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

The Aquinas girls basketball team never trailed in its Division 4 State Semi-Final game against Crandon, and by the end, the game finished with a running clock as the Blugolds cruised home for a 75-38 victory.

After losing a second half lead and eventually falling to Howards Grove, 44-43, in last year's state championship game, Aquinas is back to try for its first-ever WIAA state title.

Courtney Becker scored on a layup to open the game for the Blugolds, and a 4-3 advantage a short time later was as close as Crandon got the rest of the way. The lead hit double-digits at 20-8 on a Taylor Theusch three-pointer with just over ten minutes remaining, as Aquinas stretched it to 43-19 at halftime thanks to a 9-0 closing burst.

It was a balanced scoring effort for Aquinas, who got 13 points from both Lexi Donarski, an Iowa State recruit, and Taylor Theusch, to go with 12 apiece for Madessa Collins and Kyah Steiner, as Courtney Becker chipped in 10 as well. 

Crandon committed 29 turnovers in the game, as the swarming half-court zone defense of Aquinas created tipped passes with regularity. Alexa Neilitz led the Cardinals with 12 points.

Much like Aquinas in the first Division 4 girls basketball semi-final, the Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs never trailed against Manitowoc Lutheran and were never seriously challenged in securing a 64-30 victory.

The win sets up an All-Coulee Region showdown against Aquinas in Saturday's Division 4 championship game. The schools are separated by just 25 miles in Western Wisconsin, but will meet in Green Bay for the title.

Melrose-Mindoro led 14-0 before Manitowoc Lutheran scored its first point at the 12:12 mark of the first half. It was 21-2 before Manitowoc Lutheran scored again, and the Mustangs held a 41-11 advantage at halftime.

Sophomore South Dakota State recruit Emily Herzberg had 18 points in the first half, to go with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals. She would go on to finish with 20 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 4 blocks, and 3 steals. Calette Lockington added 12 points and Mesa Byom scored 11 for the Mustangs.

No Manitowoc Lutheran players reached double-figures, as Amanda Pautz and Grace Melso tied for a team-high 6 points.

Preliminary attendance for the Division 4 Thursday night semi-final session was 5,068.