Norse girls win two of three to finish regular season

The Whitehall girls basketball team seems to have found its way out of a tough stretch just as the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament is set to begin.

The Norse had lost six of seven entering last week and hadn’t topped 45 points in any of those games. That changed last Monday when the team broke out offensively in a 75-37 win over Port Edwards. Whitehall struggled again on Thursday, falling to Cochrane-Fountain City 65-26, but they came back strong on Saturday, beating Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 42-37.

Whitehall finished the regular season with an overall record of 12-11, they were 5-10 in Dairyland Conference play, tied with Augusta at the bottom of the DC Large Division. 

A new season began on Tuesday as (9) Whitehall played at (8) Eau Claire Regis. Should they win, the Norse will play at (1) Osseo-Fairchild on Friday with the regional final set for Saturday.

Whitehall 75 P. Edwards 37

After struggling offensively in recent weeks, the Whitehall girls basketball team broke through with 36 points in the first half. 

The Norse made four three pointers — two by Avery Sonsalla — as they took a 36-18 lead into halftime. The 36 points scored were just two fewer than the team had averaged per game in February.

They added to the lead in the second half as Sonsalla hit another three pointer and the team made 17 shots from the field in a lopsided win.

Whitehall shot 40.3 percent in the game as they made seven three pointers on 20 attempts and dominated the paint with 46 points from in close.

It was a balanced attack as Olivia Killian led the team with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Brenna Clatt, Nylah Lisowski and Vaida Goplin all added 10 points, while Sonsalla scored nine, Norah Youngbauer finished with eight, McKenna Pientok, six; Mia Sygulla and Nicoya Yarrington, four and Susie Rodriguez, two. Clatt also had 12 rebounds.

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Sonsalla 3/9-0/0-2-5-9 Goplin 4/14-1/2-4-3-10 Youngbauer 2/6-2/2-4-3-8 Rodriguez 1/4-0/0-0-0-2 Pientok 2/3-2/2-5-2-6 Killian 6/14-0/1-13-2-12 Lisowski 4/8-1/3-6-1-10 Sygulla 2/3-0/0-1-0-4 Clatt 5/12-0/2-12-1-10 Yarrington 2/4-0/0-2-4-4

C-FC 65 Whitehall 26

The Pirates scored 17 of the first 20 points and never looked back.

C-FC got 14 points from Haili Brone and 10 from Emmalee Mann in the first half as they took a 36-11 lead into halftime. 

Whitehall lost Lisowski to injury in the first half as they continued to struggle in the second. The Pirates used a balanced attack to pull away for the lopsided win.

The Norse shot 14.3 percent from the field and committed 26 turnovers. They were also 12-for-20 from the free-throw line. 

Aasen led Whitehall with eight points, Clatt scored six while Killian and Youngbauer both scored four, Haili Sluga and Rodriguez both scored two.

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Sonsalla 0/2-0/0-2-4-0 Sluga 0/1-2/2-0-3-2 Goplin 0/0-0/0-1-1-0 Youngbauer 0/2-4/6-2-2-4 Rodriguez 1/2-0/0-2-0-2 Pientok 0/8-0/0-4-2-0 Aasen 2/4-2/2-3-4-8 Killian 1/9-2/5-3-3-4 Lisowski 0/5-0/2-2-0-0 Clatt 2/3-2/2-3-1-6 Coburn 0/2-0/1-1-0-0 Yarrington 0/4-0/0-2-3-0

Whitehall 42 ECI 37

The Norse took the lead in the first half and held onto it for the win.

Whitehall led 21-17 at halftime and their defense continued to keep ECI in check in the second half. 

Clatt led the Norse with 12 points, Lisowski added eight, Yarrington finished with seven, Killian, five; Aasen and Pientok, four and Youngbauer scored two.