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D3 semifinal notes
By Dick Knapinski
For Wishoops.net
La Crosse Aquinas had a record-setting day in its 85-52 victory over Lakeside Lutheran on Friday. Scarier yet, the Blugolds might not have even reached their full potential.
“In the first half I thought there were times we turned it over too easily,” Aquinas coach Rick Schneider said after the Blugolds set Division 3 state records for single-game points and assists. “In the second half we shored that up and the result is showing.”
Against Lakeside Lutheran, a team that prided itself on its fast-paced, high-intensity pace, Aquinas (26-1) used that weapon against the Warriors (25-2). The Blugolds guards were too much or the Warriors (25-2), as Evan Pederson’s 10 assists led Aquinas’ total of 21. That topped the previous record of 19 by Racine St. Catherine’s against Fall Creek in 2009 and was only two away from the all-divisions mark of 23 set by Randolph against Seneca in 2003.
Meanwhile, the 85 points by Aquinas beat the previous Division 3 record of 84 scored by Niagara against St. Croix Falls in 1979.
“I don’t think there are any weaknesses there,” Lakeside Lutheran coach Jim Bauer said of the Blugolds. “They’re especially tough defensively. We couldn’t get anything going.”
Still perfect at state
Racine St. Catherine’s ran its WIAA state tournament record to 11-0 in six trips by outlasting Little Chute 58-51 on Friday morning as the Angels seek their sixth championship since 2005.
“We had to change our offense during the game,” he said. “We started with a five-man motion and in the second half we went to a four-man motion to put two guys on the block. (The Mustangs) were double-teaming down there, so we told our guys that as soon as their man turned his back, they should cut.”
The Angels also got a big game from Cary Thomas with a team-high 14 points, breaking out of his offensive slump.
“He was kind of in a funk,” Letsch said. “I don’t know what it was. He wasn’t shooting well or playing good defense and throwing the ball away. I’d start him but usually three or four minutes into the first quarter he’d do some things badly and I’d pull him.
“Today he hit that first shot and at the state tournament he was the most relaxed I’ve seen him.”
Missing parts
Little Chute’s rotation was altered when sophomore Turner Botz, the Mustangs’ leading rebounder, went down with a sprained ankle in the first half.
“We had to use Nick Aman and Kenny Lowe together, which we really haven’t done this year,” Little Chute coach Mickey Martin said. “Turner tried to come back and we had him run up and down the court a few times, but we could see he couldn’t close out on the shooters.”
Aman, the 6-6 senior, and the 6-5 sophomore Lowe combined for 23 points and 16 rebounds in the losing cause.
Part of a display
Highly regarded Aquinas guard Bronson Koenig had a rough first half against Lakeside Lutheran after picking up two fouls in the game’s first four minutes. It wasn’t until the second half the sophomore – who has already drawn much Division I college attention – could get his game in gear.
“I just had to catch my second wind in the second half,” said Koenig, who finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Schneider said Koenig wasn’t alone among the Blugolds looking tired in the first half.
“I don’t know if it was the (Kohl Center’s) big court, or the nine o’clock game or what,” he said.
Help of others
Aquinas senior Jimmy Anicus had the biggest game for the Blugolds with his double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds.
“He’s always been great defensively and on the glass, and we knew he could score offensively,” Schneider said. “He’s been getting some matchups now that’s very favorable top our team.”
Anicus also said the attention drawn by Koenig and Pedersen also help him get those matchups.
“They’re both great guards,” Anicus said. “They look to pass first inside, especially since they can get to the lane almost at will.”
Just point the way
One reporter asked Letsch after Friday’s win if he ever considered playing up a division to Division 2, which is allowed under WIAA rules.
“I’ll play where the state puts me,” Letsch said. “I don’t really want to get into this, because (due to St. Catherine’s success) a lot of people are blaming me for a lot of this stuff, and they started with the (private school) multiplier and then the five divisions.
“I was talking with the Little Chute coach and he was happy with the five (divisions) because he got away from Seymour. So we’ll go where the state wants us.”
Rim-rattler
Little Chute’s Lowe had perhaps the best dunk of the first half of the tournament, taking an alley-oop pass from Connor DeBruin with 19 seconds left in the semifinal against St. Catherine’s.

“We do that in practice all the time,” DeBruin said. “We just told him to watch the back door and we’d get it to him.”


Note:  Attendance for the Friday morning Division 3 state semi-finals was 10,760.