The Owen-Withee girls basketball team’s 10th trip to the state tournament was ended in the opening game as the Blackhawks fell to eventual champion Wisconsin Rapid Assumption 61-36 in the Division 5 WIAA State Basketball Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay Friday morning.
The Assumption defense forced 38 O-W turnovers, and the Blackhawks couldn’t recover offensively. Assumption won by a 61-36 margin.
The game started in a virtual stalemate the first several minutes, and Kayla Rasmussen put the Blackhawks on the board with a lay-up to tie the score 2-2 with 14:07 left. After a few Assumption scores, Madi Mueller’s free throw made it 9-3 with 9:55 left in the first half. Kendall Weiler added a free throw and Kayla Rasmussen’s fastbreak lay-up brought the Blackhawks to within 15-6 with 7:08 on the clock. From that point on, it was almost all Assumption as they coasted to a 30-14 halftime lead.
In the second half, four made free throws by Addie Hatlestad brought the Blackhawks within 34-20, but then Assumption put on the gas. Geneva Capetillo hit two free throws and Mueller’s lay-up made the score 44-24 with 11:22 left in the game. At the 9:43 mark, Rasmussen hit a jumper, and she added a pair of lay-ups in the ensuing minutes. Weiler added a free throw and a made jumper, and that capped off the Blackhawk scoring.
Weiler led the Blackhawks with 11 points, and Rasmussen added 10. Madi Mueller had six points, Addie Hatlestad had four, Capetillo three and Kendall Mueller two.
Rasmussen grabbed eight rebounds in the game, and Madi Mueller had six to go along with three assists. Weiler blocked two shots in the game.
Assumption went on to beat Barneveld 34-30 in the championship game Saturday.
The Blackhawks finish an incredible season with a 25-5 overall record and a second-place finish in the Eastern Cloverbelt Conference. They made quick work of opponents in post-season play, defeating Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran 37-29 to win a WIAA Sectional Championship to earn the trip to the state tourney. O-W and fourth-year head coach Josh Jalling will look to build upon the success of this year’s squad to try to get back to Green Bay in years to come.
Seniors who played their final game in Green Bay include Ellie Petersen, Kendall Weiler, Lydia Lobacz and Geneva Capetillo.