Wildcats fall to ranked teams, top A/P


            CJ Dummer of Blair-Taylor released a shot during their game against Alma/Pepin on Friday.          (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)

The Blair-Taylor boys basketball team couldn’t keep up with two teams ranked in the top 10 in Division Five.

The Wildcats suffered a Dairyland Conference loss to Cochrane-Fountain City — ranked eighth in the WisSports.net poll — last week Tuesday. On Friday, B-T rebounded with a 77-60 win over Alma/Pepin, but fell to top-ranked Royall, 73-50, at JustAGame Fieldhouse in Wisconsin Dells on Saturday.

B-T began this week with a 12-4 overall record, including a 9-3 mark in DC play behind Alma Center Lincoln (11-3) and C-FC (14-0) in the Small Division.

The Wildcats hosted Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on Monday and head to Eleva-Strum on Thursday before hosting Melrose-Mindoro on Saturday. This coming Tuesday, B-T will play at AC Lincoln. 

C-FC 77 B-T 63

The Wildcats got off to a fast start, but couldn’t keep up with the Pirates in the second half.

B-T had a 36-33 lead at halftime and continued to play C-FC tight in the second half. However, the DC-Small Division leaders took the lead with just under nine minutes to play and didn’t relinquish it. C-FC made five three-pointers in the second frame and held B-T to 27 points.

The Wildcats stayed within striking distance, but couldn’t get over the hump and the Pirates pulled away late. 

“We had to gamble in the last three minutes to get the ball and they made us pay for that,” B-T coach Randy Storlie said. “We sure battled tonight but we just ran out of gas in the last few minutes, C-FC played well and that is why they are ranked in the latest state polls. I am very proud of my guys and how hard they fought tonight, it was a heck of a good high school basketball game.”

Cameron Lipinski scored a game-high 25 points for C-FC. Ethan Kniseley led B-T with 18 while Austin Thompsons cored 15, Hunter Wagner, 12 and Tavian Shramek, 10.

B-T (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-points) — Kniseley 7/19-2/4-5-18 Thompson 5/14-0/0-3-15 Shramek 5/11-0/0-7-10 Bernadotte 0/1-0/0-0-0 Wagner 5/7-1/2-11-12 Oldendorf 2/9-3/8-6-8

B-T 77 A/P 60

After leading for much of the first half, the Wildcats took control of the game in the second.

B-T took a five-point lead into halftime, before taking control of the game early in the second. B-T built up a 24-point lead with six minutes remaining and went on to win by 17.

“We really played well in the second half and did a lot of good things,” Storlie said. “We had 10 different guys score and that means we were sharing the ball very well.”

Kniseley scored 15 to lead B-T, which got 13 from Dummer, 12 from Wagner and 10 from Austin Thompson.

B-T (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-points) — Kniseley 7/12-1/1-3-15 A. Thompson 3/5-2/2-2-10 Olson 0/1-0/0-1-0-0 Shramek 2/6-0/0-5-8 Bernadotte 2/4-1/1-2-5 Dummer 6/9-1/2-3-13 Wagner 5/8-2/2-8-12 Anderson 1/1-0/0-1-2 Oldendorf 4/15-0/0-10-8 B. Thompson 1/1-0/0-1-2 Halverson 1/1-0/0-1-2

Royall 73 B-T 50

The top-ranked team in Division Five went on a run late in the first half to take control.

B-T had a one-point lead with five minutes remaining in the first half, but Royall scored 15 of the next 17 points to take a 38-26 advantage into halftime.

Royall continued to roll in the second half, winning by 23.

“We played hard, but just didn’t shoot the ball well over-all and they are so good,” Storlie said. “It was a positive experience for our guys.”

Kniseley scored 20 points to lead B-T and both Wagner and Oldendorf finished with nine.  

B-T (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-points) — Kniseley 7/15-5/6-3-20 A. Thompson 2/4-0/0-1-6 Shramek 1/4-0/0-6-2 Bernadotte 0/1-0/0-1-0 Dummer 2/8-0/1-4-4 Wagner 4/8-0/1-7-9 Oldendorf 4/14-0/0-7-9 Halverson 0/0-0/0-1-0

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