MARSHFIELD, Wis. – The Central High School girls basketball team is headed to state.
In what has been a theme quite a bit this season, the Red Raiders didn’t play pretty but, again, won.
Central overcame 25.7-percent shooting and took down New London 33-28 in overtime Saturday in the WIAA Division 2 section final.
At 3:15 p.m. Friday, the Red Raiders (21-5) will play Deforest (25-1) at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wis. – their first trip to state since 1995.
Deforest, ranked fifth in the final AP poll, is led by 6-foot junior point guard Kayla Goth, who averages 13.3 points. Deforest’s only loss was to Waunakee (12-11), 48-45 back on Jan. 23.
While Central didn’t shoot well from the field, New London (20-5) wasn’t good either and was even worse from the free-throw line, which ultimately decided the game.
The Bulldogs shot 10-for-40 from the field and just 3 of 15 from the line. Yes, 3-for-15.
Central’s Brooke Baldwin, who was in foul trouble most of the night, missed a free throw with 2.8 second left that would have put her team up a point.
Instead, the two teams went to overtime and the Red Raiders sank seven free throws, while holding New London to just one basket.
Those free throws – Central was just 12-for-24 at the line – were part of a 15-3 run to close out the game after it was trailing 25-18 with just over 4 minutes to go in regulation.
Brooke Baldwin had 12 points, seven rebounds, while Brittany Baldwin played one of her best games of the season with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Central, which was leading 10-7 at halftime, won the turnover battle 11-16.
DIVISION 4
CUBA CITY 58, ONALASKA LUTHER 43
DEFOREST, Wis. – For the second year in a row, Cuba City is headed to the state tournament. The Cubans (25-1), who were ranked fourth in the final AP poll, got 21 points from 6-foot center Mollie Wedige.