Heights boys aim to shine this postseason

Wisconsin Heights’ boys basketball team didn’t end the regular season the way it hoped. The Vanguards dropped two of three games last week — and eight of their final 10 — and finished the regular season 8-16 overall. But Heights is hoping for bigger and better things this postseason. The ninth-seeded Vanguards traveled to eighth-seeded Iowa-Grant Tuesday for a WIAA Division 4 regional quarterfinal. If Heights wins there, it would head to top-seeded Mineral Point for a regional semifinal Friday at 7 p.m. “It will be the little things that determine who wins,” Heights coach Nolan Krentz said of the Vanguards’ battle with Iowa-Grant. “Are we able to take care of the ball and limit turnovers, finish inside and at the free throw line? And will we be able to keep them off the offensive glass?   “Both teams are very similar and whoever is better at these three areas likely will come out on top. We have not yet put a complete, 36-minute game together, and if we do that, we are capable of coming away with the win.” Here’s a recap of the Vanguards’ final week of the regular season. • La Farge 57, Wisconsin Heights 52 — The Vanguards shot just 33.9% from the floor (20-of-59) and fell to La Farge on Feb. 24. “We had hoped this game would be a momentum-builder for the week, but we did not do the little things it takes to win in close games,” Krentz said. “We struggled taking care of the ball against La Farge’s zone in the second half. When we did take care of the ball, we got good looks, but unfortunately could not convert.” Mike Fancsali led the Vanguards with 16 points and nine rebounds, while Brayden Van Riper added 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots. Reed Adler had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Zach Sander had two steals. Heights used an 8-0 run late in the first half to take a 27-25 lead, and the teams were knotted at halftime, 27-27. The Vanguards led, 36-34, in the second half when La Farge went on an 11-0 and surged to a 45-36 lead. The Vanguards clawed back within 47-46, before La Farge pulled away in the closing minutes. “In the Capitol South, we have seen mostly man-to-man defense this season, and when we have faced zones, we have struggled at times,” Krentz said. “That is something we will definitely have to clean up as we are going to see zone come postseason time.” • Wisconsin Heights 63, Weston 43 — The Vanguards put four players in double figures and toppled host Weston on Feb. 25. Zach Sander led Heights with 16 points, while Mike Fancsali had 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Logan Duhr had 11 points and four assists, while Ethan Myers added 10 points and five steals, and Brayden Van Riper had five rebounds and two blocked shots. “We had four players score in double figures, which was great to see and something we will definitely need in our regional game,” Krentz said. “Our lead allowed us to get all 14 players suited up into the game, which was important as our season winds down.” Heights shot a blistering 8-of-16 from 3-point land in the first half (50.0%) and 14-of-28 from the floor (50.0%) and surged to a 40-27 lead at the break. The Vanguards pushed that advantage to as many as 28 in the second half and cruised home. “Playing back-to-back nights is not easy, especially this time of the year,” Krentz said. “But I was pleased with how we bounced back from the previous night and were able to come away with a quality win on the road.” • New Glarus 56, Wisconsin Heights 43 — The host Vanguards played with terrific intensity on ‘Senior Night’, but fell short against the Glarner Knights. “Our effort was great in this game, and much like the first time we played, I thought the final score was not indicative of how close this game really was,” Krentz said. “I thought we played as well defensively as we have all season and got good looks on the offensive end. We just struggled to finish inside.” Mike Fancsali led the Vanguards with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Reed Adler had 11 points, three assists and two steals. Brayden Van Riper chipped in with four blocked shots, three assists and two steals. Heights started slow and trailed, 31-23, at halftime. The Vanguards hung around most of the second half and trailed, 51-43 with 4 minutes left, but didn’t score the rest of the game and New Glarus pulled away. “We struggled to take care of the ball against New Glarus’ pressure, especially in the half court,” said Krentz, whose team finished with 21 turnovers. “Their physicality gave us fits rebounding, as well, as they had 17 offensive rebounds for the game, leading to 13 second-chance points.   “We were right there with New Glarus for the entire game and showed we can play with one of the better teams in our league. We will need the same effort and intensity when we begin postseason play.”