Indees pull ahead late in sectional semifinal win
Independence/Gilmanton’s Hannah Ekern drove to the hoop for a transition basket during her team’s win over De Soto on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
Shauna Dejno of Independence/Gilmanton split two De Soto defenders as she put up a shot during her team’s win over De Soto on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
I/G players celebrated after the final buzzer sounded in the team’s 47-40 win over De Soto on Thursday. (Times photograph by Andrew Dannehy)
One splash of the net changed everything.
The Independence/Gilmanton girls basketball team had trailed for almost the entire Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sectional semifinal. On the few occasions when the team was able to take a lead, De Soto marched back and quickly reclaimed the advantage.
But with five minutes remaining in the game, Rielynn Sheahan got a jump shot to fall that put the Indees ahead for good. I/G closed the game with an 11-4 run to upend De Soto, 47-40, and advance to the sectional final game in Mauston at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“Rie made an outside jumper, we didn’t make many of those. We’ve been shooting the ball well, but tonight we struggled,” I/G Coach John Zilla said. “We struggled with our half-court offense. Once we got one to fall, it just built confidence. Then we were able to run a couple of sets and get some easy looks and that helped.”
In the sectional final, the Indees (22-5) will take on Barneveld (21-7). The Golden Eagles are coming off a lopsided win over Argyle/Pecatonica in their sectional final matchup. Barneveld is ranked fifth in Division Five in the Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Girls Basketball Media Poll; I/G is eighth.
It didn’t look good for I/G for most of Thursday’s game against De Soto at the Wanek Center in Arcadia. The first half was close as I/G trailed by just a point, 23-22, at halftime.
The Indees got off to a strong start in the second half as a basket by Nora Schank gave the team the lead before Arabelle Kniseley scored. Schank connected on two free throws to put her team ahead 28-23. But De Soto tied the game by scoring on its next two possessions. Kylee Venner knocked down a three-pointer, then Makenna Gilman took a steal in for a layup.
That was just the start of a De Soto run in which the Pirates scored 11 straight points to take a 34-28 lead.
The Indees ended the run with a basket by Shauna Dejno, then Sheahan got a three-pointer to fall to bring I/G within a point with eight minutes remaining.
The teams exchanged baskets before the Indees were able to kick out to Sheahan again. She pump-faked at the three-point line to get past a defender before dribbling in and knocking down a long jump shot to put her team ahead 37-36.
On I/G’s next possession, Sheahan struck again — this time from beyond the arc, drilling a three to put her team ahead by four. One minute later, Hadley Sylla cut to the basket for an easy layup that made the score 42-36 with three minutes remaining.
After a De Soto basket with two minutes left in the game, the Indees were able to work the clock. The Pirates had only been called for three fouls in the game, so they had to intentionally foul multiple times to force the Indees to the charity stripe.
“Whenever we’re ahead in the game, Eagle is our bread and butter,” Zilla said. “We go to it and then we gotta make our free throws.”
The Indees got the ball inside to Dejno for a basket with one minute left. De Soto answered with a basket, but the Indees were able to get defensive stops with a steal by Schank and two blocked shots by Dejno to secure the win.
Sheahan scored 15 points to lead the Indees, while Dejno added 10. Kniseley and Schank both scored eight points, Sylla added four, and Hannah Ekern chipped in with two.
See more photos from this game and coverage from the sectional final game in next week’s Times.
