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Middleton pulls out pulsating victory over Madison Memorial

12/02/2022, 1:00pm CST
By Mark Miller

This season opener had a bit of everything.

A big, vocal crowd.

One unlikely star.

Two stellar teams.

Three outstanding officials. 

And countless big plays by a number of very good basketball players from each squad.

In the end, fans left Madison Memorial Thursday night knowing they were treated to an outstanding game that saw Middleton withstand a furious second-half rally by Memorial to post a 71-64 Big Eight Conference victory.

Middleton looked every bit the part of its lofty No. 5 ranking among Division 1 schools in the WSN Coaches Poll in the first 18 minutes, racing out to a 41-20 lead at intermission.

But Memorial rallied behind some torrid shooting from a 5-foot-10 freshman off the bench and an effective pressing defense to slowly but steadily close the gap.

The Spartans actually took a 60-59 lead with about four minutes left on a steal and layup by that largely unknow freshman -- Anthony Miller. 

But Middleton settled down, made seven-of-eight foul shots and limited Memorial to one shot on the other end over the final three minutes of the contest to register the thrilling victory.

Seniors make big plays for Middleton


Gavyn Hurley

Gavyn Hurley and Kaden Fosdick stepped to the foul line late in the game Thursday knowing full well their shots could ultimately decide the outcome of the contest.

And like the senior leaders both have become, Hurley and Fosdick came through for their teammates and school.

Fosdick made all four of his foul shots and Hurley connected on three-of-four in the closing minutes to help Middleton hold off Memorial. 

Fosdick scored 12 points and made all six of his foul shots in the contest while Hurley, a talented 6-foot-6 senior guard and returning Player of the Year in the Big Eight, finished with 17 points.

"Gavyn is, without question, up there with Shaka Smart and Storm Murphy as one of the best leaders I've ever had," said long-time Middleton coach Kevin Bavery. "Winona State got an absolute steal in Gavyn. 

"Kaden is absolutely one of our closers. His skill set has improved so much over the past couple of years."

In addition to the strong play of Hurley and Fosdick, Middleton got big games from promising sophomore forward Will Garlock (6-10) and senior reserve Will Comerford (6-6). 

Garlock scored 14 points in his first varsity start and had several rebounds, a blocked shot or two and a dunk early in the game. His mobility, skill level and room for future physical development make him one of the most recruitable players in the state in the class of 2025.  

"This was Will's first real varsity game," Bavery said. "We did bring him up to varsity for a few games last season, but he saw just spot minutes at the end of games. The transformation he has made since mid summer is incredible. He's just a baby, too. He is still 15 years old."

Comerford would start at most schools, but the depth in the Middleton program right now might be the best in the state. Nonetheless, Comerford played big minutes in a reserve role and made the most of them. He hit all three of his three-point shots in the first half and finished with 13 points. 

Middleton did a splendid job of moving the ball and finding cutters and open shooters in the first half. But Memorial was able to slow down the Cardinals in the second half with its pressure defense.

"Their press bothered us in the second half," Bavery said. "We panicked a little bit. When we did beat the press, we didn't make a play. Down 21 and to come back like that is an incredible job by their team. But our guys responded after falling behind."

Mickelson, Miller trigger comeback

The strong play of junior Sam Mickelson was expected.

The incredible shooting and poise of freshman Anthony Miller was not. 

The 6-foot-7 Mickelson, a returning first-team all-league performer, shrugged off a slow start to finish with 18 points. His activity around the basket and ability to also make mid-range jump shots played a huge role in the Spartans' sterling comeback.

The 5-foot-10 Miller, who was playing at Blessed Sacrament Grade School last winter, made a 25-foot three-point shot in the first half that seemed to give the skilled first-year player confidence heading into the second half.

Playing with maturity and confience against one of the state's top teams, Miller dropped in 20 points and drilled four triples. And when he came up with a steal and layup that gave Memorial its 60-59 lead, the place was up for grabs with noise and excitement.

Memorial had open looks from three-point range down the stretch from Braylen Blue, Jackson Green and Miller, but all came up a bit short or long, and Middleton salted the game away with a nice drive and basket by Hurley and then the foul shots by both Hurley and Fosdick. 

"The pressure defense worked for us in the second half," Memorial coach Steve Collins said. "It sped them up a little bit. And we play well when we play fast.

"We had those good looks from three in the closing minutes, but we couldn't get them to drop. It takes a lot of energy to come back from such a big hole. We maybe got tired in the last few minutes."

Green and Blue both made three triples each to finish with nine points apiece to back up the strong scoring of Mickelson and Miller. 

"Miller didn't seemed fazed at all by the competition level," Collins said. "He's a gym rat who seems to excel at whatever he does."

The level of competition for Miller and Co. doesn't get any easier on Saturday at the Spartans travel to Madison La Follette. Meanwhile, Middleton hosts Sun Prairie East.

"The league race will be a bit different this year with 20 conference games," Collins said. "I think two or three losses might win it because there are just so many games in league play." 

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 by clicking here.

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