Sauk Prairie girls split a pair

It was the best of times and the worst of times for Sauk Prairie’s girls basketball team last week.  Junior guard Naomi Breunig scored a career-best 28 points, and the host Sauk Prairie Eagles used a smothering defense to pound Portage 59-21 in a Badger North Conference game on Feb. 4. But two-time defending conference champion and three-time WIAA Division 2 state champion Beaver Dam used an early flurry to spring past Sauk Prairie 82-42 on ‘Rock the Gym’ night last Friday. It didn’t take Sauk Prairie (11-7, 5-6 Badger North) long to take charge against Portage. Naomi Breunig drained a three-pointer and Olivia Breunig sank back-to-back triples to stake the Eagles to a 9-1 lead less than 3 minutes into the game. “(Thursday night) we weren’t shooting well at practice,” Sauk Prairie coach Amber Fiene said. “So it was ‘all right, let’s not rely on the three’ and we start the game out with three threes. That was an exciting start for us.” Portage coach Jessica Howe said it was the worst-case scenario for the Warriors (2-17, 1-10). “We’re just not a team right now that can battle back from that,” Howe said. “So, it’s pivotal that we start strong and keep it tight. We ended up getting a few baskets. But we’re always playing from behind, which is hard.” The Eagles were holding a 13-7 lead with 10 minutes, 24 seconds remaining in the first half when they unleashed a stunning 19-0 run to put the game out of reach for Portage. It started with Naomi Breunig’s second three-pointer of the first half and ended with a jumper from Olivia Breunig for a commanding 32-7 lead with 3 minutes remaining before the break. Naomi Breunig scored 12 of her 17 first-half points during the surge as Sauk Prairie held Portage scoreless for a span of 8:22. The Warriors missed all five field goal attempts and two free throws and committed 11 turnovers in 19 possessions. In surpassing her previous career-best of 27 points set in the season-opener against River Valley, Naomi Breunig was 12-of-17 from the field, including 3-of-5 from three-point range. “It was a matter of getting hot and trusting your shot,” said Breunig, who also had six rebounds, four steals and two blocked shots. “I got hot and it’s fun when your teammates support it, too. “But tonight it was a matter of everyone doing their job and knowing their role, and knowing to push the ball and getting it to who can score and who can attack. It was also important to get everyone involved.” While Naomi Breunig led the way, she had plenty of help. The Eagles were relentless on defense as Fiene didn’t hesitate going to her bench and rotating 11 players in the first half. “They had three rounds of girls, and we’re playing nine but when you can have that depth and some really solid scorers, that makes that rotation easier,” Howe said of Sauk Prairie, which got contributions from all 15 available players on the roster. Eagles’ sophomore point guard Faith Holler agreed. “It’s awesome because when everyone’s on the floor, they can give their best effort and then we can get fresh legs in right away,” said Holler, who finished with four points, two steals and a blocked shot. “We can continue to run people in there which helps us and gets them really tired.” Sauk Prairie opened up its largest lead at 45-15 on freshman Maggie Hartwig’s putback basket. Hartwig shared team-high rebounding honors with Olivia Breunig with eight each. Olivia Breunig also finished with 13 points and a team-best four steals for the Eagles, who recorded a season-sweep of Portage. Sauk Prairie also defeated the Warriors, 71-51, on Dec. 19. Portage finished with 32 turnovers with Sauk Prairie totaling 17 steals off its full-court pressure defense. “They stretch it wide and then there’s the trap,” Howe said. “You feel suffocated. They move so quickly, you don’t have an opportunity to think.” Fiene said that’s been the Eagles’ goal from day-one this season. “We want to get fast starts,” she said. “Our system is built around slowing wearing down other teams and using lots of bodies and having fresh legs out there constantly. Tonight was a good one for us as we could keep that going. “It was great team basketball. That’s what it was tonight. That’s what we need to continue to be and what we really strive for and what we’re striving to become. Tonight was a great example of what we want to be.” • Beaver Dam 82, Sauk Prairie 42 — Maty Wilke scored 17 of her game-high 22 points in the first half as the three-time defending Division 2 state champion Golden Beavers cruised past the host Eagles in a Badger North Conference game last Friday night. Naomi Breunig and Olivia Breunig scored 10 points apiece to pace Sauk Prairie (11-8, 5-7 Badger North). Second-ranked Beaver Dam (17-3, 12-0) opened up an 8-0 lead and then extended its margin to 18-2 just 5 ½ minutes into the game to take charge.  “We started out with some bad turnovers,” coach Amber Fiene said. “I don’t know if it was everybody in the gym (for ‘Rock the Gym’ night). But were doing some things we haven’t been doing lately. They were converting, and shot well tonight.” UW-Milwaukee signee Jada Donaldson recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists for the Golden Beavers. “Obviously, it wasn’t how we wanted this one to go,” Fiene said after Beaver Dam grabbed a 46-17 halftime lead. “But I was proud that my girls continued to play hard in the second half.” Maggie Hartwig finished with five points, a team-best seven rebounds and tied senior guard Ella Schad with three steals.  Sauk Prairie shot 30.0% from the floor (15-of-50), including 25.0% from beyond the arc (3-of-12). The Eagles also committed 22 turnovers against the Golden Beavers’ tenacious full-court defense. “They’re a great team,” Fiene said of Beaver Dam. “But we’ve got to continue to get better.” • On deck: Following a non-conference game at Richland Center on Tuesday, Sauk Prairie travels to Waunakee for a Badger North Conference game on Thursday at 7:15 p.m.   Feb. 4 Sauk Prairie 59, Portage 21 Portage ….....……..  9 12 — 21 Sauk Prairie ....…. 34 25 — 59 PORTAGE (fg ft-fta pts) — Brianna Bandner 3 1-2 7, Katelyn Belleau 0 1-6 1, Genna Garrigan 0 0-2 0, Hilary Nelson 3 0-0 6, Emma Kreuziger 1 0-4 2, Cameran Ratz 1 1-2 3, Payton Woodhouse 1 0-1 2. Totals 9 3-17 21. SAUK PRAIRIE — Lexi Tobias 0 0-0 0, Naomi Breunig 12 1-1 28, Claudia Miller 1 0-0 2, Olivia Breunig 5 0-0 13, Faith Holler 2 0-0 4, Kassia Marquardt 0 0-1 0, Madi Pertzborn 0 0-0 0, Lauren Wideen 0 0-0 0, Ella Schad 0 2-8 2, Ruth Baker 1 0-0 3, Olivia Paukner 2 1-8 5, Kaya Wilson 0 0-0 0, Makenzie Breunig 0 0-0 0, Annika Braund 0 0-0 0, Maggie Hartwig 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 4-18 59. 3-point goals: P 0; SP 7 (N. Breunig 3, O. Breunig 3, Baker 1). Total fouls: P 13; SP 17. Fouled out: SP (Tobias).   Feb. 7 Beaver Dam 82,  Sauk Prairie 42 Beaver Dam …….. 46 36 — 82 Sauk Prairie …….. 17 25 — 42 BEAVER DAM (fg ft-fta pts) — Natalie Jens 5 0-2 11, Carley Burchardt 3 0-0 6, Kylie Wittnebel 1 2-2 4, Peyton Wietzke 1 0-0 3, Maty Wilke 7 4-6 22, Jada Donaldson 5 0-1 12, Paige Hodgson 2 0-0 4, Anna Streblow 0 0-2 0, Paige Yagodinski 2 0-0 5, Leila Ashley 1 0-1 2, Avery Stonewall 4 1-2 9, Grace Madeiros 2 0-0 4. Totals 33 7-16 82. SAUK PRAIRIE — Lexi Tobias 3 0-0 6, Naomi Breunig 4 1-4 10, Olivia Breunig 4 0-0 10, Faith Holler 0 0-0 0, Kassia Marquardt 0 2-2 2, Madi Pertzborn 0 0-0 0, Ella Schad 2 1-2 5, Olivia Paukner 1 2-3 4, Makenzie Breunig 0 0-0 0, Maggie Hartwig 1 3-4 5. Totals 15 9-15 42. 3-point goals: BD 9 (Jens 1, Witzke 1, Wilke 4, Donaldson 2, Yagodinski 1); SP 3 (N. Breunig 1, O. Breunig 2). Total fouls: BD 13; SP 14.