I-S falls in sectional semifinal
By Greg Seubert
A return trip to state for the Iola-Scandinavia boys’ basketball team has been put on hold.
The Thunderbirds saw their season come to an end March 7 with a 71-51 loss to Lourdes Academy in a WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal at Waupaca High School.
Iola-Scandinavia ended its season with a 22-2 record, while Lourdes Academy is heading to state following a 72-71 win over Marathon March 9 in a sectional final in Neillsville.
The Knights (25-1) will face Osseo-Fairchild (24-2) Thursday, March 14, in a Division 4 state semifinal game at the Kohl Center in Madison, with the winner to take on Roncalli (26-0) or New Glarus (24-2) Saturday, March 16, for a state championship.
Lourdes Academy wasted little time taking control of their game with the T-Birds, as the Knights scored 14 of the game’s first 16 points to take an early 14-2 lead.
Iola-Scandinavia trailed by at least 10 points for most of the first half and went into the locker room at halftime down 33-20.
The T-Birds cut the lead to 40-32 midway through the second half, but never got any closer. Justin Sivertson’s three-pointer made it 58-47 with 4:40 to go in the game, but the Knights held the T-Birds to four points the rest of the way.
Connor Kurki and Sivertson led the T-Birds with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Preston Ruedinger led the Knights with 21.
• Although the T-Birds will not advance to state for the first time since they placed second in Division 3 2008, there is an Iola-Scandinavia connection to this year’s tournament. I-S graduate Dan Domask coaches the 25-1 Waupun Warriors. The Warriors will face 22-4 Denmark in a Division 3 state semifinal March 14. Martin Luther (22-3) will face Northwestern (21-5) in the other semifinal and the winners will play for a state championship March 16.
• Other semifinal set for Friday, March 15 include Sheboygan Lutheran (25-2) vs. McDonell Catholic Central (18-9) and Columbus Catholic (25-2) vs. Bangor (25-1) in Division 5; Nicolet (25-1) vs. Elkhorn (23-3) and Milwaukee Washington vs. La Crosse Central (24-2) in Division 2; and Brookfield Central (21-5) vs. Neenah (19-7) and West Allis Central (22-3) vs. Sun Prairie (20-6) in Division 1.