The 2023-24 girls basketball season was a memorable one for the Waterloo Pirates. It included regular season highlights like head coach Gabe Haberkorn’s 100th career victory the first season sweep of rival Marshall since the 2006-07 season. The Pirates added one more high point in the 2024 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) girls basketball state tournament.
No. 7 seed Waterloo started play in Sectional 4 of Division 4 by dismantling No. 10 seed Racine Lutheran 59-38 in the regional opener. This bought the Pirates a shot at the No. 2 seed in the bracket, Milwaukee Juneau. Unintimidated by the difference in seeding, the Pirates laid even more of a smackdown. They marched into that road matchup on Friday, Feb. 23 and walked away with a 70-31 victory.
In addition to the team’s achievement in the upset win, it was a big night for senior Bri Lauersdorf, also. She nailed a pair of three pointers in the contest, breaking the single-season record for triples in a year. Her trio of makes put her at 38, outpacing the previous mark of 37 set by Julia Asik last season.
Lauersdorf’s record-setting evening was only the beginning of Waterloo’s impressive performance. She was one of five Pirates to score in double digits, led by senior Brenna Huebner with 18. Fellow senior Ashlynn Albrecht poured in 13, junior Kylie Webster contributed 12, and Lauersdorf and sophomore Emma Baumann scored 10 each.
It wasn’t just an upset. It was a blowout. The huge victory earned Waterloo a shot at the regional title the next day, Saturday, Feb. 24. To get it, the Pirates would have to go through Capitol — South rival and No. 3 seed Cambridge. The Blue Jays had their number in the regular season, winning 68-30 in the first matchup and 71-33 in the second. A similar result transpired in the third meeting. Host Cambridge again prevailed, this time 86-39 to end Waterloo’s season.
Standout Cambridge junior Brooke Stenklyf proved to be too much. She hit 12 shots from two point range and three triples to lead the game in scoring with 36 points. The Blue Jays also got 18 from senior Saveea Freeland and 13 more from junior Megan Bernhardt.
All four of Waterloo’s seniors scored in their final game together. Lauersdorf led the way with 14 points. She hit three more threes in that game, leaving the new single-season record at 41. Huebner also scored 10, Tess Blundell put in three, and Albrecht scored two.
The Pirates finish the 2023-24 season with a 15-12 overall record, including a 4-6 mark in Capitol — South conference play to finish fourth in the final standings. The loss also brings an end to the senior class of 2024’s high school career. Brenna Huebner, Bri Lauersdorf, Tess Blundell, and Ashlynn Albrecht have helped usher in this recent era of success for Waterloo girls basketball.
Waterloo’s lone returning starter for next season in junior Kylie Webster, formerly a defensive specialist who added some impressive aspects to her offense this season. Sophomore Emma Baumann, typically the first Pirate off the bench this season, also showed promise as a post presence. The Pirates also get back junior Emerson Setz as well as freshmen Callie Davison, Paytn Hauptli, and Shelby Shelton.
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