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WSN15: Boys Basketball Top Moments #14 -- Madison Memorial outlasts De Pere in 3OT to win 2011 D1 title

01/18/2018, 9:45am CST
By Mark Miller

The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017). 

We begin our WSN15 boys' basketball series with the Top 15 Moments of the WSN Era.

The first -- and to date only -- triple overtime game in WIAA boys' basketball championship-game history had the large crowd at the Kohl Center in Madison buzzing on March 19th, 2011.

Madison Memorial, which was appearing in the Division 1 title game for the seventh time in the previous eight seasons, and De Pere, which was making its first state-tournament appearance since 1977, played one of the more memorable games in tournament history with the Spartans edging the Redbirds 80-78 for their third state title under coach Steve Collins.

In the media room following the contest, both head coaches were understandably emotionally spent. But both also understood and appreciated the historical significance of the game.

“I’ve come to these games since I was nine years old, and I don’t think I’ve seen or experienced a game like that,” Collins said. “It was two great teams just fighting. I’m proud of my guys and I’m  proud of the De Pere guys.”

Redbirds coach Brian Winchester, even in defeat, managed to find some perspective of what the game meant on the state’s biggest stage.

“We took them right down to the wire,” he said. “There are important life lessons here. Sometimes you work as hard as you possibly can for everything that you ever want, and for some reason they just don’t work out. All you can do is start getting after it again.”

Sophomore guard Brendan Ortiz of Madison Memorial was an unlikely star in the contest as his 22-foot, three-point shot with under two seconds left in regulation sent the game to overtime.

He then sank two free throws near the end of the first and second overtime sessions to extend the game.

Ortiz, a 6-foot-1 guard who is currently averaging 9.0 points per game at NCAA Division II Texas A&M International University in Laredo, Texas, made the game-winning jump shot in the third overtime with three seconds left. For good measure, he stole De Pere's ensuing in-bounds pass to seal the Spartans' triumph.

In contrast to Ortiz's heroics, De Pere's Reece Zoelle had the misfortune of calling a time out in the second overtime when the Redbirds had none remaining.

With De Pere clinging to a 68-66 lead after with Mason Mocarski’s three-pointer with 16 seconds remaining, Zoelle stole the ball from Memorial's Tre Burnette but slipped to the floor, then called a time out that De Pere didn’t have. That led to a technical foul and Ortiz’s two free throws that caused the second extra period.

To his credit, Zoelle, who finished with 19 points, was a stand-up guy in the media room following the emotional loss.

“It was a crucial play in the game, obviously,” Zoelle said. “I’m kicking myself in the rear end about it. I stole the ball and I was on the floor, and there would be a jump ball or I’d travel or dribble it out of bounds, so I just reacted.”

Here is the boxscore of that memorable contest:

WSN15 Top Moments Countdown:

#15 - Catholic Memorial's Bray fills out stat sheet
#14 - Madison Memorial outlasting De Pere in 3 OTs to win 2011 Division 1 title
#13 - Coming Soon...
#12 - Coming Soon...
#11 - Coming Soon...
#10 - Coming Soon...
#9 - Coming Soon...
#8 - Coming Soon...
#7 - Coming Soon...
#6 - Coming Soon...
#5 - Coming Soon...
#4 - Coming Soon...
#3 - Coming Soon...
#2 - Coming Soon...
#1 - Coming Soon...

For the latest and most up to date boys' basketball news and recruiting information, follow Mark on Twitter @wisbbyearbook. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Mark at wbnews@yahoo.com.

Tag(s): News Archive  BBB News  Mark Miller  WSN15