The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.
That well-known quote from ABC’s Wide World of Sports could describe the Stevens Point girls basketball team’s state tournament matchup with Appleton East.
Ella Sweeney’s three-pointer with two seconds left gave the Patriots a 75-72 overtime win over Stevens Point on March 6 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal at D.C. Everest High School.
The Panthers ended their season with a 22-5 record. The Patriots advanced to a sectional final March 8 against top-seeded Eau Claire Memorial.
Stevens Point entered the tournament with a No. 2 seed, while the Patriots were the No. 6 seed and advanced to sectional play with a 59-50 win over third-seeded Hortonville in a regional final.
The game was close from the opening tipoff, as neither team led by more than five points. The lead changed hands nine times before the Panthers headed to the locker room at halftime with a 34-30 advantage.
Jada Seubert’s third of her six three-pointers gave the Panthers a 37-32 lead early in the second half.
The lead later changed hands on six straight possessions.
The teams headed to overtime tied at 63-63, and Lindsey Weiler’s basket gave Stevens Point its final lead - 65-63.
Appleton East answered with a 7-2 run to go up by three points before Ellie Strong tied the game at 72-72 with 45 seconds remaining.
The Panthers never had the ball again, as the Patriots ran the clock down until Sweeney’s game-winner from the top of the key.
Seubert accounted for half of her team’s offense, she led all players with 36 points. Weiler and Strong also finished in double figures with 14 and 11, respectively.
Sweeney led the Patriots with 23 points, while Torie Neubauer added 16.
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