Manawa sweeps basketball series
By Greg Seubert
A longtime basketball rivalry between a pair of Central Wisconsin Conference schools is alive and well.
Although Weyauwega-Fremont and Manawa now compete in separate CWC divisions, the boys’ and girls’ programs see each other each year at Rock the Gym games.
Weyauwega-Fremont hosted this year’s games Dec. 18, but came up short twice. Manawa won the girls’ game 52-33 and completed the sweep with a 65-54 victory in the boys’ matchup.
Manawa 52, W-F 33
It didn’t take long for Manawa’s Laynie Bessette to make her presence known.
The senior scored her team’s first 15 points and went on to lead all scorers with 23.
Weyauwega-Fremont’s Kelsie Bleck tied the game at 9-9 with a three-pointer, but the Wolves scored the next 17 points to take a 26-9 lead. Anna Meyer hit a three-pointer at the end of the first half for the Indians, but the home team still trailed 33-16 at the break.
The Indians never got any closer than 15 points in the second half, as the Wolves outscored them 19-17.
Kaitlyn Miller also finished in double figures for Manawa with 13 points, while Katie Bleck led the Indians with nine.
Manawa improved to 6-1 on the season and the Indians fell to 0-8.
Manawa 65, W-F 54
The Wolves took a 32-30 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Josh Griesbach gave Manawa an 18-9 lead in the first half, but the Indians tied the game at 26-26 on a Kolden Baehman three-pointer.
Another basket from Baehman gave the Indians their only lead – 34-32 – early in the second half, but Manawa answered with a 17-6 run to take a 49-40 lead.
The Indians never got any closer than five points the rest of the way.
Jeven Sachtjen led Manawa with 19 points and Griesbach and Mason Wiesner added 16 and 15, respectively. Baehman and Michael Schalkowski led the Indians with 18 and 11 points, respectively.
Manawa improved to 5-2 and the Indians fell to 0-7.