at the top with her six assists and three steals,” Titus said. “She has really developed into a upper-tier point guard in our conference.”
Marisa Rice and Anna Lensmire led Pacelli with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood, the last team to beat the Indians Dec. 11, fell into a three-way tie for first with the Indians and Amherst after falling to Amherst 47-44.
“Getting into a tie for first in this conference is a great accomplishment, especially after losing our first two conference games of the year,” Titus said. “We still have work to do and a 12-game win streak is nice, but we need to stay focused and continue to put team first.
“The girls really trust each other out there and as a coach, there isn’t anything I’d rather see,” he added. “Their togetherness and team-first outlook makes a lot of things possible for our program. I couldn’t be prouder of all of them.”
I-S 39, Manawa 30
MANAWA – The T-Birds led 11-8 after one quarter, 20-16 at halftime and 28-20 after three quarters.
Welch led I-S with 10 points, while Brooke Phillips, Jane Oligney and Emily Sether all scored six points and Char Ann Bonikowske pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds.
Manawa’s Ansley Block led all scorers with 14.
The T-Birds will wrap up the regular season with CWC-8 games at Bonduel Friday, Feb. 15, and at home Thursday, Feb. 21, against Wittenberg-Birnamwood. The Indians’ upcoming schedule includes a home game Feb. 15 against Shiocton and a nonconference home game Monday, Feb. 18, against West De Pere. Tipoff for all four games is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
State tournament play begins with regional quarterfinal games Tuesday, Feb. 26. Both teams will compete in the Division 4 Waupaca Sectional.
W-F’s bracket includes Algoma, Bonduel, Howards Grove, Oshkosh Lourdes, Manawa, Manitowoc Lutheran, Mishicot, Random Lake, Reedsville, Menasha St. Mary Central and Shiocton. The T-Birds’ bracket includes Amherst, Pacelli, Rosholt, Plainfield Tri-County and Wild Rose.