Raiders lose to top teams
Arcadia’s Vince Braun released a shot during their game against Onalaska Luther on Friday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
The competition was stiff for the Arcadia boys basketball team last week and it showed as they suffered a pair of lopsided losses to two of the areas best teams.
The Raiders opened play on the road last Monday, falling to La Crosse Aquinas (17-6) 83-37. On Friday, they struggled in a 75-48 loss to Onalaska Luther (20-2).
The losses put Arcadia at 4-18 overall and 2-9 in Coulee Conference play, half of a game behind Viroqua in last place. The schedule didn’t get easier for the Raiders this week as they hosted Durand (17-5) on Monday and play at CC champion West Salem (20-1) on Friday.
The (12) Raiders open Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association play at (5) Mauston this coming Tuesday. Should they win, they’d play at (4) Wisconsin Dells on Friday.
LC Aquinas 83 Arcadia 37
Turnovers and missed shots were an issue for the Raiders as Aquinas took a big lead early.
Arcadia shot just over 30 percent from the field, while committing 28 turnovers that helped Aquinas get easy looks at the basket. The Blugolds led 48-20 at halftime and were in control throughout the second half.
Most of the Blugolds success came close to the basket. Aquinas scored 83 points, despite making just five three pointers and 10 free throws.
Trev Bjorge led the Raiders with eight points while Richard Gomez scored six. Kaiden Rotering, Connor Weltzien and Devon Baier all scored five and both Cam Boland and Maverick Drazkowski scored four points.
Arcadia (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Rotering 2/7-1/2-4-0-5 Boland 1/7-1/2-0-1-4 Scow 0/1-0/0-0-0-0 Drazkowski 2/3-0/1-2-0-4 Baier 2/2-0/0-1-1-5 Bjorge 4/11-0/0-8-4-8 Weltzien 2/3-0/0-5-1-5 Gomez 3/12-0/0-3-1-6 Updike 0/4-0/0-3-2-0 Braun 0/2-0/0-1-0-0
Luther 75 Arcadia 48
One of the top teams in the area was too much for the Raiders on Friday.
The Knights have only lost two games this season — both to West Salem — and figure to be in contention for a state title next month. They certainly looked the part early against Arcadia as their length made it difficult for the Raiders to get the ball up the court against Luther’s pressure defense.
Luther took a big lead in the opening minutes as the Raiders had a difficult time getting shots off. The Knights led 47-23 at halftime and were in cruise control for most of the second half.
Trev Bjorge led Arcadia with 14 points while Vince Braun added nine, Weltzien, eight; Baier, five; Gomez, four; Updike and Boland, three and Rotering, two.
