It was about making history.
That is exactly what the Oconto Falls High School girls basketball team did Saturday, becoming the first team in school history to reach the WIAA state basketball tournament after dispatching Two Rivers 30-28 in the Division 3 sectional final at Ashwaubenon High School.
Oconto Falls (22-3), which was ranked No. 9 in Division 3 in the final Associated Press poll, will make its state debut against fourth-ranked Kettle Moraine Lutheran (25-1) at 9:05 a.m. Friday at the Resch Center in Green Bay. The winner will play in the championship Saturday against either top-ranked Neillsville (26-0) or No. 2 Brodhead (25-0).
As Oconto Falls struggled to a season-low 30 points on offense, the Panthers’ defense, playing a combination of man and zone, kept them in the game just as it has throughout the postseason.
“It was truly a team win tonight,” Oconto Falls coach Mike Kaczmarek said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well at all. A lot of credit goes out to the Two Rivers defense.”
The Panthers were behind 27-24 after Alexi Walesh hit her fourth 3-pointer with about 3 minutes left in the game.
McKenna Larsen, a 5-foot-7 senior guard who has played the last seven games with a torn ligament in her right hand, then calmly drained a 3-pointer of her own to tie the game and give her a game-high 14 points.
“Our offense was off, but you’ve got to weather the storm, and I think we did,” Larsen said. “They’re not all going to be easy and smooth.”
On the next possession, the Panthers’ press caused Mackenzie Walesh’s inbound pass to go out of bounds.
A foul put Carly Lemke, a 6-1 senior forward, on the free-throw line, where she made one of two attempts to give Oconto Falls a 28-27 lead with 1:54 left.
The Panthers would hold that one-point lead until there were 14 ticks left to go, when Larsen tied up Marissa Broehm to force a jump ball and give the Panthers another possession. Two Rivers went to a press defense, but Oconto Falls was able to get the ball to junior Elizabeth Manns, who was open under the basket and made a layup with 11.8 on the clock to give OFHS a 30-27 edge.
“I couldn’t breathe,” Manns said about taking the shot. “I couldn’t believe I made it. It was crazy, and I was holding my breath the whole time.”
Alyson Wanek went to the line with 4 seconds left and cut the Panthers’ lead to 30-28. With 2.4 seconds remaining, Two Rivers fouled Lemke, who missed both free throws. The Raiders got the rebound, but the clock ran out before they could get a shot.
The game started slowly, with neither team sinking a basket in the first 3 minutes. Two Rivers took a 5-0 lead. A 3-pointer by senior Elizabeth Watzka, who finished with six points, and a basket by Manns tied the game with 1:20 left in the first quarter. Oconto Falls led 8-5 at the end of the period.
Two Rivers rallied to lead 12-11 with 1:24 left in the first half, but the Panthers came back for a 15-14 halftime edge. Oconto Falls was up 24-22 going into the fourth quarter.
On Thursday the Panthers beat Fox Valley Lutheran (23-2) 43-36 in the sectional semifinal in Pulaski. Larsen, who is scheduled to have surgery on her hand March 25, scored a game-high 26 points. Manns added 10.
Oconto Falls’ postseason run might have started with its 55-54 win over New London on Feb. 18. It was the Bulldogs’ first Bay Conference loss since 2011 and a big win for the Panthers.
“Throughout the season we were improving game after game,” Lemke said. “We beat New London; that was an amazing game. We just kept going up from there.”
“Our defense has been aggressive, and we’re going to carry that into state,” Larsen said. “I couldn’t be more proud.”
Two Rivers (28)
Wanek 1 1-2 3, A. Walesh 4 0-0 12, M. Walesh 3 0-0 6, Garcia 2 1-2 5, B. Walesh 1 0-0 2
Oconto Falls (30)
Larsen 5 3-3 14, Lemke 2 1-4 5, Watzka 2 0-0 6, Manns 2 1-3 5
Two Rivers 5 9 8 6 — 28
Oconto Falls 8 7 9 6 — 30
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