They’re young, but coach knows they’re ready.
The UW-La Crosse women’s basketball team opens the WIAC tournament Wednesday night with high expectations, despite starting three freshmen.
The 25th-ranked Eagles (21-4) are the No. 3 seed and, at 7 p.m., host UW-Stevens Point (8-17) — a team they swept this season. The game can be heard on WKTY 96.7 FM / 580 AM or online here.
The tournament is new territory for the multiple freshmen UW-L coach Karen Middleton depends on but she’s not too worried about it.
“Yes, it’s going to be new but, also, a lot of those kids have been in state championship runs, state championship games or they’ve felt that pressure,” Middleton said. “They also expect to win but, with that, they also know it’s just not given.”
Middleton is also taking every advantage she can get for her relatively young team.
“Being home is always a good thing,” Middleton said. “We love Mitchell Hall. Those are our rims. We’re comfortable shooting in that gym. We’re definitely excited to be at home and hosting.”
Oddly enough, it was on the road in Eau Claire, Wis., but 10 days ago when one of those freshmen went off. Onalaska native Emma Gamoke (pictured above) was on fire in a 62-50 win over the Blugolds.
The 5-foot-10 guard went 9 of 13 from beyond the arc in scoring 34 points. The nine 3s was a school record — breaking teammate Dani Craig’s record of seven 3-pointers that happened just days before.
Gamoke’s point total also landed her fourth all-time in the UW-L record books.
Middleton, however, said Gamoke isn’t just a 3-point specialist.
“She can stroke the 3, obviously, with having nine 3s in a game, but she’s very comfortable and aggressive putting the ball on the floor, getting to the rim or pulling up,” Middleton said. “And, I’m very happy with how she’s developed defensively this year.”
The Eagles also get solid minutes from two other local freshmen, Whittni Rezin and Kyah Steiner. The pair were part of the Aquinas High School girls basketball team’s 28-0 run to a state championship last season.
Middleton also made a point to mention that her team isn’t solely dependent on freshmen. The aforementioned Craig and Delaney Schoenenberger — both juniors — have been a big part of the team’s success this season. Those two, along with Gamoke, lead the team in scoring, all averaging double figures. Gamoke at 12.8, Craig at 12.5 and Schoenenberger at 10.3.
UW-L has never made it to the WIAC tournament championship game but Middleton has gotten the Eagles to the semifinals each of her first two seasons. UW-L has only been to the semifinals four times since the tournament began in 1999.
