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Saint Mary's Springs physical and determined Ledgers raced out to a 12-2 lead three minutes into the game, held off several comeback attempts by home-standing Dodgeland and recorded a convincing 66-51 victory in the opening-round of the WIAA playoffs Tuesday night.

Saint Mary's Springs, which finished 7-7 in the Flyway Conference, takes a 13-12 overall record into its WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal game at Kohler (22-2) on Friday. A year ago, Kohler went to Saint Mary's Springs and upset the 23-2 Ledgers in a regional final.

Dodgeland received the No. 8 seed over the No. 9 seeded Ledgers, but the Trojans had a hard time handling the pressure defense and physicality of Saint Mary's Springs. 

The Trojans committed 18 turnovers in the first half and 25 for the game and saw their season end with a 14-11 record under first-year coach Jason White. 

Noah Moul, 6-3, Jr., F, Saint Mary's Springs
Rugged. Athletic. Relentless. Moul was all of those things for the Ledgers as his constant activity around the basket, his impressive physical strength and his high-energy throughout the contest sparked the Ledgers to the victory. Moul, 6-3 and 220 pounds and a unanimous first-team all-league offensive guard and linebacker last fall, scored a game-high 23 points and did an excellent job of drawing fouls as he connected on 11 of 14 free throws. He also grabbed 11 rebounds and leads the Ledgers in scoring (17.0 ppg) and rebounding (9.1 rpg). "We are trying to get Noah to catch the ball higher on the block," Saint Mary's Springs coach Kyle Krueger said. "We want to take advantage of his athleticism and strength in the post. Halfway through the season, he really started to get bouncy. He can really get up and has had several dunks and impressive blocks for us."

Dodgeland had cut a 16-point second-half deficit to just seven at 46-39 on a free throw with 6:01 left by senior guard Ben Stiller. But Saint Mary's Springs answered on the other end when senior John Coon (6-2) took a pass from sophomore guard Ben Baker (5-10) and drove to his right and converted a contested layup, helping the Ledgers stem the Trojans' comeback. Coon had 11 points in the contest for the Ledgers.

Ben Baker, 5-10, Soph., PG, Saint Mary's Springs
Baker provided a calming influence in a game that was played at a hectic pace at times. His steady ball handling, excellent passing, surprising rebounding and shot making played pivotal roles in the Ledgers' victory. The skilled sophomore lead guard finished with eight points, nine rebounds and five steals. He is averaging 6.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game. "Ben is so heady," Krueger said. "Mentally, he's way above where a sophomore normally is on the floor. He shoots the ball well and his ball-pressure on defense is a pain for opponents."

"They scored 22 points in the first half and 11 of those came from the foul line. We had them with 18 turnovers in the first half. We have some trouble scoring at times, but the way we play on defense wears on opponents." -- Saint Mary's Springs coach Kyle Krueger

In addition to Moul and Baker, senior Sam Lucas (6-1) had a strong offensive game for the Ledgers and he scored 13 points and make some big baskets down the stretch ...For the most part, Saint Mary's Springs did a good job defending freshman Isaiah Yuenger, a 6-foot-4 wing considered one of the better class of 2027 prospects in the state. Yuenger entered the contest averaging just over 21 ppg and was held to 17, with some coming at the end of the game after the outcome had been determined ... Dodgeland started four underclassmen and also played three returning players off the bench so the Trojans figure to be among the top teams in the Trailways East Conference the next several seasons. 

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