G-E-T ends season with loss to Amery

The book on the 2025-26 season is officially closed for the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau girls basketball team after a loss in their playoff opener.

The 11th-seeded Red Hawks (3-22) suffered a season-ending 70-41 loss to the sixth-seeded Amery Warriors (14-11) of the Middle Border Conference in the opening round of the Division 3 playoffs last Tuesday in Amery.

Leading 8-6 through the first 6.5 minutes of play, the Warriors used a 13-0 run to go ahead comfortably by double digits and eventually led 30-14 at halftime.

A three-pointer by G-E-T sophomore Charlee McCutchen cut her team’s deficit to 39-24 with 12:27 remaining, but that’s the closest the Red Hawks would get in the second half. Amery answered with a 7-0 run and pulled completely away down the stretch.

Statistical leaders for the Red Hawks included sophomore Caydie Thompson with nine points and seven rebounds, senior Lexi James with six points and 12 rebounds, sophomore Alexis Ouellette with eight points and six rebounds and junior Joshlyn Lunsford with eight points.

The Warriors were guided by junior Miley Brotzel with 18 points, six steals and five rebounds, junior Kaleigh Wilson with 15 points, five steals and five rebounds, and sophomore Rylee Reese with eight points and eight assists.

“We learned a lot from the Amery game as we played shorthanded the last few games because of injury, so many girls had to step up,” said G-E-T head coach John Schmidtknecht. “We saw many girls come out of their shell and begin to shoot and take control of the game. We struggled part way through with turnovers on the press, which is an area we worked a lot on and have improved but an area that is highlighted for this summer to improve on next year.”

Last Tuesday’s loss marked the end of the Red Hawk basketball careers for the four seniors on their roster: Lexi James, Alexis McDonnell, Amara Brantner and Lorrisa Thompson.

“The four seniors that are graduating always brought a positive attitude and great leadership,” Schmidtknecht said. “They did a good job organizing offseason open gyms and keeping the communication through the team, which will be missed.”

Amery would go on to lose 45-26 to conference foe Baldwin-Woodville in Friday’s regional semifinals. The third-seeded Blackhawks then defeated second-seeded Prescott 66-49 in another Middle Border battle the following night to win their third straight regional title.

G-E-T (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-points)—McCutchen 1/6-0/1-4-3; Ouellette 4/9-0/0-6-8; McDonnell 1/3-0/0-2-3; Johnson 2/3-0/0-3-4; Keller 0/4-0/0-1-0; Lunsford 3/9-0/0-2-8; L. Thompson 0/4-0/0-2-0; James 3/6-0/1-12-6; C. Thompson 3/7-3/6-7-9