Mary Merg led Wauwatosa East to the Division 2 state title last year
DIVISION 1 | BRACKET
Friday, March 13
#1 Wauwatosa East (28-0) vs. #4 Notre Dame (24-4) - 6:35 p.m.
#2 Arrowhead (26-2) vs. #3 Pewaukee (24-4) - 8:35 p.m.
Championship Final - Saturday, March 14 - 8:35 p.m.
Wauwatosa East (28-0)
Conference: Greater Metro; 16-0, 1st Place
State Tournament Seed: #1
Bound Power Index: #1 in D1; #2 overall
Final Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll Rank: #1
Strength of Schedule Rank: #33 in D1, #43 overall
Combined Opponents’ Record: 403-337
Points Per Game: 82.7
Points Allowed Per Game: 42.6
Top Players:
Makaia Litza, Sr. - 18.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 SPG, 6.8 APG
Emma Close, Sr. - 13.2 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 2.7 APG
Ellie Deprey, Sr. - 12.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 2.1 APG
Notes: Wauwatosa East is making its fifth trip to the state tournament…This is the third consecutive appearance for the Red Raiders, who are the defending champions in Division 2…Tosa East was elevated to D1 this year by the WIAA’s Tournament Performance Factor…Four starters are back from last year’s triple overtime thriller in the championship game against Edgewood…Wauwatosa East has already beaten two of the other state qualifiers, Arrowhead and Pewaukee, by double digits this season…Senior Makaia Litza is a finalist for WBCA Ms. Basketball.
Arrowhead (26-2)
Conference: Classic Eight; 14-0, 1st Place
State Tournament Seed: #2
Bound Power Index: #2 in D1; #3 overall
Final Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll Rank: #2
Strength of Schedule Rank: #1 in D1, #1 overall
Combined Opponents’ Record: 474-265
Points Per Game: 77.6
Points Allowed Per Game: 54.5
Top Players:
Natalie Kussow, Sr. - 26.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.0 SPG, 3.1 APG
Sidney Zehner, Jr. - 12.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 4.4 APG
Libby Gilmore, Sr. - 11.0 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 2.5 APG
Notes: Arrowhead is making its 13th WIAA State Tournament appearance, which is tied for second in WIAA history…The Warhawks won the D1 championship in 2024 and lost in the semifinals last year…The team has won three previous state titles…Arrowhead played the toughest schedule in the state this year, beating state qualifiers Whitefish Bay (D2) and Notre Dame (D1) with losses to state qualifiers Wauwatosa East (D1) and Oostburg (D3)…Senior Minnesota commit Natalie Kussow is a finalist for WBCA Ms. Basketball and has more than 2600 career points, putting her in the top five all-time.
Pewaukee (24-4)
Conference: Woodland-West; 12-0, 1st Place
State Tournament Seed: #3
Bound Power Index: #3 in D1; #5 overall
Final Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll Rank: #7
Strength of Schedule Rank: #2 in D1, #2 overall
Combined Opponents’ Record: 527-291
Points Per Game: 67.9
Points Allowed Per Game: 40.7
Top Players:
Kyrin Lile, Sr. - 16.3 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 1.9 SPG, 4.4 APG
Ayla Saunders, Jr. - 8.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 1.8 APG
Emilyn Bonow, Sr. - 8.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.9 SPG, 2.6 APG
Notes: Pewaukee is making its fifth trip to the state tournament, all in the last seven years…The Pirates claimed the Division 2 state title in 2024…Pewaukee was elevated to Division 1 last year and this year by the WIAA’s Tournament Performance Factor…Giselle Janowski and Kylie Pieper started and Madeleine Chabot also played in the 2024 title game…Janowski is a finalist for WBCA Ms. Basketball.
Notre Dame (22-6)
Conference: FRCC; 16-0, 1st Place
State Tournament Seed: #4
Bound Power Index: #4 in D1; #6 overall
Final Bound WI/Zaleski Media Poll Rank: #8
Strength of Schedule Rank: #10 in D1, #12 overall
Combined Opponents’ Record: 487-303
Points Per Game: 66.6
Points Allowed Per Game: 39.1
Top Players:
Kaia Waldrop, Sr. - 15.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.4 APG
Destiny Webster, Sr. - 11.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.4 SPG, 4.6 APG
Aspen Abel, Sr. - 10.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 4.2 APG
Notes: Notre Dame has qualified for the WIAA State Tournament 12 times, including six previous championships, which is tied for second-most in WIAA history…The Tritons won three consecutive Division 2 titles from 2021 to 2023 before a runner-up finish in 2024 against Pewaukee…Notre Dame and Pewaukee played for the D2 title from 2022 to 2024…Senior Kaia Waldrop is the only player on this year’s roster that participated in the 2024 championship game, scoring 11 points.
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].
