Norse win two before losing to Mel-Min

The Whitehall girls basketball team appeared to be on the edge of winning three straight games, but a second half run by Melrose-Mindoro meant the team had to settle for a 2-1 mark last week. 

The Norse picked up a pair of lopsided wins on Monday and Tuesday of last week. The team went on a 16-0 run in the second half of a 51-36 win over Mondovi on Monday. On Tuesday, the team took control early, defeating Osseo-Fairchild, 82-60. Whitehall had the lead in the second half against Melrose-Mindoro on Thursday, but the Mustangs went on a run and came away with a 64-49 win.

The Norse began the final week of the regular season with a 7-15 record, 5-13 in Dairyland Conference play. The team played at Independence/Gilmanton on Monday and will close out the regular season at home against Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran on Thursday. 

Whitehall begins Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association regional play on Tuesday with a rematch against Mondovi. The eighth-seeded Norse will host the ninth-seeded Buffaloes and the winner will play at (1) Eau Claire Regis next Friday. 

Whitehall 51 Mondovi 36

The Norse scored 16 straight points in the second half to pull away.

Whitehall had a two-point lead at halftime and was still ahead by two after four straight points by Mondovi made the score 29-27. The Norse run began with two free throws by Kelsie Klomsten.

Paige Lisowski scored shortly after before Ida Laurila made a basket and a free throw that put Whitehall ahead by nine. Lisowski connected on a three-pointer to make the score 39-27 before baskets by Klomsten, Kyla Lambeck and Aryana Ausderau put the Norse ahead 45-27 late in the game.

Lisowski and Lambeck both scored 15 points to lead Whitehall. 

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Kulig 0/1-0/0-2-1-0 Lisowski 6/15-1/2-8-0-15 Herman 0/4-0/0-0-0-0 Laurila 4/8-1/2-8-2-9 Lambeck 6/14-2/2-4-0-15 Ausderau 2/5-0/0-6-3-4 Klomsten 2/5-2/2-4-2-6 Mojica 0/4-0/0-5-2-0 Fonstad 0/1-0/0-0-1-0 Waldera 1/2-0/0-0-0-2

Whitehall 82 O-F 60

A 13-4 run gave the Norse control for good as the team took a big lead into halftime.

Whitehall had a 14-10 lead before Ida Laurila and Kyla Lambeck scored. A three-pointer by Paige Lisowski put the Norse ahead by double-digits. After an O-F basket stopped that run, Whitehall’s Aryana Ausderau scored six straight points for the Norse, putting the team ahead 27-14.

A three-pointer cut the Whitehall lead to 10, but Laurila scored on two straight possessions. Lisowski later added a three-pointer and another basket, which put Whitehall ahead 36-19.

The Norse took a 42-27 lead into halftime and maintained control throughout the second half.

Lisowski scored 26 to lead Whitehall while Laurila finished with 21 and Ausderau scored 10.

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Kulig 2/2-0/0-3-0-4 Lisowski 10/21-2/4-7-2-26 Herman 2/2-0/0-3-1-6 Laurila 9/14-2/3-10-2-21 Lambeck 3/14-0/0-3-4-6 Ausderau 5/10-0/0-6-1-10 Klomsten 0/1-2/2-1-1-2 Mojica 2/9-0/0-7-1-5 Edge 0/1-0/0-1-0-0 Fonstad 0/1-0/0-1-1-0 Waldera 1/2-0/0-1-0-2 Rose 0/1-0/0-0-0-0 

Mel-Min 64 Whitehall 49

The Norse went on a run just before halftime to take the lead and were still in the game until the Mustangs went on a 17-0 run late.

Two three-pointers by Lisowski, including a deep shot at the buzzer, gave Whitehall a 31-29 lead at halftime. The team led early in the second half and was within a point at 45-44 midway through until the Mustangs rattled off 17 straight points. 

Whitehall didn’t score again until another Lisowski three-pointer, but the team trailed 62-47 with less than a minute remaining in the game. 

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Kulig 1/4-0/0-7-0-2 Lisowski 10/23-0/2-4-3-25 Herman 0/2-0/0-4-2-0 Johnson 1/1-0/0-0-0-2 Lambeck 5/15-0/0-4-0-11 Ausderau 0/2-1/4-4-4-1 Klomsten 0/0-0/0-1-3-0 Mojica 2/5-0/0-2-2-5 Fonstad 1/2-0/0-2-0-3