Bangor takes down top-ranked and unbeaten Black Hawk for state title
GREEN BAY, Wis. — It wasn’t pretty but the Bangor High School girls basketball team will take it.
Up against top-ranked, undefeated Black Hawk, the Cardinals overcame 28 turnovers and 37-percent shooting — including a 3-for-13 effort in the second half — in winning 39-29 in the WIAA Division 5 state championship at the Resch Center.
Emma Wittmershaus led Bangor (26-3) with nine points, going 1-for-7 from the field, but managed 6-of-7 shooting from the free-throw line, while teammate Jaclynn Freit had 15 rebounds, seven turnovers.
Bangor, which lost in the state semifinals last year, had a 20-11 lead at halftime, as it forced Black Hawk (28-1) into a 4-of-26 effort from the field and eight of its 16 turnovers in the first half.
Black Hawk tied the game 27-27 with 5:36 remaining in the second. But Wittmershaus hit a pair of free throws followed by a Elizabeth Nicolai 3-pointer. Alea Fortier followed that, pushing the run to 6-0, hitting 1 of 4 free throws and Black Hawk never recovered.
Black Hawk finished 12-for-62 from the field and literally half those shots were from beyond the arc (3-for-31). Bangor won the rebounding battle 42-35.
The 2018 Division 5 gold ball will have its permanent home in Bangor after the Cardinals Championship victory at the @reschcentercomplex in Green Bay today! #wiaagb #statechamps #trophy pic.twitter.com/3itnnZrvNd
— WIAA Tournaments (@wiaawistate) March 10, 2018
