For the second-straight year, the regional title belongs to the McFarland girls basketball team.
The Spartans claimed the regional championship with a 64-32 win over Jefferson on Saturday, Feb. 24 in the regional championship game at McFarland High School.
“I am very happy about the energy we’ve had in our last two games, the girls are playing with smiles on their faces and getting excited for each other,” said McFarland head coach Sara Mallegni. “Every single person is invested and have the same goals in mind.”
While McFarland is known for its offense, the Spartans’ defense shined in the win. The Spartans held the Eagles to just 14 points in the first half and Jefferson only scored eight points in the first 10 minutes of the game.
Holding Jefferson’s offense in check was crucial for McFarland as the Spartans’ offense looked to find its rhythm after senior Teagan Mallegni was on the bench with two fouls early in the game.
McFarland eventually found its groove and pulled ahead to a double-digit lead, and eventually the win.
Senior Brynn Kirch scored all 11 of her points in the first half, while senior Ava Dean added 10 points in the first half. Dean finished the game with 16 points, while senior Hailey Testolin reached double figures with 10 points. Testolin led the Spartans with three made 3’s.
In the second half, Mallegni recorded 18 points to finish the game with 23 points. Senior Elise Freeman and senior Karmen Altfeather both contributed two points.
McFarland (21-6), the No. 1 seed, will face Elkhorn (22-4), the No. 3 seed, in the sectional semifinal at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29 at Milton High School.
The winner of that game will face the winner of Onalaska/West Salem on Saturday, Mar. 2 at 1 p.m. at Baraboo High School in the Division 2 Sectional Final. The winner of the sectional final will advance to state.
McFarland 84, Mount Horeb 54
The McFarland girls basketball team earned an 84-54 win over Mount Horeb in the regional semifinal on Friday, Feb. 23 at McFarland High School.
The Spartans were led by senior Teagan Mallegni, who scored a game-high 35 points. Mallegni went 13-14 from the free-throw line and made 11 field goals.
Senior Ava Dean also reached double figures with 18 points, scoring 10 points in the second half. Dean also made two 3’s, both in the second half.
Senior Elise Freeman reached double figures with 12 points, going 5-6 from the free-throw line. In the second half, Freeman made all four free-throw attempts to score eight points in the half.
Senior Hailey Testolin recorded eight points, while junior Riley Bickelhaupt, senior Brynn Kirch and senior Karmen Altfeather all made a 3-pointer to score three points each. Junior Kate Mender also contributed two points.
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