Boys basketball: Norskies fall short in rally against Milton

They kept inching closer, but Milton wouldn’t let the DeForest boys’ basketball team catch up.

In a 57-53 Badger Large Conference loss at home on Thursday, the Norskies fell behind 19-6 early and spent the rest of the night trying to dig out of that hole.

With 2:06 left in the first half, Lincoln Hottmann was fouled on an attempted breakaway layup and hit one of two free throws to pull DeForest (8-10 overall, 1-8 in Badger Large Conference play) to within four points of the Red Hawks. But Milton hit a couple of 3-pointers in the last minute of the half to go back up 33-22, before Jackson Accuardi drilled a triple at the buzzer to make it 33-25.

A 5-0 run to start the second half made it a three-point game, and at the 12:21 mark, a DeForest 3-pointer got the Norskies to within 38-37. Then, Milton went on a 9-0 run to push the Red Hawks’ lead to 10 points.

But, DeForest kept coming, getting back to within a point when Accuardi powered through the lane for a basket. Surges by Milton (6-3 in conference play, 10-8 overall) and the Norskies kept the game at about a four-point spread, but with 16.2 remaining, Accuardi hit a spinning layup inside. Fouled on the play, Accuardi hit the free throw, leaving DeForest down 55-53. Two Red Hawks’ free throws iced it four seconds later.

Accuardi led the way for the Norskies with 19 points and 10 rebounds, plus two assists and two blocks and big first-half dunk. Hottmann finished with 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting, including a 2-for-4 performance from 3-point range. Dominic Wood gave DeForest a big lift off the bench with 11 points and four boards.

Anthony Glenn chipped in with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.