By NATE BEIER | For the County Line
Despite improving on last year’s record with an additional victory, the Royall girls basketball team is just 7–15 after finishing the regular season.
The Panthers ended the regular season with just one win, a nonconference victory at Kickapoo, in their last six games, but they still tied for fifth place in the Scenic Bluffs Conference.
Thorp 34, Royall 25
The Panthers took a 9-point loss at JustAGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells from Thorp on Feb. 7. Nicole Miller led the team with 10 rebounds, and Paige Hyer added 8. In the loss, Kelsea Storkel and Miller each had two assists.
Wonewoc-Center 46, Royall 42 OT
The Wolves notched a league victory in overtime with a 4-point win over Royall at home Feb. 12.
Madeline Benson went 6–12 in 3-pointers for 18 of her game-high 22 points, plus she was 4–10 in free throws. Emma Schumann added 9 in the victory.
Royall’s offensive production seemed strong, as three players reached double figures. Kelsey Vieth scored 13; Paige Hyer, 12; and Kelsea Storkel, 10.
Royall 34, Kickapoo 22
A third-quarter push allowed Royall to carve out a nonconference win over Kickapoo on Feb. 13.
Royall held a 16–13 halftime lead, but used a 10–4 third-quarter run to quell the host Panthers’ hopes of a comeback win. Hyer tallied 19 points, and Nicole Miller and Storkel each added 5. Leading the home team, Kickapoo’s Alyssa Matthes scored 7.
Cashton 34, Royall 26
Once again, the Panthers’ kept the team’s most proficient offense quiet — at least, for a half of a game — when they hosted Cashton in league play.
The Panthers held a 12–8 lead at the half, but fell behind in the third quarter with a 9–2 run by the visiting Eagles. To set up the win, Cashton outscored Royall by 5 in the final quarter.
The only player for either team to score double figures, Betsy Schreier led Cashton with 16. Jamie Schmitz added 8. Royall’s offense showcased five scoring threats led by Kelsey Vieth and Nicole Miller with 7 a piece. Paige Hyer and Kelsea Storkel each added 5.
Hillsboro 41, Royall 34
Another quick start by the coach Andrew Dahlen’s Panthers couldn’t be sustained, as Royall fell to Hillsboro in the final game of the regular season.
Royall led 8–3 after the first quarter, but watched as Hillsboro used a 23–11 run over the next 16 minutes of play to take the lead, which they held, for the win.
Hyer dropped 16 points in the win, and McKenzie Baeseman added 11 to lead the home team. Destiny Shore added 17 for Hillsboro for a game high, and Brittany Borchardt and Mackenzie Sullivan combined for 17 points.
Regionals
Royall hosted New Lisbon on Tuesday in the opening round of regional play. The Panthers, which received the third seed in the bracket, would face the winner of Kickapoo/Hillsboro on Friday night should they win on Tuesday. Cashton is the top-seed in the bracket.
Falcons overcome loss to Hillsboro to finish second in league
A narrow loss at Hillsboro two weeks ago compromised Brookwood’s chances of a third straight conference title severely, but the team rebounded to win its last two games and finish tied with Cashton for second place in league standings and enter the WIAA tournament with some momentum.
Boscobel 56, Brookwood 47
The Bulldogs bested the Falcons on Feb. 7 in a nonconference game, which had been rescheduled from earlier in the season.No additional information was available.
Brookwood 62, Lincoln 41
Lincoln’s Kaitlyn Huber scored 19, but it wasn’t enough to stop an up-tempo Brookwood team from notching the nonconference victory Feb. 10 in Alma Center.
Hillsboro 65, Brookwood 60
The Falcons trailed 29–23 at halftime, but watched as the deficit grew to more than 15 points in the third quarter.
However, the tenacious visitors battled back in the fourth quarter, slowly closing the gap. In the final minute of play, Brookwood came within 5 and then 3 points of tying the game, but key baskets by the Tigers in the final 30 seconds set up the important victory.
Brookwood outscored Hillsboro 27–18 in the fourth quarter. Hillsboro’s Morgan Huntley led the Tigers with 26, and Destiny Shore added 25. The duo was 11–12 from the free-throw line.
Brookwood 76, De Soto 43
A 21–5 first-quarter pummeling followed by a 22–13 run paved theway for a nonconference win Feb. 16 against De Soto.
Bailey Hammon led all scorers with a 15-point scoring night, and Cecilia Mendoza added 13. Julia Wopat paced the Pirates with 8, and Natalie Boardman added 7.
The win grants Brookwood a 6–2 nonconference record for the year. The team was 4–0 against the Ridge and Valley Conference, 1–0 against the Dairyland Large, 1–1 against the Coulee and 0–1 against the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League.
Brookwood 55, Necedah 27
Coach Greg Dull improved to 6–0 and finished this season’s sweep of Necedah following last week’s win over the Cardinals in the penultimate game of the regular season. In fact, the Falcons own a 20-game win streak against Necedah, which is tied for the longest active streak among conference opponents in Scenic Bluffs girls basketball. Bangor also has an active 20-game win streak against Necedah.
Brookwood 65, New Lisbon 24
New Lisbon managed just a single field goal in the first quarter against the Brookwood defense in the final conference game of the season.
The Falcons’ 20-point opening rant put them at a distinct advantage, and they outscored New Lisbon by an average of 7 points in each of the final three quarters for the victory.
Amy Berg paced the Falcons with 16, and Briana Nelson added 5 in the win. Savannah Dahlke led New Lisbon with 6.
The win allowed Brookwood to remain tied with Cashton for second place in the conference and improve to 17–5 on the season.