Norse drop last two regular season games

The Whitehall boys basketball team struggled defensively in one loss and offensively in another as it ended the regular season with two defeats last week.

The Norse gave up 40 points in each half of a 20-point loss to Fall Creek last week Monday. On Thursday, the team had a difficult time getting shot to fall against Alma/Pepin. 

Whitehall finished the regular season with a 12-12 overall record and an 8-5 mark in Dairyland Conference play, behind only Melrose-Mindoro (9-4) in the Large Division. Post season play began on Tuesday with Whitehall playing at Bangor. The Norse are the ninth seed, Bangor is eighth and the winner will play at (1) Durand on Friday with the regional final set for Saturday.

Fall Creek 83 Whitehall 63

The Norse couldn’t quiet the Crickets as the Cloverbelt Conference team scored more points than it had in any other game this season.

Fall Creek’s Bo Vollrath registered a triple-double, scoring 19 points while pulling down 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists. The team also got 24 points from Isaac Steinke – who shot 10-for-14 from the field. 

The Crickets took a 41-30 lead into halftime and didn’t let up, scoring 42 more points in the second half to win by 20.

Whitehall shot about 43 percent from the field, including seven made three pointers. They didn’t get many extra opportunities, however, as Fall Creek won the rebounding battle, 33-21.

Seth Lambeck scored 24 to lead Whitehall while Brayden Lisowski managed 10, Grant Olson, nine; Preston Schroeder, six; Will Youngbauer and Caydan Johnston, five and both Bo Killian and Mason Pientok scored two. 

A/P 57 Whitehall 46

After a slow start, the Norse had a chance to cut the lead to single digits, but the Eagles got a three-point play to start a 9-0 run that put them ahead by 20.

Whitehall had just 17 points in the first half as the team trailed by 14 at the intermission. The Eagles continued to control play early in the second half, but the Norse got a couple of three pointers to fall and were within 11 midway through. 

The Eagles reestablished control on their next possession as Evan Olson converted a three-point play to start a 9-0 run that was capped with a three pointer by Keegan Stiehl. 

Whitehall kept battling as Mason Pientok and Bo Killian hit three pointers late, but it wasn’t enough as the A/P won by 11.

Lambeck led the Norse with 11 points, tying Stiehl for the most scored by any player in the game. Lisowski added eight while both Pientok and Schroeder scored six; Olson and Johnston finished with five; Killian had three and Riley Herman finished with two.