In a game befitting a division that was wide open and competitive all season, Whitefish Bay got a defensive stop on the final play of the game to defeat Beaver Dam 64-63 in the WIAA Division 2 Girls Basketball State Championship.
The game featured 14 lead changes and was tied three different times, as both teams had impressive scoring runs in the contest.
Whitefish Bay scored the first five points of the game, but Beaver Dam rallied and would take a five-point lead of its own midway through the first half. After the teams went back and forth over the next few minutes, Beaver Dam closed the first half on a 7-0 run, including a banked-in three-pointer from Madonna Half at the buzzer, giving the Blue Dukes a 38-30 halftime lead.
It appeared Whitefish Bay was on the verge of breaking things wide open when they began the second half on a 9-0 run to go up by 17. However, Beaver Dam regrouped and steadied the ship in a big way, going on a 14-0 run of its own to get back in it.
The teams would trade the lead several times the rest of the way, including in the final minutes of the action. Beaver Dam took a 61-57 lead with 3:29 remaining when Joelee Drzonek scored inside.
The Golden Beavers managed to hold onto the lead, until Sage Miskell scored off a free throw miss offensive rebound with 43 seconds left. Beaver Dam would miss on the other end, but Rowan Counsell misfired on the front end of a one-and-one bonus for the second time in the final minute, giving Beaver Dam one more chance.
However, the Blue Dukes clamped down on defense, and put the vise on Drzonek inside in the final seconds of the game to hold on for the victory.
Senior Sage Miskell led Whitefish Bay with 18 points. Madaline Volpe added 12, Carrington Balthasar scored 10, and Rowan Counsell finished with a 10-point, 10-rebound double-digit performance, adding five assists.
Beaver Dam got 19 points from Joelee Drzonek, who entered averaging just 6.5 points per game. Nataya Donaldson closed out her illustrious career with 14 points and 13 rebounds, while Emma Julka chipped in with 13 points.
Whitefish Bay completes a 26-4 season with the school’s first state title in nine appearances. Beaver Dam ended the year 23-7 and takes home a second runner-up trophy in school history to go with three titles.
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].
