Wildcats look to build off of last year’s strong finish

The Blair-Taylor girls basketball team got hot at the right time last year, and they’re hoping to turn that into more success this year.

The Wildcats won 11 straight games toward the end of last year, with victories over other top Dairyland Conference teams in Whitehall and Independence/Gilmanton before eventually falling in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Sectional Semifinal to Eleva-Strum. 

“I really feel that the strong run that we had at the end of last season will show the players that they are a good team, and if they play up to their abilities, they can be a dangerous team,” Coach Jesse Lien said. “As a coach, it really shows what coming together as a group and believing in what you’re doing can help in team chemistry and help them believe in themselves.”

The Wildcats are no stranger to postseason success under Lien. In his four seasons leading the team, the Wildcats have gone 86-26 and qualified for at least the sectional round three times, including a state runner-up finish in 2023. Last year’s team went 21-7 and returns much of the roster.

B-T returns its four leading scorers in seniors Andrea Waldera, Andi Beck, Samantha Aguilar and Elissa Smetana. 

Waldera, a six-foot center who played for the state runner-up team as a freshman, averaged 15.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game last year.

“She brings not only size and experience inside, but her leadership and ability to get others involved is coming out more and more,” Lien said.

Lien said that Andi Beck (11.1 points, 4.1 assists per game) has done a great job as the point guard the last two years. “Now her ability to get to the basket makes her even more dangerous.” 

A third senior, Samantha Aguilar (11 ppg), is a tough matchup, Lien said, because she provides size and the ability to handle the ball, making her a threat to score inside or outside. 

Smetana (5.7 ppg) gave the Wildcats a threat on the perimeter with Lien saying she, “has come on as a deadly outside shooter. As a senior, I expect her consistency to only get better.”  

Lien said the conference as a whole is extremely strong. In addition to E-S, which defeated B-T in the sectional round and won the DC-Large Division, Lien expects Independence/Gilmanton to be strong and said “you can never count out Cochrane-Fountain City.”

“From top to bottom, I think our conference is probably one of the toughest conferences around for small schools,” Lien said.

But he expects his team to be right in the mix to repeat as DC-Small Division champions. 

“I don’t think there is any reason why we shouldn’t compete for a conference championship as long as everybody stays healthy,” Lien said. “But the only way to do that is by playing good basketball and playing as a team. I think this group being a veteran group with a lot of experience can make a good run in the tournament by the end of the season.”

B-T opened the season at Osseo-Fairchild on Tuesday of this week. They’ll host Melrose-Mindoro on Friday and play at Independence/Gilmanton in Independence next Tuesday.