ELKHORN — Janesville Craig’s boys basketball team showed early in Saturday’s sectional championship game at Elkhorn Area High School the offensive efficiency that lifted the Cougars to a 12-6 record in the Big Eight Conference this season.
Seventh-seeded Craig made its first six shots of their game against No. 1 seed Kettle Moraine, but from there, the Lasers cranked up their defensive intensity.
Doing so provided them with a steady diet of Craig turnovers that helped them turn their early deficit into a lead they would never relinquish in beating the Cougars 56-43 for a berth in the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.
Craig’s early burst staked the team to a 14-10 lead after about six minutes of play, but after making its first six shots of the day, Craig took just seven more in the first half, finishing the period with as many turnovers as shot attempts.
The result was an impressive shooting percentage for Craig — 76.9% on 10 of 13 shots — but Kettle Moraine made the same number from the floor while attempting twice as many.
The Cougars grabbed a 20-18 lead with a layup from junior forward Judson Henkel, who led all scorers with 20 points on the day.
On the next possession, Kettle Moraine’s Nathan Vuillaume drew a foul to go to the free-throw line. He made the first then missed the second, but the Lasers tracked down an offensive rebound that led to a 3-pointer from Ben Bestor that put his team up 22-20. Kettle Moraine would not trail again.
Vuillaume made it 24-20 before Carson McCormick converted a three-point play for the Cougars to draw within 24-23, but Kettle Moraine closed the half with a 6-0 run to lead 30-23 at the break.
Craig’s Jackson Bertagnoli scored the first basket after the break to get his team within five, but that was the last time the Cougars would get that close.
Kettle Moraine embarked on a 12-4 run from there to go up 42-29 with seven of those points coming from Vuillaume, part of his 18-point effort to lead the Lasers.
WIAA STATE GIRLS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
RESULTS THURSDAY
DIVISION 3 SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Madison Edgewood 62, No. 4 Baldwin-Woodville 29
No. 3 Appleton Xavier 56, No. 2 Kettle Moraine Lutheran 52
DIVISION 4 SEMIFINALS
No. 1 Laconia 67, No. 4 Racine Prairie School 49
No. 2 Cuba City 48, No. 3 McDonell Catholic Central 45
RESULTS FRIDAY
DIVISION 5 SEMIFINALS
NO. 4 ALBANY/MONTICELLO 37, NO. 1 ARGYLE/PECATONICA 31
NO. 2 LENA 53, NO. 3 CLEAR LAKE 48
DIVISION 2 SEMIFINALS
NO. 1 PEWAUKEE 79, NO. 4 WEST SALEM 41
NO. 2 GREEN BAY NOTRE DAME 82, NO. 3 WAUWATOSA EAST 44
DIVISION 1 SEMIFINALS
NO. 1 HARTLAND ARROWHEAD 82, NO. 4 FRANKLIN 55
NO. 3 NEENAH 77, NO. 2 HARTFORD 70
GAMES SATURDAY
DIVISION 5 CHAMPIONSHIP
NO 4. ALBANY/MONTICELLO 57, NO. 2 LENA 54 (OT)
DIVISION 4 CHAMPIONSHIP
NO. 1 LACONIA 47, NO. 2 CUBA CITY 43
DIVISION 3 CHAMPIONSHIP
NO. 1 MADISON EDGEWOOD 55, NO. 3 APPLETON XAVIER 52
DIVISION 2 CHAMPIONSHIP
NO. 1 PEWAUKEE 60, NO. 2 GREEN BAY NOTRE DAME 52
DIVISION 1 CHAMPIONSHIP
NO. 1 HARTLAND ARROWHEAD 69, NO. 3 NEENAH 59
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