Wildcats can’t recover from slow start in sectional semifinal loss

Despite being down 16-2 at one point in the first half, the Blair-Taylor girls basketball team had chances to win the sectional semifinal game against Eleva-Strum, but Samantha Aguilar’s three-pointer at the buzzer was off and B-T’s season ended with a 64-61 loss.

After falling behind early, the Wildcats chipped away to get within eight at halftime. The team tied the game at 31 in the second half but was never able to take the lead. E-S scored five straight, including two baskets by Avaya Zwiefelhoefer.

B-T answered with a run as Aguilar and Beck both scored before E-S was called for a technical foul for having six players on the court. Two free throws by Andrea Waldera tied the game at 37 with about 11 minutes left in the game. 

The Wildcats had the ball with a chance to take a lead, but an empty possession was followed by a three-pointer by Neeley Lasher and a basket by Avery Glenz to put E-S back ahead by five. 

After a basket by Waldera, Glenz scored four points and Zwiefelhoefer converted a layup to put E-S ahead by nine with 7:50 remaining. Aguilar scored on B-T’s next possession, but Glenz continued her tear with a three-pointer to put the Cardinals ahead by 10. After a free throw by Waldera, Aliza Kulig connected on a three to give the Cardinals a 12-point advantage with six-and-a-half minutes left in the game.

But the Wildcats kept fighting.

“They don’t give up,” B-T coach Jesse Lien said. “That’s probably the best part of who they are. I told them that will be a lesson for their whole life. If you work, work, work, you’ll come out successful.”

B-T scored six straight points, two by Andi Beck and four by Waldera to cut the lead in half. Glenz answered with a three-point play, but Aguilar got those points back with a three-pointer with three minutes left in the game.

After two straight baskets by Waldera, the Wildcats were within five, but time was not on their side. They got some good fortune in the way of missed free throws in the closing minutes.

Two misses from the line kept the deficit at five before Aguilar scored with one minute remaining. Two more missed free throws were followed by two makes from the charity stripe by Aguilar, cutting the deficit to one with 37 seconds remaining.

Maddea Brown split a pair from the line on the next E-S possession, but B-T couldn’t take advantage. The Wildcats turned the ball over, attempting to get the ball to Waldera in the post, on the next two possessions. However, E-S also failed to execute, missing free throws before Kulig made one with 20 seconds remaining to make the score 64-61.

Addison Lejcher drew a foul on the next B-T possession, but she missed both of her shots at the line. Kulig got the rebound for E-S, but appeared to lose her footing and was called for a traveling violation, giving B-T one more attempt with about six seconds remaining.

Aguilar inbounded the ball to Waldera who passed back to Aguilar, but two E-S defenders were in her face as she attempted a deep three-pointer that missed the mark. 

The Wildcats were rushing for most of the game after falling behind big early. E-S opened with baskets by Brown and Zwiefelhoefer then Brown made a three-pointer to put the team ahead 7-0.

Waldera scored to stop the bleeding for B-T, but the Cardinals answered with the next nine points, including two three-pointers by Kulig to take a 16-2 lead.

“There was a little bit of panic there,” Lien said. “(E-S) puts pressure on you, they try to get you uncomfortable and they did a good job of it to start with. 

Waldera settled the Wildcats down by scoring six of the next eight points in the game. That was followed by free throws by Beck and a basket by Aguilar to get the team within six. B-T trailed 26-18 at halftime. Waldera finished with a career-high 32 points in the game, while also pulling in 19 rebounds. 

“We just had to get down to doing what we do well and get the ball inside,” Lien said. “They sped our minds up a little bit…they made some shots there, but I give credit to my ladies for never giving up.”

Waldera scored four points early in the second half as B-T opened with a 13-5 run. Elissa Smetana knocked down a three-pointer and Waldera scored to tie the game at 31 with 14:20 left. 

Aguilar added 19 points for B-T, while Beck scored eight and Smetana finished with three. 

The loss ended a streak of 10 straight wins for B-T as the team finished with a 21-7 record, a 10-win improvement from a year ago. B-T will look to continue to build as it graduates just one starter, guard Madalynn Frederixon.