Arcadia unable to keep pace with state-ranked Aquinas

In their last game before Christmas, the Arcadia boys basketball team was unable to keep pace with one of the top Division 4 teams in the entire state.

The La Crosse Aquinas Blugolds (6-0) cruised to a comfortable 73-43 win over the Raiders (3-4) in a non-conference battle last Friday at the Wanek Center in Arcadia. In the latest WisSports.net coaches’ poll, the Blugolds are ranked No. 2 in Division 4 behind only Mineral Point.

Aquinas built up a commanding 39-15 halftime advantage and rode that to an emphatic final margin.

Arcadia senior Kaiden Rotering scored 14 points in the loss while also corralling five rebounds. Other leaders for the Raiders included freshman Deklyn Grzadzielewski with nine points and senior Nolan Smith with six points and 14 rebounds.

For the Blugolds, senior Brayden Young and junior Logan Becker set the pace in the victory with 20 and 19 points, respectively.

To begin the new calendar year, the Raiders are set to play at West Salem in a Coulee clash on Friday. After that, they have a non-conference game at Durand-Arkansaw on Tuesday.

Arcadia (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points)—Grzadzielewski 3/12-0/0-1-3-9; Rotering 4/19-5/8-5-3-14; Hernandez 0/1-0/0-0-0-0; Teske 2/6-0/0-5-2-4; Conner 1/2-0/0-5-2-4; Pronschinske 1/4-0/0-1-2-3; Slaby 1/1-0/0-0-0-3; Olmos 1/1-0/0-0-2; Sanchez 0/0-0/0-1-0-0; Wegman 0/2-0/0-1-0-0; Smith 2/6-2/4-14-1-6; Blaschko 0/3-0/0-3-0-0.