Thunderbirds move up in CWC-East standings

Two Central Wisconsin Conference-East boys’ basketball teams heading in opposite directions met on Feb. 21 in Iola for the second time this season.
Iola-Scandinavia brought a five-game winning streak into its matchup with Wittenberg-Birnamwood and handed the Chargers a 55-48 loss, their fourth in a row.

The Thunderbirds also moved from third place in the CWC-East standings into a tie for second with the Chargers, as both teams are now 10-3 in league play. Neither team has a chance to win a conference championship, as Bonduel wrapped up the title on Feb.  21 with a win over Amherst.

Wittenberg-Birnamwood defeated the Thunderbirds 54-52 in January in Wittenberg. Iola-Scandinavia sealed the win in the rematch from the free-throw line.

Iola-Scandinavia scored the game’s first eight points, never trailed in the first half, and took a 22-20 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Hayden Miller’s three-pointer to open the second half gave the Chargers their first lead. The lead changed hands four more times, and Wittenberg-Birnamwood led by five points.

Landan Fuhs’ three-pointer gave the Thunderbirds a 40-37 lead, and the home team never trailed again.

Korz Loken’s three-point play gave Iola-Scandinavia a 45-39 lead with just under two minutes. The Chargers cut the lead to five points in the final minute, but the Thunderbirds scored their final seven points from the free-throw line.
Fuhs led the Thunderbirds with 15 points, and Alex Robbins added 11. Jett Rogowski led the Chargers with 16 points.