By Clarice Case
Editor
In the Division 3 WIAA Boys Basketball Tournament opener on Tuesday, March 4, Kewaskum, the 10-seed, was able to squeak out a win over Brookfield Academy (BA), the seven-seed, in a 57-52 upset.
Head Coach Tyler Enright said BA got off to a good start, leading by 12 points early in the game, but the Indians put together some stops on defense to close the gap to 20-18 by halftime.
“I was really proud of our guys for staying steady and withstanding an early run by BA,” said Enright.
He added, “Sometimes that is a hard thing to do on the road when things are loud and the pressure of ‘win or go home’ mounts up.”
In the second half, Kewaskum scored 39 points to BA’s 32 points for the win.
Enright didn’t believe it was their best performance on offense, but they made up for it on defense.
“I think the guys felt prepared and they played hard,” he said.
He also acknowledged leading scorers Zach Behn (21 points), for his passionate play and good communication, and Charlie Gambino (18 points) and Chase Cook (16 points), for their key baskets in the first-round regional win.
Enright shared, “I was really glad we were able to get the seniors a playoff win and an opportunity to play another game.”
At Oostburg
On Friday, March 7, Kewaskum traveled to Oostburg, the two-seed, for the regional final.
“They have a really good group and they do not make many mistakes so we knew we would have to play a complete game to give ourselves a shot,” commented Enright.
While Kewaskum got off to a strong start in this game, they couldn’t outscore Oostburg and lost 66-40.
Enright admits the game got away from the Indians but he was proud of their effort and knew they played hard.
Thinking about the season, Enright said, “Overall, I can’t overstate how lucky I was to inherit such an awesome group of young men. We asked a lot of them and they met the challenge every step of the way. Obviously, the direction we want to go with this program will take time, but having such a great group of seniors really got us off to a good start and I can’t wait to see the progress we can make in the offseason.”
Game Summary
Kewaskum, 57 at Brookfield Academy, 52
Tuesday, March 4
Points: Behn 21, Gambino 18, Cook 16, Grensavitch 2.
Rebounds: Behn 15, Cook 6, Grensavitch 5, Daniel 4, Gambino 2, Coleman-Thull 1, Corbin 1.
Assists: Behn 5, Cook 2, Daniel 2, Gambino 2, Coleman-Thull 1.
Steals: Behn 3, Cook 2, Grensavitch 1, Steinbauer 1.
Blocks: Behn 2.
3pt: Cook 2, Gambino 1.
FT: 24-31
Fouls: 17
Kewaskum, 40 at Oostburg, 66
Friday, March 7
Points: Behn 10, Daniel 8, Grensavitch 6, Gambino 6, Zillmer 3, Cook 3, Kuehl 2.
Rebounds: Behn 4, Cook 4, Gambino 4, Coleman-Thull 3, Daniel 2, Grensavitch 2, Kuehl 1, Corbin 1, Zillmer 1.
Assists: Daniel 3, Behn 2, Steinbauer 1, Cook 1.
Steals: Daniel 3, Grensavitch 2, Behn 2.
Blocks: Behn 2.
3pt: Gambino 2, Cook 1, Behn 1, Zillmer 1, Daniel 1.
FT: 2-3
Fouls: 21
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