Saturday, March 2, 2013

Game 25: Immanuel @ Clayton (WIAA Regional Final)

More updates coming ...

WIAA Regional Final (Bracket)
At Clayton
March 2, 2013




#2 Eau Claire Immanuel:  41   (22-3, 12-1) 

#1 Clayton:  35  (18-5, 9-3)



REGIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!



























NOTE:  The Immanuel Lady Lancers are WIAA Regional Champions!!  This is a first-ever for any Immanuel basketball team!!  More updates to come ...

Box Score and Team Stats on WSN   (To be updated ...)

Box Score and Team Stats on MaxPreps   (To be updated ...)
Event Page and Team Stats on USA Today HS Sports   (To be updated ...)

Game play-by-play
   (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Both Teams)     (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Immanuel Players)     (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Opponent Players)      (To be updated ...)

Game Audio   (Rob Sauers and Matt Schaser broadcast)   


Game Video (HD Link):      (To be updated ...)

See sports highlight video from WQOW.  
(Immanuel highlight at the 2:40 min. mark, see Sports Overtime - Saturday (Part 2))




From Prep Roundup in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:
(2) Immanuel Lutheran 41, (1) Clayton 35: Emily Hein led the Lancers with 14 points as they picked up the program's first regional championship.
Abbie Hein and Johanna Meyer each added eight points for Immanuel Lutheran.
From Prep Statistics in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:
(2) Immanuel Lutheran 41, (1) Clayton 35
Immanuel Lutheran — Abbie Hein 8, Emily Hein 14, Rachel Schaser 4, Johanna Meyer 8, Abby Sydow 5, Johanna Ohlmann 2. Totals (FGM FT-FTA TP): 12 12-20 41.
Clayton — Cammie Ketz 2, McKenna Cardinal 5, Masyn Lien 6, Summer Larson 2, Abbey Ketz 12, McKenzie Kanipes 8. Totals: 13 7-10 35.
ECIL 7 9 9 16 — 41
Clayton 4 9 12 10 — 35
3-point goals: Immanuel Lutheran 5 (A. Hein, E. Hein 2, Meyer 2), Clayton 2 (Lien 2). Total fouls: Immanuel Lutheran 16, Clayton 16. Records: Immanuel Lutheran 22-3; Clayton 18-5.
Next UpWIAA Sectionals:  Mar. 7 & Mar. 9

Varsity Pics:     

Leader-Telegram Comments on All-Conference Picks

Lancers highlight Small Dairyland all-conference picks


Posted: Saturday, March 2, 2013 4:05 pm
For the first time since 2006, four Eau Claire Immanuel players were selected to the Small Dairyland all-conference team.

Senior Abbie Hein and junior Rachel Schaser were selected to the first team, senior Abby Sydow was a second-team pick and sophomore Emily Hein was an honorable mention selection for the conference champions.


In the Large Dairyland, four members of conference champion Eleva-Strum were selected.
See below for complete teams

Small Dairyland
First Team
Laura Kramer, sr., Cochrane-Fountain City; Nichole Hunger, jr., Cochrane-Fountain City; Abbie Hein, sr., Eau Claire Immanuel; Rachel Schaser, jr., Eau Claire Immanuel; Brittany Laehn, jr., Gilmanton.
Second Team
Cori Terpstra, jr., Alma/Pepin; Abby Sydow, sr., Eau Claire Immanuel; Cheyenne Lowenhagen, frosh., Gilmanton; Sara Filla, soph., Independence; Erika Suchla, jr., Independence.
Honorable Mention
Mackenzie Halverson, sr., Cochrane-Fountain City; Emily Hein, soph., Eau Claire Immanuel; Mariah Peterson, sr., Gilmanton; Tanisha Bautch, sr., Independence.

Large Dairyland
First Team
Morgan Nehring, jr., Blair-Taylor; Mikayla Simonson, sr., Blair-Taylor; Ali Lorenz, sr., Eleva-Strum; Kara Enos, jr., Eleva-Strum; Mikayla Simmons, jr., Alma Center Lincoln; Katie Boone, sr., Melrose-Mindoro; Kendra Antony, sr., Melrose-Mindoro.
Second Team
Jenna Ladsten, sr.,  Blair-Taylor; Skylar Rivard, jr., Eleva-Strum; Heather Gibson, sr., Eleva-Strum; Bailey Larson, frosh., Alma Center Lincoln; Rachel Davis, sr., Alma Center Lincoln; Paige Janke, sr., Alma Center Lincoln; Christina Roberts, sr., Melrose-Mindoro; Bryn Boland, sr.,  Whitehall.
Honorable Mention
Mara Peterson, soph., Blair-Taylor; Samantha Giese, jr., Whitehall

WSN's WIAA Regional Final Predictions

Girls Hoops: Predictions for tonight's WIAA Regional Finals

03/02/2013, 12:00pm CST
By Norbert Durst
Here's how I stand with my WIAA playoff predictions after the regional semi-final games last night:
Division 1 - 32-8 (80%)
Division 2 - 45-9 (83.3%)
Division 3 - 56-8 (84.8%)
Division 4 - 55-6 (90.1%)
Division 5 - 76-16 (82.6%)
Overall - 264-47 (84.8%)



Division 5
Sectional 1
South Shore over Luck
Northwood over Drummond
Owen-Withee over Thorp
Clayton over Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran

Sectional 2
Marion over Phelps
Newman Catholic over Goodman/Pembine
Hilbert over Gibraltar
Green Bay NEW Lutheran over Oneida Nation

Sectional 3
Plum City over Eleva-Strum
Assumption over Loyal
Brookwood over Royall
Seneca over River Ridge

Sectional 4
Barneveld over Black Hawk
Potosi over Benton/Shullsburg
Fall River over Randolph
Heritage Christian over Lake Country Lutheran

WIAA Tournament Update - After Regional Semifinals

WIAA Tournament Update:







Friday, March 1, 2013

Game 24: McDonell @ Immanuel (WIAA Regional Semifinal)

More updates coming ...

WIAA Regional Semifinal (Bracket)
At Eau Claire Immanuel
March 1, 2013




Eau Claire Immanuel (#2)43   (21-3, 12-1) 

McDonell Central (#3):  41  (14-10, 7-7)


NOTE:  The Lady Lancers squeeked out a close one this evening with a 43-41 win over the McDonell Macks!  As such the Lancers will now play in the WIAA Regional Final against Clayton, the #1 seed of the Regional, as Clayton beat Turtle Lake this evening, 44-19.  This Immanuel team eagerly looks forward to this game as they believe they have unfinished business to tend to, last year's Regional Final loss to New Lisbon leaving a bitter taste in their mouths and also highly motivating them to secure the first Regional championship in Immanuel basketball. The Lancers also extend their winning streak to 17 games and their win total to 21, new uncharted territory for Immanuel basketball. Also, with the win tonight the Lancers now are an astonishing 40-9 the past two seasons!  They also have four regional wins now in the past two seasons, equaling the number of regional wins they've had in their entire history prior to that!  


In their previous meeting on January 24, 2013, the Lancers handily beat the Macks, 63-44.  But tonight's game was a neck-and-neck game the entire way.  In fact, with just a couple of minutes left in the game the Macks went ahead by three, 36-39.  Just before that the Lancers had the edge with the score being 36-30.  But the Macks' surge came to an end as the Lancers were able to capitalize at the charity stripe.  With the score being tied 41-41 with 30 seconds left to go, Abbie Hein was fouled getting a rebound on a missed McDonell shot.  She made both free throws which would be the last points of the game.  Another missed McDonell shot ended up with a tied-up ball on a rebound, giving the Macks one last chance to get another shot up.  They were able to get a player open for a three-pointer on an inbound play, but the ball rolled off the rim just as time expired.  Players and screaming fans from the stands excitedly celebrated as victory had been secured!  

For those who have followed the team through the year, it's been incredible to see how they have been prepared to stay focused at the end of this kind of game in order to pull off the win, e.g. double-overtime win over Independence and a come-from-behind win over Melrose-Mindoro.  The hand of the Lord has truly blessed!

Box Score and Team Stats on WSN   (To be updated ...)

Box Score and Team Stats on MaxPreps   (To be updated ...)
Event Page and Team Stats on USA Today HS Sports   (To be updated ...)

Game play-by-play
   (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Both Teams)     (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Immanuel Players)     (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Opponent Players)      (To be updated ...)


Game Video (HD Link):      (To be updated ...)

See sports highlight video from WEAU.
(Immanuel highlight, Part 2 Girls Basketball, at the 4:20 min. mark)


See sports highlight video from WQOW.  
(Immanuel highlight at the 1:48 min. mark, see Sports Overtime - Friday)



From Prep Roundup in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:
(2) Immanuel Lutheran 43, (3) Chippewa Falls McDonell 41: Abbie Hein scored 11 points to lead a balanced Lancers attack.
Jalen Knowlton, who scored a game-high 14 points for the Macks, had a look at a potential game-winning 3 as time expired.
From Prep Statistics in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:
(2) Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 43, (3) Chippewa Falls McDonell 41
McDonell — Jalen Knowlton 14, Sid Schemenauer 8, Lexi Ralle 6, Tessa McChesney 9, Gabby Geisler 4. Totals (FGM FT-FTA TP): 14 10-12 41.
Immanuel Lutheran — Abbie Hein 11, Emily Hein 4, Rachel Schaser 8, Hannah Meyer 3, Laura Lisak 9, Becca Nauman 2, Abbey Sydow 6. Totals: 14 13-22 43.
McDonell 7 11 13 10 — 41
Immanuel Lutheran 11 10 11 11 — 43
3-point goals: McDonell 3 (Knowlton 2, McChesney), Immanuel Lutheran 2 (A. Hein, E. Hein). Total fouls: McDonell 20, Immanuel Lutheran 12. Records: McDonell 14-10, 7-7; Immanuel Lutheran 21-3, 12-1.

From the Chippewa Valley Herald:

3-1 Girls Hoops Playoff Roundup: McDonell girls fall to Immanuel in regional semis, 43-41

EAU CLAIRE — The McDonell girls basketball team held Abbie Hein in check on Friday night.
It just wasn’t quite enough.
Hein scored 11 points, well below her season average, but No. 2 seed Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran still had enough gas in the tank to pull out a 43-41 victory over No. 3 seed McDonell in a Division 5 regional semifinal game.
“We had our chances, we had several good chances (at the end),” McDonell coach Shannon Tanzer said. “We took good shots and they didn’t fall.”
Jalen Knowlton led McDonell (14-10) with 14 points, while Tessa McChesney had nine. Sydney Schemenauer chipped in with eight points and Lexi Raihle had six.
Apart from Hein’s 11, Laura Lisak and Rachel Schaser had 10 and eight points, respectively, for Eau Claire Immanuel (21-3).
With the loss, the careers of McDonell seniors Lexi Raihle and Gabby Geissler come to an end.
“I really want to thank Gabby and Lexi for everything that they’ve done for the last three years,” Tanzer said. “It’s been a really fun ride with them.”
The Lancers head to Clayton on Saturday to take on the top-seeded Bears in a regional final contest.
EAU CLAIRE IMMANUEL LUTHERAN 43, MCDONELL 41
McDonell    7    11    13     9     —     41
Immanuel    11    10     13     10    —     43
MCDONELL: Knowlton 14, Schemenauer 8, Raihle 6, McChesney 9, Geissler 2. (14 10-13 20 41)
EAU CLAIRE IMMANUEL: A. Hein 11, Schaser 8, Meyer 3, Lisak 10, Naumann 2, Sydow 6, E. Hein 3. (13 13-23 15 43)
3-Point Goals: McDonell (3): Knowlton 2, McChesney 1. Eau Claire Immanuel (3): A. Hein 1, E. Hein 1, Lisack 1.
Fouled out: McDonell: None. Eau Claire Immanuel: None

Next UpWIAA Regional Final: Sat., Mar. 2, 7:00 pm - #2 Immanuel @ #1 Clayton (map) (MaxPreps pre-game) (WSN Preview) (USA Today) (WIAA Tournament)
 

Varsity Pics:      (Pics at end are blurry due to photographer error, but shared due to the excitement of the moment)

WSN's WIAA Regional Semifinal Predictions

Girls Hoops: Predictions for Friday's WIAA Regional Semi-Finals

02/28/2013, 8:00pm CST
By Norbert Durst
After the opening round of regional games Tuesday night, here's how I stand with my WIAA playoff predictions:
Division 1 - 4-4 (50%)
Division 2 - 17-5 (77.3%)
Division 3 - 27-5 (84.3%)
Division 4 - 25-4 (86.2%)
Division 5 - 47-13 (78.3%)
Overall - 120-31 (79.4%)


Division 5
Sectional 1
South Shore over Shell Lake
Luck over Siren
Mellen over Drummond
Northwood over Winter
Owen-Withee over Cornell
Thorp over Prentice
Clayton over Turtle Lake
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran over McDonell Central

Sectional 2
Marion over Niagara
Phelps over Elcho
Wabeno over Goodman/Pembine
Newman Catholic over Northland Lutheran
Hilbert over Sheboygan Christian
Gibraltar over Lena
Oneida Nation over Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah
Green Bay NEW Lutheran over Suring

Sectional 3
Eleva-Strum over Blair-Taylor
Plum City over Cochrane-Fountain City
Assumption over Alma Center Lincoln
Loyal over Port Edwards
Royall over Wonewoc-Center
Hillsboro over Brookwood
Seneca over Wauzeka
Ithaca over River Ridge

Sectional 4
Barneveld over Catholic Central
Black Hawk over Monticello
Benton/Shullsburg over Argyle
Potosi over Racine Lutheran
Fall River over Rio
Randolph over Oakfield
Heritage Christian over University Lake School
Lake Country Lutheran over Living Word Lutheran

Thursday, February 28, 2013

MaxPrep Ranking - February 28

MaxPrep Rankings have been updated for how Wisconsin teams place in comparison to each other. Immanuel's ranking is as follows:

Note:  Playing a weaker team like Clear Lake obviously placed us down in the ranking in spite of a decisive win even with the starters playing less than half the game.

TEAM RANK 197
Here's a graph as to how the MaxPreps ranking is changing through the season:


NATIONAL RANK:  7203  (-309)

State Rankings of key teams:
McDonell Central  213

Clayton  218
Owen-Withee  96
Thorp  262
Prentice  261
South Shore  142

Clear Lake 444

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Game 23: Clear Lake @ Immanuel (WIAA Regional Quarterfinal)

More updates coming ...

WIAA Regional Quarterfinal (Bracket)
At Eau Claire Immanuel
February 26, 2013




Eau Claire Immanuel (#2):  58   (20-3, 12-1) 

Clear Lake (#7):  9  (2-19, 0-12)


NOTE:  The Lancers took their first step up the playoff ladder this evening with a convincing 58-9 win over Clear Lake as playing time was had by all.  Even with with the bench, Immanuel defensively held its opposition to under double digits, something that hasn't been done in recent memory.  As a result of the victory, the team reaches one of its goals for the season:  To be the first-ever Immanuel basketball team, boys or girls, to have at least a 20-win season!  This is quite an accomplishment, especially considering that the team was tested with a tougher non-conference schedule, playing against more teams that were larger and more decorated.  For example, they competed against Regis who was the Division 4 State Champion in 2011 and also appeared in the state tournament just last year. 
This year Regis was the Western Cloverbelt Conference Champion.  Keep in mind, that during it's history, Immanuel had only gotten four regional victories prior to last season.  With two regional wins last year and one so far this year, tonight's win makes it number seven!  In addition the team extends its winning streak to 16 games.  On Friday night, March 1, 7 pm, at the Immanuel Fieldhouse, the Lancers move on to play McDonell, a team they beat 63-44 earlier this season.  McDonell (#3 seed) beat Prairie Farm (#6 seed), 55-29 (see article in which coach talks about upcoming game with Immanuel).  The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram was at the game this evening (see photo gallery).  WEAU's Jenn Chapman also did a live report prior to the game which included an interview with Coach James Sydow (see video).

Box Score and Team Stats on WSN   (To be updated ...)

Box Score and Team Stats on MaxPreps   (To be updated ...)
Event Page and Team Stats on USA Today HS Sports   (To be updated ...)

Game play-by-play
   (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Both Teams)     (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Immanuel Players)     (To be updated ...)
Shot Charts (Opponent Players)      (To be updated ...)


Game Video (HD Link):      (To be updated ...)


Live report by WEAU's Jen Chapman:


See sports highlight video from WEAU.
(Immanuel highlight, Part 1 of 2, at the 0:00 min. mark)



See sports highlight video from WQOW.  
(Immanuel highlight at the 6:05 min. mark, see Sports Overtime - Thursday)






From the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:

Immanuel Lutheran 58, Clear Lake 9  


Immanuel rests its starters, gets strong effort from its bench in quarterfinal rout

Jim Sydow has known from the get-go that this group of girls was talented. And after the Immanuel Lutheran girls basketball team's performance Tuesday that notion became widespread.

The Lancers beat Clear Lake 58-9 in the WIAA Division 5 regional quarterfinal to advance. The host team didn't allow the Warriors to score until midway through the second quarter.

"Quite candidly we're pretty good," Sydow said. "We've learned to play defense, and offensively we can score a lot of points, as you saw tonight."

The Lancers established a huge lead right off the bat. By the end of the first quarter, Immanuel Lutheran had a 25-0 lead. Clear Lake didn't get on the board until three minutes into the second quarter to make the score 33-2. But that was all the Warriors would score in the first half, and they went into the intermission down 38-2.

Sydow was able to play the majority of his bench players in the second half, which gave some of his starters time to recoup from nagging aches and pains — three starters entered the playoffs with ongoing injuries.

"I think the neat thing is we got a chance for girls who hadn't gotten a lot of playing time to get in the game," Sydow said. "They've been practicing with us all year, and it was really important for them to get some time on the floor."

Because players got more time off the bench than they normally would, the coaching staff was able to see what some of the reserve athletes were able to do. One of the girls that impressed them the most was freshman Chara Meyer.

Meyer is one of the first girls off the bench and is a big presence on the court — she stands at 6-foot-1. Meyer can shoot with both hands and finished the game with 12 points — second only behind Abbie Hein's 15.

"She's going to be good," Sydow said of Meyer. "She's big and she's very strong. She's improved immensely this season. When she gets her hand on the ball, she's pretty much got it in the hoop."

The Lancers (20-3) advanced to the regional semifinals, in which they will take on McDonell on Friday.

The two teams faced each other Jan. 24 and Immanuel came away with a 63-44 win. But, regardless, the Lancers know they will have their hands full later this week.

"They're really good," Sydow said. "We'll have to play really well to beat them. But this is a special group of girls, so if they play how they are capable, I think they'll do all right."

Immanuel Lutheran 58, Clear Lake 9
Clear Lake — Courtney Clark 3, Hannah Fitzer 2, Emily Buhr 2, Carly Warner 2. Totals (FGM FT-FTA TP): 3 3-6 9.

Immanuel Lutheran — Rachel Schaser 8, Abbie Hein 15, Abby Sydow 3, Lauren Lisak 4, Johanna Meyer 6, Chara Meyer 12, Rhiannon Roehl 4, Emily Hein 2, Abi Bernthal 4. Totals: 22 13-15 58.

Clear Lake 0 2 2 5 — 9
ECIL 25 13 14 6 — 58

3-point goals: Clear Lake 0, Immanuel Lutheran 1 (A. Hein). Total fouls: Clear Lake 11, Immanuel Lutheran 4. Records: Clear Lake 2-19; Immanuel Lutheran 20-3.



Next UpWIAA Regional Semifinal: Fri., Mar. 1, 7:00 pm - #3 McDonell Central 
@ #2 Immanuel (map) (MaxPreps pre-game) (WSN Preview) (USA Today) (WIAA Tournament)
 

Varsity Pics:     

WSN's WIAA Regional Quarterfinal Predictions

WSN predicts the following for tonight's WIAA Regional Quarterfinal Games:

Girls Hoops: Playoff predictions for opening regional games

02/26/2013, 10:00am CST
By Norbert Durst
The WIAA playoffs begin with regional games across the state tonight with the Resch Center in Green Bay as the destination.
I will be making predictions for each and every game of the playoffs from Division 1 to Division 5.
Here are my picks for tonight's regional games:


Division 5
Sectional 1
Washburn over Shell Lake
Siren over Solon Springs
Luck over Birchwood
Mellen over Mercer
Drummond over Frederick
Winter over Bayfield
Owen-Withee over Rib Lake
Gilman over Cornell
Prentice over Bruce
Thorp over Lake Holcombe
Clayton over New Auburn
Glenwood City over Turtle Lake
McDonell Central over Prairie Farm
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran over Clear Lake

Sectional 2
Niagara over Laona
Elcho over Florence
Phelps over Tigerton
Wabeno over Wisconsin Valley Lutheran
Goodman/Pembine over Three Lakes
Almond-Bancroft over Northland Lutheran
Newman Catholic over Gresham
Hilbert over White Lake
Sheboygan Christian over Stockbridge
Lena over Sevastopol
Gibraltar over Kohler
Oneida Nation over Wausaukee
Sheboygan Lutheran over Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah
Suring over Bowler
Green Bay New Lutheran over St. Thomas Aquinas

Sectional 3
Eleva-Strum over Alma/Pepin
Blair Taylor over Elmwood
Cochrane-Fountain City over Gilmanton
Plum City over Independence
Assumption over Granton
New Lisbon over Alma Center-Lincoln
Loyal over Greenwood
Columbus Catholic over Port Edwards
Royall over Kickapoo
Cashton over Wonewoc-Center
Hillsboro over La Farge
Brookwood over Weston
Seneca over Cassville
De Soto over Wauzeka
River Ridge over Highland
Ithaca over North Crawford

Sectional 4
Barneveld over Faith Christian
Pecatonica over Catholic Central
Black Hawk over Johnson Creek
Monticello over Albany
Benton/Shullsburg over Williams Bay
Argyle over Juda
Belmont over Racine Lutheran
Potosi over Abundant Life
Fall River over Cambria-Friesland
Central Wisconsin Christian over Rio
Oakfield over Hustisford
Randolph over Princeton/Green Lake
Trinity Academy over University Lake School
Living Word Lutheran over Eastbrook Academy
Lake Country Lutheran over Salam School

WIAA Playoffs: Wisconsin State Journal's Take

The Wisconsin State Journal from Madison had the following blurbs about Division 5 from three different articles.  Note that Immanuel received one pick for making it to state!

WIAA girls basketball state tournament preview

DIVISION 5

Last season: Barneveld took a 23-3 record into the championship game of the Fort Atkinson sectional and left on the short end of a 59-38 decision against Milwaukee Heritage Christian, the eventual state champion. Heritage Christian, which won its six postseason games by an average of 29.5 points, got its stiffest playoff test in the state semifinals from Seneca, winning 50-41 before pounding Owen-Withee 79-51 to claim its first state championship.
Area outlook: Barneveld (21-1) has its sights set on another sectional final shot at Heritage Christian. The Eagles graduated three starters and have only one senior on the roster (Madison Laube). But they brought in one of the state’s top freshmen in Hannah Whitish, a 5-8 guard averaging 15.3 ppg alongside sophomore Rachel Slaney (15.1). Fall River (21-1) and Randolph (16-6) will likely square off in a regional final for the right to face Heritage Christian in the sectional semifinals. Seneca and Royall — one of four teams to share the Scenic Bluffs Conference title — pulled down No. 1 regional seeds in a La Crosse Logan sectional where Wisconsin Rapids Assumption (the only team to beat Barneveld) is favored.
State of the state: After dominating its Division 5 competition a year ago, Heritage Christian coach Terry Bennett talked of playing up a division this season. That never materialized and the Patriots (20-2) are poised to dominate the postseason yet again. Their only losses have come to Division 1 schools Milwaukee King and Milwaukee Riverside and — in outscoring opponents 1,681-743 — they have twice topped the 100-point mark against teams that couldn’t match Heritage Christian’s depth or athleticism.
— Nick Sunderland-Saied, Dennis Semrau and Rob Hernandez


WIAA girls basketball: Rob Hernandez’s tournament take

DIVISION 5

What to watch: As long as Milwaukee Heritage Christian is allowed to stay in Division 5, the rest of the state has as much chance of winning a state title as I do a dunk contest. The Patriot missile that tore through the Kohl Center last year will do even greater damage at the Resch Center, but will the way in which Heritage Christian asserts its dominance spark outrage or be overshadowed by the fact no public school will be among the final four?
See you at the Resch Center: Wausau Newman, Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Eau Claire Immanuel, Milwaukee Heritage Christian.
Gold ball: Heritage Christian 95, Wausau Newman 31.


WIAA girls basketball: Dennis Semrau’s tournament take

DIVISION 5

What to watch: Milwaukee Heritage Christian (20-2) — with its only losses coming to Division 1 powers Milwaukee King and Milwaukee Riverside — is the defending champion and a favorite to repeat. But it will have to get past Barneveld (21-1) in the sectional finals. Barneveld’s only loss was by three points to Wisconsin Rapids Assumption (21-1).
See you at the Resch Center: Wausau Newman, Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, Owen-Withee, Milwaukee Heritage Christian.
Gold ball: Heritage Christian tips off “Championship Saturday” as the first of three repeat champions with a 53-48 victory over Wisconsin Rapids Assumption.


AP Rankings - February 26

Last week Immanuel was ranked #10 in the final WSN Coaches Poll and received a #7 ranking in the first WSN Coaches Poll.  They have not received any ranking nor any votes by the AP this season.  Here is likely the final Associated Press Wisconsin prep girls basketball poll for the week of February 26, with first-place votes in parentheses, record, total points and last week's ranking, as voted upon by a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters:

 











Monday, February 25, 2013

Massey Ranking - Feb 26

Massey Rankings have been updated for how Wisconsin teams place in comparison to each other. Immanuel's ranking is as follows:

TEAM RANK 188
(+33 from last week, Last week 221)  
(Pre-Season 219Season High 183 on 12/3/2012, Season Low 246 on 1/14/2013)   
(All-Time High 183 on 12/3/2012, All-Time Low 450 on 11/2009)

  • Schedule 362  .....(Last week 381)
  • Offense 123 .....(Last week 133)
  • Defense 303 .....(Last week 338)
  • Power 199 .....(Last week 223)
NATIONAL TEAM RANK 6637 
(+1233 from last week, Last week 7870


WSN's Favorites, contenders and sleepers - Division 5

WSN's Favorites, Contenders, and Sleepers - Division 5:


Division 5

Favorite: Heritage Christian (20-2)
Heritage Christian won last year's Division 5 title and their only two losses this season have came against D1 school Milwaukee King and Milwaukee Riverside. Coach Terry Bennett's team is loaded with talent, senior Jazmine Harris (6-1) highlights the group. The Northern Illinois recruit averages 15 points and 9 rebounds per game. Junior Ramiyah Bennett scored a team-high 19.3 points per contest while Teoncea Bennett (5-3, So.), Tiersa Gillie (5-8, Jr.), Jamera Sandifer (5-8, Sr.) and Marianna Bautista (5-7, So.) all average more than 8 points per game.

Contenders: Assumption (21-1), Owen-Withee

Assumption won the Marawood-South Conference title and picked up quality non-conference wins over Amherst, Barneveld and Richland Center. Coach Joe Birkhauser's team is led by junior Mary Sigler (5-9). Sigler averages 15.8 points per game for the Royals. Freshman Gena Grundhoffer (6-1) adds 11.4 points per game. Seven other players have scored at least 10 points in a game this year, including senior Hannah Skibba (5-9).

Owen-Withee was last year's Division 5 runner-up. Veteran Coach Al Guthman's team has only three losses this season and two of them have came against Neillsville (D3 #1). Senior Aleyna Goerlitz (5-9) leads the way for the Blackhawks with 14.4 points per game. Junior Bailey Karaba (5-9) and sophomore Stephany Heggemeier (5-7) each contribute over 10 points per contest.

Sleepers: Barneveld (21-1), Hilbert (11-11), Newman Catholic (15-7), Potosi (19-3), South Shore (22-0)

Barneveld finished the as the Six Rivers-East champs and their only loss came against Assumption by 3 points. Veteran coach Jim Myers has three players averaging more than 12 points per game, freshman Hannah Whitish (5-8) leads the way with 15.3 points per game. Sophomore Rachel Slaney (5-10) scores 15.1 ppg and senior Madi Laube (5-9) contributes 12.2 ppg. Laube is a tremendous 3-point shooter, she broke Barneveld's all-time record for made threes this season. The Golden Eagles are in the toughest Sectional in Division 5 and will have a potential match-up against Heritage Christian in Sectional Finals.

Hilbert will enter the playoffs with a .500 record but playing in the Olympian Conference with schools much larger is the reason. The Wolves lost to Newman Catholic in a Sectional Final contest last season by only one point and will again be in position to make again make a run in the playoffs. Sophomore Erica Gehl (5-10) is the top scorer for coach Brandon Krueger with 15 points per game. Fellow sophomore Erin Leffler (5-5) contributes 9 ppg while senior Katie Gehl (5-7) adds 7.6 ppg.

Newman Catholic has reached the state tournament in each of the past three years, including two state championships. Veteran coach Tom Weinkauf's team has eight players who have scored at least 10 points in a game this season. Senior Kim Steif (5-5) leads the way with 12.9 points per game. Other key contributors include senior Brianna Jankowsi (8.9 ppg) and juniors Madison Tubbs (9.9 ppg) and Chloe Chapman (8.3 ppg).

Potosi finished with a share of the Six Rivers-West title. Coach Brad Bierman's squad is led by senior Abby Ames (5-7). She averages 14.1 points per game while fellow senior Tiffany Langmeier (6-0) contributes 9.6 points per contest. The Chieftains road will not be easy as there are six teams in their sectional that have been ranked in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll this season.

South Shore finished the regular season undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the Coaches Poll. Coach Clendon Gustafson's team is lead by his daughters Megan and Emily Guastafson and Janice Anderson.  Megan (6-3, So.) averages a state-leading 31.5 points per game while also putting up 13.2 rebounds and 6 blocks per game. She has a scholarship offer from Marquette. Emily (6-2, Sr.) scores 18.2 points and grabs a state-leading 18.3 rebounds per game. Anderson, a 5-4 junior, averages 17.1 points, 8.2 assists and 6 steals per contest. The Cardinals have a potential match-up against Owen-Withee in Sectional Finals.

Tournament Breakdown
Sectional Final Predictions, March 9

Hilbert over Newman Catholic
Assumption over Seneca
Owen-Withee over South Shore
Heritage Christian over Barneveld
State Semi-Finals, March 14
Assumption over Hilbert
Heritage Christian over Owen-Withee
Championship, March 16
Heritage Christian over Assumption

2013 WIAA Girls Playoffs Breakdown

Jason Cox of the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram writes the following about the WIAA tournament which begins tomorrow:

Division 5
Area teams involved: La Crosse Logan Sectional —  Eleva-Strum, Alma/Pepin, Blair-Taylor, Elmwood,  Gilmanton, Independence, Plum City, Greenwood, Alma Center  Lincoln. Spooner Sectional — Owen-Withee, Cornell, Gilman, Bruce, Lake Holcombe, Thorp, New Auburn, Glenwood City, Prairie Farm, McDonell, Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran
What to watch for: Eau Claire  Immanuel Lutheran (18-3) is the second seed in its  regional. The Lancers hope to make a deep playoff run with their high-powered  offense, led by senior Abbie Hein, but  Owen-Withee (18-2) is the class of this half of the  sectional. Two of the  Blackhawks' losses this season came in competitive games with  Neillsville. They should thrive playing in Division 5.
Large Dairyland  champion Eleva-Strum is the top seed in its regional of the La Crosse Logan Sectional. If the  Cardinals were to reach the sectional semifinals, they'd likely meet Wisconsin Rapids Assumption, the top-ranked team in the state.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Upcoming Week: Feb 24-Mar 2

For the upcoming week:
So it all comes down to this ... Playoff time!  This will be a HUGE week for the Immanuel girls program!  Come support your team!

Dairyland - Small - 2012-13 Regular Season

Team W L T Pct GB GP Overall
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 12 1 0 .923 - 13 19-3-0
Cochrane-Fountain City 8 5 0 .615 4.0 13 12-10-0
Independence 5 8 0 .385 7.0 13 5-17-0
Gilmanton 3 10 0 .231 9.0 13 6-14-0
Alma/Pepin 1 12 0 .077 11.0 13 4-16-0

Dairyland - Large - 2012-13 Regular Season

Team W L T Pct GB GP Overall
Eleva-Strum 10 3 0 .769 - 13 11-11-0
Alma Center Lincoln 7 6 0 .538 3.0 13 11-10-0
Blair-Taylor 7 6 0 .538 3.0 13 10-12-0
Whitehall 6 7 0 .462 4.0 13 8-11-0
Melrose-Mindoro 6 7 0 .462 4.0 13 6-16-0