Regionals

Playoffs have started and this past weekend was Regionals. Friday night took in the regional semi finals between Racine Case and Waunakee. This was a battle of seven seed and ten seed with two teams with the same record so I figured this game was going to be a good one. I have seen Waunakee in the past and new they were solid game and are disciplined team that will always play very hard. Racine Case on the other side I had never seen play but, knew they were coming from a good conference and were probably a pretty athletic team.

Waunakee 67 Racine Case 60
Early on Waunakee couldn't buy a shot and Racine case came out firing hitting threes right off the bat. 5'11 senior Mylin Duffie was firing early for Case and then 6'0 junior Logan Schmidtmann came off the bench and just couldn't miss from outside. Waunakee struggled from the outside early on and really looked to 6'5 senior Josh Cash in the post who was more aggressive then I've ever seen him in the past. Cash really looked to score in the post and was driving to the rim from the high post. Case was able to take a half time lead of 30-23.

In the second half Case made some questionable decisions. They started three different starters and the biggest question was why Duffie came out on the bench and really didn't play much in the second half. Waunakee seemed to wear Case down and as the game got close Case began to press on the offensive end and rush their shots and take some bad shots. Waunakee began hitting some threes then led by Cash who hit back to back threes and then there leading scorer 6'1 senior Will Knatz got going and hit a pair of his own threes. The moment basically went Waunakee's way for good when 5'10 Case junior Jayvian Farr picked up his fourth flow and then for whatever reason picked up a technical which elimindated Farr from the game and gave Waunakee two free throws and the ball. Honestly I didn't see anything so can only assume Farr said something to get the T but, Case never recovered from this. Case continued to struggle with foul trouble late as four players fouled out and despite Case's best efforts Waunakee just wasn't missing their shots.

Wisconsin Dells 73 Mauston 59
Saturday night decided to head to my alma mater to see them take on Mauston. I figured it was a good game to go to because they had split during the regular season and both games were one point wins where the losing team had a chance to win on a last second shot. Unfortunately this game was over before it began. Mauston seemed to have no answer for the Dells zone and on the other end the Dells just couldn't miss a shot. Everything was following for Wisconsin Dells as they hit eight threes in the first half and the mid range jumpers were falling too as they took a 41 to 18 half time lead and never really looked back. Looking at the stats 5'10 Dells junior Bryson Funmaker isn't a big time scorer by any means but, two of the games I've seen him play he's gone off. Funmaker was knocking down all his three point shots and it just seemed that he was always able to find himself wide open. Everyone was hitting the shots not just Funmaker though. 6'0 junior Riley Eck chipped in a pair of threes of his own in the first half on his way to 16 points for the game. Really wasn't much to say in the first half for Mauston.

In the second half Mauston came out with a little more aggression and they brought out the full court press as well which got things going their way. Mauston was able to get a few easy buckets off the press and then 6'4 junior Cade Hall got himself going a little bit. Hall wasn't super aggressive but, when they shots presented themselves he was able to hit them. I thought that Hall's team mates should of looked for him a little more and got him a few more shots. Hall was able to hit the threes and then hit the mid range jumpers as well. I believe Mauston may of cut the lead to nine at one point but, in the end they just weren't able to hit enough threes to come all the way back. Funmaker and company struggle a bit from the free throw line late but, in the end they hit just enough free throws to win. The game really dragged on late as Mauston started the fouling with just over four minutes to go. 6'1 junior Joe Bauer got himself going late but, it was just too late in the game Bauer did finish off a nice dunk late in the game though but, his efforts were for not late. Dells ended up with four players in double figures