The top-seeded Gillett Secondary School girls basketball team was upset by Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran 46-23 in the WIAA Division 5 regional final Saturday in Gillett.
The Tigers were down by single digits throughout the first half, but fell behind by 10 points in the third quarter and were outscored 15-2 in the final period.
Gillett coach Justin Daul said his team missed a lot of opportunities, especially at the free-throw line in the first half.
“If we make free throws in the first half, we go into halftime leading the game,” Daul said. “The momentum totally changed. We hung around, we played good enough defense in the first half, but we didn’t make free throws.”
The Tigers hit just eight of 17 free-throw attempts in the first half and finished 10-of-21.
“We just didn’t execute,” Daul said. “I thought (N.E.W. Lutheran) played a little scrappier than they showed on tape. You have to give them credit.”
Keifer Zimmerman, a 5-foot-7 junior, led the Blazers with 20 points.
“Off the dribble she was far better than what she showed us in any of our scouting,” Daul said. “Our main focus was on Sadie Nier. I thought we did OK.”
Nier, a 5-8 senior, was held to six points in the first half and finished with 13.
Gillett seniors Kara Brennan and Marissa Sherman led the Tigers with seven points each.
The coach had high praise for his senior class, which also included Nicole Rotter.
“I told them in the locker room, what they did is put us definitely back on the map,” Daul said. “Teams are definitely going to have to look at us and say, ‘We’re going to have to get through them to get to a regional championship.’ They showed young kids how to be good.”
Gillett beat No. 4 Lena 45-36 in the regional semifinal Friday.
Brennan led Gillett with 14 points. Sherman added 11, and Nicole Rotter had nine.
Melissa Bushmaker led Lena (8-15, 5-10 M&O) with 23 points.
N.E.W. Lutheran (46)
Nier 4 5-8 13, Zimmerman 6 8-14 20, Sabel 1 0-0 2, Meerstein 4 0-0 9, VanBeaver 1 0-1 2
Gillett (23)
Wolfe 0 1-4 1, Rotter 1 0-2 2, Sherman 3 0-0 7, Brennan 1 5-6 7, Wilbur 0 1-3 1, Kohls 1 3-6 5
N.E.W. Lutheran 10 8 13 15 — 46
Gillett 6 8 7 2 — 23
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