The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017).
We begin our WSN15 boys' basketball series with the Top 15 Moments of the WSN Era.
John Diener
In the second overtime of a very tense and emotional game against Milwaukee Washington, John Diener rose up for a mid-range jump shot.
It swished through the net to create the 12th tie of the contest and it also broke a WIAA State Tournament record for most points scored by an individual in a single game.
Diener's jumper gave him 46 points and Cedarburg teammate Jordan Johnson went on to score the Bulldogs' final seven points of the second overtime as Cedarburg registered a 73-70 victory over Milwaukee Washington in a memorable Division 2 state semifinal contest at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Diener's scoring output broke the previous state-tournament record of 45 points scored by Appleton West's Brian Butch in 2003.
The 6-foot-4 Diener had enjoyed a very productive junior season for Cedarburg, averaging 21.5 points and helping the Bulldogs to the North Shore Conference championship.
But nobody saw a 46-point barrage forthcoming from the DePaul University recruit.
Diener, the son of Cedarburg coach Tom Diener, got off to a hot start as he scored his first basket just a minute, 30 seconds into the contest and ended the first half with 26 points as Cedarburg took a 40-38 lead into the locker room.
Diener was a remarkable 9 of 12 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from three-point range, during the first 18 minutes.
Despite cooling off after intermission, Diener managed to score 14 points in the second half and then added six more in the two overtimes.
For the game, Diener made 16 of 29 shots from the floor, including 5 of 8 from three-point range. He also made 9 of 15 attempts from the foul line and contributed 5 rebounds.
A day later, Diener turned in more magic in the Division 2 title game against La Crosse Central. He scored 25 points and helped the Bulldogs rally from a 10-point deficit with 12:33 left by scoring 10 points the rest of the way in a 55-53 setback.
Diener took the game to the final horn, though, as his three-quarter court shot with under a second left glanced to the right of the rim.
WSN15 Top Moments Countdown:
#15 - Catholic Memorial's Bray fills out stat sheet
#14 - Madison Memorial outlasts De Pere in 3 OTs to win 2011 Division 1 title
#13 - Jesperson erupts in 4th period to help Merrill upend Waunakee
#12 - LaDew drills three-pointer in closing seconds to give CMH title
#11 - St. Catherine's dominant in winning 5 state titles in 6 years
#10 - Randolph wins fourth straight state title behind Tillema
#9 - WIAA votes to add fifth division to state tournament
#8 - Madison Memorial, Seymour rule sectional final games
#7 - Bennett unlikely hero as Dominican completes five peat
#6 - Showalter's dunk signals start of Germantown dynasty
#5 - Oshkosh West completes unbeaten season as son pays tribute to late father
#4 - Cedarburg's Diener nets more points in a single game than any player in WIAA State Tournament history
#3 - Coming Soon...
#2 - Coming Soon...
#1 - Coming Soon...
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 at wbnews@yahoo.com.
Tag(s): News Archive BBB News Mark Miller WSN15