Wisniewski drops 30 on Mosinee

By Greg Seubert

One more win.

That’s all the New London boys’ basketball team needs to make it to state since the Bulldogs won the WIAA Division 2 championship in 1999.

The Bulldogs kept their season alive March 9 with a 61-57 win over Mosinee in a sectional semifinal at Waupaca High School. New London will now face La Crosse Central, a 57-41 winner over Medford in another semifinal. The final will be held at 2 p.m. at Marshfield Senior High School.

Almost half of New London’s points against Mosinee came from one source: Kyle Wisniewski.

The senior scored the Bulldogs’ first 11 points and went on to lead all players with 30.

Wisniewski’s 17 points in the first half helped the Bulldogs take a 32-24 halftime lead.

A basket from Mosinee’s Garrett Shupe and a three-pointer from teammate Keagen Jirschele quickly trimmed New London’s lead to three points, but the Bulldogs answered with an 8-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game, 40-29.

The Indians chipped away at the lead and eventually tied the game at 50-50 with just under six minutes to play on Davin Stoffel’s three-point play. However, Mosinee never regained the lead and the Bulldogs scored their final six points from the free-throw line.

Wisniewski was the only New London player to finish in double figures. Jonah Schluetter added nine points and Brett Krause chipped in with eight.

Coach Zach Molner had two words when asked what led to the Bulldogs’ 18th win of the season.

“Kyle Wisniewski,” he said. “I keep saying that he has that senior attitude where he doesn’t want his career to be over. He’s playing some of the best ball of his career.”

Wisniewski’s 30 points included a three-pointer with just under three minutes remaining that gave the Bulldogs a 55-50 lead.

“That was big,” Molner said. “I think he earned that one, so we’ll take it. He’s done so much more. He’s been a heck of a playmaker for us.”

Jirschele and Stoffel led the Indians with 22 and 20 points, respectively.

Molner said he is looking forward to facing the 22-5 RiverHawks, a team that has held its opponents to just over 40 points in each of its four tournament games.

“We’re going to watch a lot of film in the next 24 hours,” he said. “We’re going to prep just like we have and really be prepared.”

The Bulldogs have now won four straight games since a four-game losing streak late in the regular season.

“I think it prepared us,” Molner said. “Our conference is really good. Every night was a grind in the Bay Conference. That really prepared us for this.”