WHS girls team splits with Augusta, C-FC
Sam Hoff of Whitehall fought to keep control of the ball during their game against Augusta last week Tuesday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
With another win last week, the Whitehall girls basketball team reached its highest win total in half a decade.
The Norse started the week with a second half surge that put them over Augusta for their fifth win of the season, the most the team has managed since the 2014-15 season. Whitehall then struggled later in the week, losing to Cochrane-Fountain City 61-38 on Friday.
Whitehall entered the final week of the regular season with a 5-14 record, 3-10 in Dairyland Conference play, but they had two games early, hosting Blair-Taylor this week Monday and playing at Gilmanton on Tuesday before they finish the regular season with a game at Eleva-Strum on Thursday.
The Norse are a 10th seed in their Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division Four bracket and will play at (7) Cadott this coming Tuesday with the winner heading to (2) Neillsville on Friday.
Whitehall 56 Augusta 49
The Norse offense exploded for 42 points in the second half as they surged past the Beavers.
Whitehall was able to attack the basket at will and either score or get to the free-throw line in the second half. They had 28 free-throw attempts in the second half alone, making 20 of them. Leading the charge was Abby Semb who scored all 12 of her points in the second half, nine of which came at the free-throw line on 10 attempts.
Olivia Youngbauer added five free throws to go with a three pointer while Ariel Koxlien scored six of her seven second half points from the field.
Whitehall scored the first seven points of the game, but Augusta appeared to take control as they went ahead and took a 23-14 lead into halftime. The second half was all Whitehall, however.
It wasn’t just free throws for the Norse as they shot 48.3 percent from the field, including four made three pointers.
Koxlien and Semb both scored 12 points to lead the Norse while Olivia Youngbauer added 11, Mykensie Beighley scored eight, Sam Huff finished with four and Norah Youngbauer, Ellie Matejka and Nylah Lisowski all had three points.
Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — N. Youngbauer 0/0-3/4-1-1-3 Koxlien 5/8-2/3-8-3-12 O. Youngbauer 2/5-5/11-3-1-11 Huff 2/6-0/2-3-1-4 Beighley 2/3-4/4-5-1-8 Matejka 1/3-0/0-0-1-3 Lisowski 1/1-1/1-1-1-3 Semb 1/3-9/10-2-1-12
C-FC 61 Whitehall 38
Unlike earlier in the week, the Norse were never able to get started offensively.
While C-FC came out aggressive and on fire with four three pointers in the first half, the only offense Whitehall was able to manage was Koxlien scoring inside. The senior had half of Whitehall’s 18 points in the first half as they trailed by 17.
Whitehall was able to be more balanced in the second half, but they couldn’t slow the Pirates down. C-FC shot nearly 46 percent from the field in the game and likely would’ve won by more had they not missed 14 free throws.
Koxlien led the Norse with 13 points while Huff and Matejka both had six, Semb finished with four, Lisowski, Beighley and Olivia Youngbauer scored two and Norah Youngbauer added one.
Whitehall shot roughly 29 percent from the field and committed 24 turnovers, nine more than C-FC.
Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — N. Youngbauer 0/2-1/2-3-3-1 Koxlien 6/16-1/3-12-3-13 O. Youngbauer 1/5-0/0-1-2-2 Huff 1/6-4/6-3-3-6 Beighley 0/4-2/2-7-1-2 Matejka 2/3-0/0-3-1-6 Lisowski 1/2-0/2-4-2-2 Semb 1/3-2/2-2-4-4 Yarrington 0/1-0/0-1-2-0
