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WSN15: Girls Basketball Top Moments #11 -- Verona tops Mukwonago in title game that featured a first half stall

07/30/2018, 12:30pm CDT
By Norbert Durst

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 girls' basketball series with the Top 15 Moments of the WSN Era.

In a matchup that featured Verona and Mukwonago, the favorites in Division 1 since the preseason of the 2015-16 season, the Wildcats defeated the Indians 52-46 to capture their first state title in program history.

The contest didn't lack drama. With Mukwonago leading 8-7 with 13:29 left in the first half, coach Rick Kolinske and the Indians tried to get Verona to come out of its zone by holding the ball near midcourt, but Verona coach Angie Murphy and the Wildcats didn't blink and it turned into a stall of over three minutes before Mukwonago resumed. 

It didn't take very long during the stall for Verona fans to voice their displeasure and not long after there were many others who joined in. 

There weren't any stalling issues afterwards, but it did seem to give Verona a spark and the Wildcats went on an 8-2 run over the next four minutes. 

The Indians did respond and ended the first half on a 10-4 run to lead Verona 20-19 at the break. 

Mukwongo built a 29-21 with 14:49 to play before Verona would go on to outscore the Indians 31-17 the rest of the way. 

The Wildcats grabbed the lead for good when Alex Luehring knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the game and a 42-40 lead with 5:08 remaining. 

Luehring finished with a 18 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals in the victory. She was a member of the UW-Green Bay women's basketball team before transferring to Wisconsin to move closer to her family. 

Grace Mueller, another future Wisconsin Badger, tallied 12 points and 7 rebounds for the Wildcats. 

Mukwonago got stellar play from Bre Cera who finished with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 3 steals. She played her freshman season at Iowa before transferring to UW-Milwaukee. 

The Indians had another NCAA Division I recruit in Morgan Glatczak who contributed 8 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks for the Indians. She started her college career at Ball State and is now playing at NCAA Division II Lewis University. 

This summer Natalie Anderson, a freshman on Mukwonago's team in 2015-16, made a verbal commitment to NCAA Division I IUPUI to make it five players that played in the game to commit to a Division I program. 

The stall that Mukwonago went into in the first half might make the game remembered more for that than the great contest it turned into.

There was some chatter in Green Bay about a shot clock and others voiced their concerns via social media about wanting a shot clock. This wasn't the first time there was a stall at the state tournament, but every time it happens on a big stage it will get people talking. 

In June of 2017, a year after the contest, the WIAA initially approved implementing a shot clock before the decision was reversed in December of that year. 

Tag(s): News Archive  GBB News  Norbert Durst  WSN15