Game 26: Immanuel v. Owen-Withee (WIAA Sectional Semifinal)

More updates coming ...

WIAA Sectional Semifinal (Bracket)
At Rice Lake
March 7, 2013

---

Eau Claire Immanuel:  46   (22-4, 12-1) 

Owen-Withee:  73  (23-3, 16-2)

---

NOTE:  The Lancers ran into the team that is the defending State Runner-up from last year's Division 5 State Championship game.  Owen-Withee was prepared and ready as the Lancers struggled with their 2-2-1 and 2-1-2 press.  As such, the Lancers' incredible season came to an end.

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 (Part 1)   (Rob Sauers and Matt Schaser broadcast)   
Game Audio (Part 2)   (Rob Sauers and Matt Schaser broadcast)      




From Prep Roundup in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:

Owen-Withee 73,  Immanuel Lutheran 46: Emily Gokey and Stephanie Heggemeier combined for 45 points as the Blackhawks cruised to victory.

"Immanuel Lutheran really shut down Aleyna Goerlitz inside, and she scored 45 points over the last two games for us," Owen-Withee coach Al Guthman said. "That did leave our outside shooters open, and we were able to make our shots."

The Blackhawks made five three-pointers in the win — two from each Heggemeier, and one from Bailey Karaba.

‘The competition is good, so we have to bring our ‘A' game," Guthman said. "Any team we meet at this point in the season is going to be tough."

The Lancers, who were playing in their first sectional game, were led by 13 points from Abbie Hein.

Rachel Schaser and Joanna Meyer added nine points apiece for Immanuel Lutheran.

Owen-Withee takes on South Shore on Saturday.

From Prep Statistics in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:

Owen-Withee 73, Immanuel Lutheran 46

Owen-Withee — Emily Gokey 4, Stephany Heggemeier 20, Bailey Karaba 25, Emily Heggemeier 8, Kenadi Batchelor 2, Whitney Baehr 4, Alyssa Fritz 2, Aleyna Goerlitz 8. Totals (FGM FT-FTA TP): 25 8-14 73.

Immanuel Lutheran — Abbey Hein 13, Emily Hein 8, Rachel Schaser 9, Johanna Meyer 9, Abby Sydow 2, Johanna Ohlamnn 4, Chara Meyer 1. Totals: 15 7-12 46.

Owen-Withee 20 15 19 19 — 73

Immanuel Lutheran 7 17 5 17 — 46

3-point goals: Owen-Withee 5 (S. Heggemeier 2, Karaba, E. Heggemeier 2), Immanuel Lutheran 3 (A. Hein, E. Hein, J. Meyer). Total fouls: Owen-Withee 13, Immanuel Lutheran 16. Records: Owen-Withee 23-3; Immanuel Lutheran 22-4.

From the Marshfield News Herald:

RICE LAKE -- The Owen-Withee girls basketball team won in convincing fashion over Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran in a WIAA Division 5 sectional semifinal at Rice Lake on Thursday night.
Bailey Karaba, a 5-foot-9 junior guard, led all scorers with 25 points and grabbed seven steals, and Stephany Heggemeir, who averaged 13.6 points per game this year, added another 20 and hit two 3’s in the Blackhawks’ win. Owen-Withee (23-3) outscored the Lancers (22-4) by a margin of 20-7 in the first quarter.
“I thought our kids really set the tempo early. Emily Heggemeier, her first time down the floor, she hit a three and we were off and running,” said Owen-Withee coach Al Guthman.
Aleyna Goerlitz scored just eight points with 13 rebounds. Emily Heggemeir also had eight points and made two 3-pointers.
The only quarter that Owen was outscored in turned out to be the second with the Lancers grabbing a narrow a 17-15 edge.
“The second quarter they got things going a little bit and we left off a little bit,” said Guthman “That third quarter we got it going again, they were crashing hard inside all night around Aleyna (Georlitz).” The Blackhawks won the third quarter with a 19-5 run sparked mostly by their defense.
“It really was truly a team effort, our defense was just awesome, like it has been all year,” said Guthman “They set the tone. Our defense resulted in a lot of points off of turnovers as well. We brought our ‘A’ game and (our whole team) played very hard. It paid off.”
The Owen-Withee girls will play South Shore at the sectional finals Saturday night in Spooner. The winner advances to state.
The top scorers for Eau Claire were Abby Hein with 13 and Rachel Schasser and Joana Meyers who had nine points each.
Owen-Withee(73): Emily Gokey 4, Stephany Heggemeir 20, Bailey Karaba 25, Emily Heggemeier 8, Kendai Batchelor 2, Whitney Baehr 4, Alyssa Frtiz 2, Aleyna Goerlitz 8.
Eau-Claire(46): Abbie Hein 13, Emily Hein 8, Rachel Schaser 9, Johanna Meyers 9, Abby Sydow 2, Joahanna Ohlmann 4, Chara Meyer 1.
3-pointers: ECIL(3): Abby Hein, Emily Hein, Joahanna Meyer; Owen-Withee(5): Stephany heggemeier 2, Bailey Karaba, Emily Heggemeier 2.

Next Up:  Journey's end

Varsity Pics:     

WEAU - Story about Immanuel

WEAU came to the Immanuel campus today to do a story on the Immanuel girls basketball team making history by bringing the school's first regional title in basketball.  Immanuel is discussed right after Chippewa Falls at the 0:48 second mark.

WEAU Story Link

WSN's WIAA Secional Semifinal Predictions

Girls Hoops: Predictions for WIAA Sectional Semi-Finals

03/06/2013, 10:45am CST

By Norbert Durst

Here's how I stand with my WIAA predictions after the regional final games:
Division 1 - 44-12 (78.6%)
Division 2 - 56-14 (80%)
Division 3 - 69-11 (86.2%)
Division 4 - 68-9 (88.3%)
Division 5 - 88-20 (81.4%)
Overall - 325-66 (83.1%)


Division 5
Sectional 1
South Shore over Northwood
Owen-Withee over Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran
Sectional 2
Newman Catholic over Phelps
Hilbert over Oneida Nation
Sectional 3
Assumption over Plum City
Seneca over Brookwood
Sectional 4
Barneveld over Benton/Shullsburg
Heritage Christian over Fall River

WIAA Tournament Update - After Regional Finals

WIAA Tournament Update:

• Tournament Website
• Division 5 Bracket
• Of interest to Immanuel:
• Plum City - Regional Champion (Division 5) (Immanuel won 53-42)
• Eleva-Strum - Regional Runner-up (Division 5) (Immanuel won twice, 52-39, 48-40)
• Mondovi - Regional Champion (Division 4) (Lost to Plum City, a team Immanuel beat)
• Regis - Regional Runner-up (Division 4)  (Immanuel lost, 47-51)
• Durand - Regional Semifinalist (Division 3) (Immanuel lost 50-51)
• Sectional Bracket Update:

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:

• Tournament Website
• Division 5 Bracket
• Half Sectional Bracket Update:

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 Up:  WIAA 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

WIAA Tournament Update - After Regional Quarterfinals

WIAA Tournament Update:

• Tournament Website
• Division 5 Bracket
• Half Sectional Bracket Update:

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

Steve Kinderman

Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran's Abbie Hein battles Clear Lake's Carly Warner for a rebound Tuesday in WIAA girls basketball Division 5 regional quarterfinal tournament game at Immanuel.

Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2013 11:31 pm

Immanuel Lutheran 58, Clear Lake 9

By Jocelyn Syrstad Leader-Telegram staff |

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 Up:  WIAA 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

Read more: http://host.madison.com/sports/high-school/basketball/girls/wiaa-girls-basketball-state-tournament-preview/article_97959bd4-7fd6-11e2-b8c6-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz2M1OxETCg

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.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/sports/high-school/basketball/girls/wiaa-girls-basketball-rob-hernandez-s-tournament-take/article_3b24227a-7fd7-11e2-b825-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz2M1PG1mJ6

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.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/sports/high-school/basketball/girls/wiaa-girls-basketball-dennis-semrau-s-tournament-take/article_0a24ffba-7fd6-11e2-b34f-001a4bcf887a.html#ixzz2M1PTZDWm

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.

WQOW's Picks

WQOW's Sports Director, Bob Bradovich, made his picks for this year's WIAA tournament in his blog post:

Gils H.S. Basketball Picks

Division 5
Regional Quarterfinals: Eleva-Strum over Alma/Pepin, Blair-Taylor over Elmwood, C-FC over Gilmanton, Plum City over Independence, Assumption over Granton, Lincoln over New Lisbon, Loyal over Greenwood, Port Edwards over Marshfield Columbus, Shell Lake over Washburn, Siren over Solon Springs, Luck over Birchwood, Mellen over Mercer, Drummond over Frederic, 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, EC Immanuel Lutheran over Clear Lake
Regional Semifinals: Eleva-Strum over Blair-Taylor, Plum City over C-FC, Assumption over Lincoln, Loyal over Port Edwards, South Shore over Solon Springs, Luck over Siren, Mellen over Drummond, Northwood over Winter, Owen-Withee over Gilman, Thorp over Prentice, Clayton over Glenwood City, ECIL over McDonell
Regional Finals: Eleva-Strum over Plum City, Assumption over Loyal, Luck over South Shore, Northwood over Mellen, Owen-Withee over Thorp, Clayton over ECIL
Sectional Semifinals: Assumption over E-S, Luck over Northwood, Owen-Withee over Clayton
Sectional Final: Assumption over Seneca, Owen-Withee over Luck
Other sectional winners: Wausau Newman, Heritage Christian


-BOB BRADOVICH

2013 WIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs Articles

Here are some articles about the upcoming WIAA Playoffs ...

----------------------
From today's Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:

Girls hoops: Huskies to open playoffs on road

By Leader-Telegram staff

A share of the Big Rivers Conference lead wasn't enough to earn Eau Claire North a home playoff game.
The Huskies will start their WIAA girls basketball playoffs journey on the road. When the playoff brackets were released Sunday, North was shown as a five seed in the Division 1 D.C. Everest Sectional. It will travel to fourth-seeded Wausau West in a regional semifinal Friday, March 1.

North (15-5) is tied with Chippewa Falls (17-4) for the Big Rivers lead with one game remaining. The Cardinals were seeded second and will host seventh-seeded Eau Claire Memorial in a regional semifinal.

The third-place team in the Big Rivers, Rice Lake, was seeded fifth in the Division 2 Marshfield Sectional. The Warriors (11-10) take on fourth-seeded La Crosse Central in their opener.

Menomonie will be in action in the regional quarterfinals. Seeded seventh, the Mustangs (7-13) travel to 10th-seeded Tomah on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

Four Heart O'North teams earned first-round byes in the Division 3 River Falls Sectional. Conference champion Ladysmith (19-2) is the top seed in the top half of the bracket.

Runner-up Barron (17-4) is seeded second and third-place Hayward (15-4) is seeded third. Both have byes to the regional semifinals.

Bloomer (14-7), the Heart O'North's fourth-place team, is a No. 3 seed in the bottom half of the bracket. The top seed there is unbeaten Eastern Cloverbelt champion Neillsville, the state's top-ranked team. The Warriors (20-0), who won the Division 4 state championship last year, move up to D3 this season.

The top two teams in the Dunn-St. Croix both earned No. 1 seeds and first-round byes in Division 4.

Conference champion Colfax (20-2) is the top seed in the top half of the Chippewa Falls Sectional. If both teams win their regional semifinals, the Vikings would face fourth-seeded Eau Claire Regis (14-7) in a regional final.

The Ramblers, champions of the Western Cloverbelt, will host the winner of Webster and Grantsburg in Friday's regional semifinals.

Elk Mound (15-5), the third-place team in the Dunn-St. Croix, is seeded third in the bracket. The Mounders are opposite Central Lakeland champion Cameron (18-2) in their regional. The Comets are seeded second.

In the Baraboo Sectional, Mondovi (14-7), currently second in the Dunn-St. Croix, earned a No. 1 seed. Western Cloverbelt runner-up Fall Creek (15-6) is the No. 2 seed in that regional.

In Division 5, Large Dairyland champion Eleva-Strum is seeded first in the top half of the La Crosse Logan Sectional.

Small Dairyland winner Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran, led by standout Abbie Hein, is a No. 2 seed in the lower half of the Spooner Sectional.

Owen-Withee, second to Neillsville in the Eastern Cloverbelt, is the No. 1 seed in the other regional.

----------------------
From today's Chippewa Valley Herald:

Girls basketball playoff brackets announced

McDonell earned a No. 3 seed in Division 5 and hosts No. 6 Prairie Farm on the opening night of the playoffs. Cornell also will be home for the first game of the playoffs as the No. 4-seeded Chiefs host No. 5 Gilman. Lake Holcombe and New Auburn will be on the road for the opening game of the playoffs when the No. 7 Chieftains play at No. 2 Thorp and No. 8 New Auburn plays at top-seeded Clayton.

----------------------

2013 WIAA Tournament Seeding

WIAA Girls Basketball Page
WIAA Girls Basketball Tournament Page
WIAA Division 5 Brackets
(Immanuel is in Sectional #1, Regional D)

The WIAA has released its tournament schedule and seeding for Division 5.  Eau Claire Immanuel received the #2 seed in Sectional 1 (Spooner Sectional), Regional D.  After two ties with Clayton in the seeding vote, Immanuel lost the coin flip.  This means Immanuel will host the first game and potentially the second.  Immanuel will host #7 Clear Lake on Tuesday, February 26, 7:00 pm.

Just for how interest in how the Immanuel program has transitioned the past four years, here are Immanuel's seeds for the past five years:
     2013  2012  2011  2010  2009
      #2    #3    #5    #6    #8

Here's how the Regional was seeded:

1. Clayton (WSN) (MaxPreps)
2. Eau Claire Immanuel (WSN) (MaxPreps)
3. McDonell Central (WSN) (MaxPreps)
4. Glenwood City (WSN) (MaxPreps)
5. Turtle Lake (WSN) (MaxPreps)
6. Prairie Farm (WSN) (MaxPreps)
7. Clear Lake (WSN) (MaxPreps)
8. New Auburn (WSN) (MaxPreps)

Here's how the Half-Sectional is bracketed:

2013 WIAA Seeding Meeting Post
2012 WIAA Tournament Seeding (#3 of 16)
2011 WIAA Tournament Seeding (#5 of 8)
2010 WIAA Tournament Seeding (#6 of 8)
2009 WIAA Tournament Seeding (#8 of 8)

2013 WIAA Seeding Meeting Tomorrow

WIAA Girls Basketball Page
WIAA Division 5 Brackets
(Immanuel is in Sectional #1, Regional D)

Tomorrow is the WIAA seeding meeting for the regional in which Immanuel is included (see earlier post).  The resultant seeded brackets will be updated during the weekend, most likely on Sunday.  We will post the results on the blog.

Here are this blogger's Top 10 convincing arguments for Immanuel to secure the #1 seed:

1. Small Dairland Conference title 
2. Immanuel has a 17-3 record, Clayton 16-3 (WSN has a win repeated in its database)
3. Immanuel challenged itself to tougher non-conference opponents this season
4. Immanuel has won 13 games in a row, Clayton just 3-game winning streak
5. Immanuel is undefeated (13-0) in 2013 (since Christmas break), Clayton is 9-2 in 2013
6. Immanuel had a close early-season loss to Regis who won the Western Cloverbelt Conference, recognized as one of the toughest conferences in the area
7. Immanuel is 3-2 against opponents larger than Division 5, Clayton 2-2
8. Immanuel has defeated every conference opponent since its opening conference loss on the road, beating every conference team at least once (Clayton lost at home to Northwood recently on 2/5)
9. Immanuel was hardened and won some tight games during a stretch when team had key injuries (e.g., 2OT win over Independence, 52-50 come-from-behind win over Div. 4 Melrose-Mindoro)
10. Immanuel handily defeated regional opponent, McDonell Central, 63-44

The following chart shows the teams listed in order of their current records along with their winning percentage and MaxPreps ranking (all info. current as of today, 2/16/2012):

Team	Record	W%	MaxPreps (2/14)
Eau Claire Immanuel	17-3	0.85	204
Clayton	16-3	0.84	195
McDonell Central	12-9	0.57	208
Glenwood City	11-10	0.52	276
Prairie Farm	9-12	0.43	414
Turtle Lake	8-11	0.42	346
Clear Lake	2-16	0.11	449
New Auburn	1-17	0.06	482

2011-12 Seeding Meeting Info.

2013 WIAA Bracket Setup Update

The WIAA has updated its breakdown of teams for the 2013 WIAA basketball tournament from what it was in July.  Here is the WIAA setup. The Immanuel girls will be in Regional D of Sectional 1 (Spooner).  This is quite a change from the past few years.  Last year Immanuel was in Half Bracket A of Sectional 3.  The Regional bracket includes the following teams:

Regional D
Clayton
Clear Lake
Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran
Glenwood City
McDonell Central
New Auburn
Prairie Farm
Turtle Lake

2013 WIAA Bracket Setup

The WIAA has published its breakdown of teams for the 2013 WIAA basketball tournament.  Here is the WIAA setup. The Immanuel girls will be in Half Bracket B of Sectional 1 (Spooner).  This is quite a change from the past few years.  Last year Immanuel was in Half Bracket A of Sectional 3.  The half bracket includes the following teams:

Half Bracket B

• Bruce
• Clayton
• Clear Lake
• Cornell
• Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran
• Gilman
• Glenwood City
• Lake Holcombe
• McDonell Central
• New Auburn
• Owen-Withee
• Prairie Farm
• Prentice
• Rib Lake
• Thorp 
• Turtle Lake

See 2012 setup ...
See 2012 seedings and results ...