Neenah gets FVA win
By Greg Seubert
If they haven’t already, basketball fans in Hortonville and Neenah might want to circle Friday, Feb. 21, on their calendar.
That’s the day the boys’ basketball teams in both communities will meet for the second time this season in a game that could help determine the Fox Valley Association championship.
The teams met for the first time Jan. 10 in Hortonville and Neenah held off a late rally and returned home with a 78-74 win.
Neenah improved to 6-1 in the FVA and 8-1 overall with the win, while Hortonville fell to 7-2 in conference play and 10-2 overall.
The lead changed hands four times before Neenah went on a 16-4 run to take a 30-15 lead. The Polar Bears countered with a 7-2 run and went into the locker room at halftime down 32-22.
Hortonville chipped away at the Rockets’ lead and used an 8-0 run to tie the score at 43-43.
The Polar Bears eventually took a 49-46 lead on Cole Warning’s basket, but Neenah’s Jake Dietz responded with a three-pointer and basket that gave the Rockets the lead for good.
Neenah had a nine-point lead four times down the stretch, but Parker Lawrence’s three-pointer with a minute to go cut the Rockets’ lead to 73-69.
Jayqon Owens’ basket with 4 seconds remaining cut the lead to 76-74, but the Polar Bears never got the ball back.
Mason Thiel led Hortonville with 23 points, while Warning and Lawrence added 17 and 14, respectively. Dietz led all scorers with 28 points.
The Polar Bears continued its stretch of five straight home games Jan. 14 against Fond du Lac Jan. 14 and will host Appleton East Friday, Jan. 17. Hortonville will also host New London at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, before wrapping up the home stand Friday, Jan. 24, against Kaukauna.
