Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Things didn't look very promising for the Saint Mary Catholic boys' basketball team with just over three minutes left in the Zephyrs' Big East Conference showdown with visiting Howards Grove Friday night.

Saint Mary Catholic, ranked No. 3 in the WSN Division 4 Coaches Poll, trailed Howards Grove 58-51 and hadn't scored on its previous eight possessions.

Howards Grove, ranked No. 1 in the WSN Division 4 poll, was finding holes in the Zephyrs' zone defense and had maintained a lead throughout the second half.

But the gloom in the packed Ralph McClone Gymnasium turned to pure joy over the final 3 minutes, 15 seconds as Saint Mary Catholic scored on its last six possessions and then watched a 30-foot three by the Tigers' Tanner Schumacher bounce off the rim as the final horn sounded in an emotional 64-63 victory that sent the Zephyrs' student section running onto the court.

The play of the game was turned in by senior Charlie Nackers as the Zephyrs forward drove into the middle of the lane and put in a bank shot with three seconds left to account for the final scoring of the intense contest. 

Saint Mary Catholic improved to 19-2 overall and within one game of Howards Grove, also 19-2, in the Big East North Conference standings. The Zephyrs also avenged a 78-62 loss at Howards Grove in January. 

Saint Norbert College recruit Cole Uhlenbrauck, a 6-foot-5 forward with deep shooting range, was a thorn in the side for Howards Grove all game. 

He finished with a game-high 25 points, hit three three-point baskets and scored three inside baskets during the Zephyrs' decisive rally. He also battled on the glass and blocked a few shots along the baseline while protecting the basket in the Zephyrs' zone defense.

"With our offense, our guys work off of each other," Saint Mary Catholic coach Paul Bradshaw said. "We did that well tonight even with Danny (Griffith) fighting through illness tonight and not being at 100 percent."

Uhlenbrauck leads Saint Mary Catholic in scoring at 22.3 ppg and has scored 1,592 during his four-year career, but Griffith's offense is also vital to the Zephyrs' success. He was limited to just five points (well below his 17.7 ppg average), but got some big-time help from Nackers, who finished with 12, and junior Fisher MacKenzie, who hit a huge three during the late flurry and finished with 17.

"On Charlie's basket at the end, it wasn't intentional," Bradshaw said. "The guys just took what the defense gave them, and Charlie made an aggressive move and got the hoop. Charlie has gotten really good at going to the basket and finishing with either hand. He's a very athletic kid."

"There were a lot of adjustments made during the game because we know each other so well. We flipped our zone in the second half to try to take away some of their inside baskets."

Although Howards Grove still has the inside track to the Big East North title, Bradshaw is hoping the Zephyrs' victories this week over Kohler and Howards Grove will propel Saint Mary Catholic heading into the WIAA playoffs.

"It's about momentum and confidence," Bradshaw said. "We played very well against Kohler and played solid defense, which is key to keeping our confidence high."

Howards Grove found out first hand that you need to play a full 36 minutes in order to beat a good team on the road.

The Tigers led 36-31 at half and maintained a lead for the first 15 minutes plus of the second half, but some missed free throws and turnovers in the final few minutes cost Howards Grove a triumph. 

"We didn't do a good job of taking care of the ball and making free throws in the final minutes," Howards Grove coach Wade Georgeff said. "MacKenzie knocked down a big three to tie it and we allowed too many lanes to the hoop.

"On the winning basket, we knew Nackers was really good on the spin, but he made a tough shot."

Senior Tanner Schumacher (6-2), the Tigers' top scorer at 19.1 ppg, was limited to 15 points and made just two field goals. He did manage to draw fouls and went 11-of-14 tries from the line.  

Senior Isaac Godziewski (6-3) and sophomore Trent Grunewald (6-3) turned in strong showings for Howards Grove with 19 and 17 points, respectively. 

Godziewski made several soft floaters in the lane while Grunewald buried five three-point baskets. 

"Trent shot it great in the first half," Georgeff said. "He also did a great job of getting into our offense all game."

Howards Grove can clinch the outright league title with victories over Hilbert, Mishicot and Reedsville over the final two weeks of the regular season. The Tigers and Zephyrs are not in the same sectional, so a third meeting would have to take place at the WIAA State Tournament.

"I told Paul maybe we can have a rubber match in Madison," Georgeff said. "It's going to be a long bus ride home. We knew it would be a hard game and it was. We wanted to compete and, for the most part, we did that."

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.