Eagles’ boys basketball team drops two of three

They were shorthanded. The schedule was demanding,. But Sauk Prairie’s boys basketball team competed extremely well during a tough week that saw the Eagles drop two of three games. Mount Horeb defeated Sauk Prairie, 71-56, on Feb. 6. The Eagles responded with a 72-52 win over Portage on Feb. 9, then dropped a 71-65 decision to Lake Mills on Feb. 10. Sauk Prairie played without leading scorer Nic Keyser and key reserve Braden Schaaf. Sauk Prairie is now 11-10 overall and 7-4 in the Badger Small Conference. “I was proud of how our guys competed,” Eagles’ coach Sean McGann said. “Despite going 1-2 this week, I do think we took a step forward.” Here’s a recap of the Eagles’ week: • Mount Horeb 71, Sauk Prairie 56 — Otis Andres drained five 3-pointers and scored 15 points to lead three Eagles in double figures, but it wasn’t enough. Breyton Wardrop and Tristan Kerska both added 10 points for Sauk Prairie. Nick Vorwald led Mount Horeb with 23 points and Josh Manchester added 21. The Vikings led just 30-27 at halftime, but pulled away after intermission. “Otis Andres has stepped up to the challenge of being a starter,” McGann said. • Sauk Prairie 72, Portage 52 — The Eagles rolled past the Warriors (6-15, 1-11), who currently sit in last place in the Badger Small Conference. • Lake Mills 71, Sauk Prairie 65 — The L-Cats, ranked No. 5 in Division 3, built an 8-point halftime lead and held off a second half charge by the Eagles. “With (Keyser and Schaaf) out, it has allowed other guys the opportunity to step up,” McGann said. “Breyton Wardrop and Tristan Kerska played really well against Portage and Lake Mills.” • On deck: Sauk Prairie hosted Baraboo Tuesday, then travels to Stoughton Friday at 7:15 p.m. The WIAA then announces postseason seeds Sunday. “As for seeding, it depends a lot on this week,” McGann said. “We have a big one on Tuesday against Baraboo and if we get that one and get the season sweep over them, I believe that puts us in a great position to finish in third place in our league.  “We have also had a very solid non-conference schedule that will be factored in. I could see us anywhere from (No.) 5-8, depending on what the computer weighs more heavily.”