Third time's a charm as Xavier races past Prescott for Division 3 title

After Xavier’s last-second heartbreak in the 2016 Division 3 state championship game, it was looking to flip the script in Saturday’s final against Prescott.

The Hawks did it by flipping the floor in transition.

Xavier neutralized the Cardinals’ 7-foot-1 center Owen Hamilton with a blazing transition game and completed an unbeaten season with a dominating 73-47 victory, giving the Hawks their first WIAA boys basketball title.

“This team was just driven in a way that I’ve never seen,” Xavier coach Matt Klarner said. “Part of it came from our leaders, part of it came from the guy sitting to my left here (junior guard Hunter Plamann), part of it came from being really, really close last year to that dream that you have your entire life.”

Down 17-10 midway through the first half, Xavier (28-0) went on a 20-3 run that put it up 34-25 at the break. The Hawks’ high-tempo offense, led by Plamann, pushed the pace and beat the Cardinals down the floor on numerous occasions.

Plamann finished with 29 points on 11-of-21 shooting, while also handing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds. It helped erase a soul-crushing finish to last year’s championship game, when the then-sophomore missed a game-tying free throw and then a last-second tip against Waupun.

“After last year, I wrote down two goals for myself: One was being 28-0 and the other was being a state champion,” Plamann said. “It’s pretty cool to accomplish both of those.”

The Xavier transition game was not a surprise to Prescott, but the way the Hawks ran it could not be controlled by the Cardinals.

“Easier said than done,” Prescott coach Nick Johnson said. “We knew coming in, watching them on film, and telling the team, ‘They’re so good in transition.’ We discussed it the last two days in our walkthroughs and practices that you have to turn and sprint to get back, and build a wall. That was a big part in the first half during that 20-3 run and during the second half when they were getting big buckets. We were getting tired and it showed.”

While Xavier was using its strength to wear down Prescott, the Hawks also doubled on Hamilton, who finished his high school career with a 21-point, 16 rebound performance. Hamilton was doubled constantly by Nate DeYoung – who had 18 points and 18 boards on Saturday – as well as Will Schlicht and Jack Teerlinck.

“When I turned I really wasn’t expecting another 6-5 guy and have him right there,” Hamilton said. “It took away a lot of what I had against Lake Mills (in Thursday’s semifinal), where I could just turn and finish.”

Prescott (24-4) also went cold outside, shooting just 29 percent (18 of 62) including hitting just three of 26 three-point tries. Luke Murphy added 10 points for the Cardinals.

Preliminary attendance for the Saturday Morning/Afternoon Championship Session was 14,106, up slightly from last year. Once suite sales are added, it could end up as the highest-attendance for that session since the format was changed in 2011.