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D1 Semi-Final Notes: Germantown blitzes Verona and Hudson controls Franklin

02/27/2021, 3:45pm CST
By Travis Wilson

Top-seeded Germantown blitzed a young Verona squad right out of the gates, racing to a 20-0 advantage before the Wildcats even got on the scoreboard, and the Warhawks cruised home for a 76-57 win in a WIAA Division 1 Girls Basketball state semi-final at Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh Saturday morning.

Germantown forced a host of turnovers and KK Arnold and Jaelyn Acker continuously converted to help the Warhawks build the early lead against a shell-shocked Verona team. The frustration boiled over when Verona's Megan Murphy was whistled for a technical foul with her team down 16-0 for slamming the ball down after a foul call.

While Verona was able to settle in and play mostly even the rest of the way, the damage was done and the game was never in doubt, with Germantown up by more than 30 points on several occasions in the second half.

Jaelyn Acker rained down a barrage of three-pointers, tying a state tournament record with seven made triples en route to a game-high 28 points. The Warhawks made 14 three-pointers as a team, also setting a new state tournament record. 

Sophomore KK Arnold was all over the court for Germantown, contributing 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

Taylor Stremlow had a team-high 18 points for Verona, while fellow freshman Lyric Burns added 10 off the bench.

Germantown advances to the Division 1 title game in its first state tournament appearance.

In an efficient, workman-like performance by Hudson, the Raiders controlled things throughout against Franklin to secure a 61-46 win in a WIAA Division 1 Girls Basketball state semi-final on Saturday afternoon at the Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh.

Hudson led for all but 17 seconds of the game, with Franklin holding a brief one-point lead late in the first half before the Raiders responded and never looked back. 

The Raiders held a nine-point advantage at halftime, as Audrey Hatfield had nine, first-half points, with six different players hitting the scoring column. 

The second half was much of the same, with Hudson converting from all areas of the court at a high rate, as the team finished 57.1% from the field overall, 45.5% on three-pointers, and 80% from the free-throw line.

Hatfield's interior dominance continued and the six-foot, two-inch senior finished with a game-high 21 points to go with eight rebounds. Livi Boily chipped in with 13 and Sophia Jonas added 11. Senior Grace Johnson had just four points but pulled down ten rebounds. 

Franklin got a team-high 18 points from senior Gabrielle Gawlitta, who also led the way with eight rebounds. 

It was a very clean game for both teams, one of the cleanest we've seen in some time, as they combined for just 13 turnovers and 24 fouls.

Hudson advances to the state championship game for the first time since winning it all in 2002, as the Raiders are going for their third gold ball.


About the Author

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. 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 @travisWSN.

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