Witt-Birn girls basketball team falters late in home loss

Updated: Jan. 9, 11:15 a.m.

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls basketball team was unable to hold on to a late lead in an eventual 51-49 nonconference loss to Wabeno/Laona on Jan. 6 in Wittenberg.

Witt-Birn led 48-43 with just a couple minutes remaining, but a Wabeno/Laona 3-pointer followed by another field goal knotted the score with about 40 seconds to play.

Witt-Birn then turned the ball over, giving the visitors a chance to take the lead. The Rebels took advantage by converting a three-point play with 13.4 seconds remaining.

Witt-Birn advanced to ball into the frontcourt before calling a timeout with 8.7 ticks left. The Chargers struggled to get a clean look at the basket before junior Allison Linke took a contested jumpshot.

Linke was fouled on the play, but her left foot was on the 3-point line, meaning she would only get two free attempts with a second left. Linke missed the first attempt before hitting the second one.

Witt-Birn called timeout to set up a last-second defensive stand. Freshman Faith Resch got in front of the inbounds pass, but wasn’t able to corral it, allowing the final second to run out.

“We panicked when it came down to that situation,” said Witt-Birn junior Reese Rogowski of the team’s play over the final few minutes. “We had some stupid turnovers that we shouldn’t have had. On the defensive side, we struggled with boxing out and they got those second shots that put them up.”

Rogowski had a huge game, and kept the Chargers in it by scoring 15 of the team’s 20 second-half points. Rogowski finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, three steals and five assists.

Senior Kaylee Schram was the only other Charger over four points. She scored 10 of her 12 points in the first half. She also grabbed nine rebounds.

The teams battled throughout the first half, with Witt-Birn jumping out to a 7-1 lead after buckets from Schram, senior Jadalynn Davids and Linke. Wabeno/Laona scored 13 of the next 19 points to pull ahead 14-13.

It was then Witt-Birn’s turn to go on a run, with Rogowski and Schram providing the scoring to put the hosts up 20-14. The visitors responded with a 7-0 run to take a one-point lead again.

The teams then traded several 3-pointers across the last five minutes of the opening half. Schram added two field goals before Rogowski had the final bucket to give the Chargers a 29-26 lead at the break.

Rogowski was the only Charger to score in the first eight minutes of the half, but her 11 points were enough to keep Witt-Birn ahead. Resch then converted a shot with about 9:30 to play to give the Chargers a three-point advantage, 42-39.

Wabeno/Laona hit a couple free throws with 6:02 to play before Rogowski converted a shot on a fastbreak opportunity. After two more free throws from the visitors, Rogowski made another shot after a steal from Davids, giving the team a 46-43 lead.

Schram then hit a shot after a pass from Rogowski on an inbounds play to give the team its 48-43 advantage.

The two-point loss marks the fourth time this season the Chargers have lost by three or less points. Those four games are the only four times the team has lost this winter.

“I think when we’re open, we have to take more shots and to make sure we finish by the basket, and that we go towards the ball and even if they do foul us, knock down the free throws,” said Davids on what the team can do better to improve in close games.

Wabeno/Laona 26 25 — 51

Witt-Birn 29 20 — 49

Wabeno/Laona (51): Grace Krawze 3-4 7, Elizabeth Krawze 3-3 9, Malerie Krawze 3-4 6, Allison Albrecht 2-2 8, Rylee Yaeger 2-4 15, Kaylyn LaRock 4-6 6.

Witt-Birn (49): Reese Rogowski 3-4 27, Jadalynn Davids 0-1 4, Allison Linke 1-2 4, Faith Resch 0-0 2, Kaylee Schram 2-2 12.

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