Wisconsin Heights girls set for playoffs

It wasn’t the ending they were hoping for. Now, Wisconsin Heights’ girls basketball team must turn the page and hope for the best in the second season. The Vanguards dropped a pair of games last week, which pushed their losing streak to five games. Marshall defeated visiting Heights, 48-38, on Feb. 17. New Glarus then toppled the host Vanguards, 64-28, on Feb. 20. “We struggled to put a complete game together the last two weeks of the season,” Heights coach Tyler Fuchs said. “We would either play poorly in the first half and then play much stronger in the second half, but couldn’t overcome the first half deficit. Or we would play a solid first half but self-destruct in the second half.” In Heights’ loss to Marshall, Sonja Severson had 13 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one assist, while Jocelyn Brabender had nine points, five rebounds and four steals. Avery Graham added eight points, four rebounds and three assists, while Abrie Schoenemann had six points and R.J. Kalscheur had five rebounds. New Glarus built a 36-13 lead over Heights and never looked back. Severson led the Vanguards with eight points, while Lydia Crowe had six rebounds and three assists. “We did not play well against Marshall or New Glarus,” Fuchs said. “We struggled offensively with taking care of the ball and attacking their zones. Our shot selection wasn’t great and their defenses didn’t make it easy on us.  “Defensively, we had a difficult time keeping our girl in front of us and being in the correct spot off the ball. It hasn’t been our best stretch of basketball but the regular season is over, and every team now has a 0-0 record as we head into the postseason.” Indeed. Heights was the No. 8 seed in its sectional and hosted ninth-seeded Ozaukee in a WIAA Division 5 regional semifinal Tuesday. If the Vanguards won there, they’d head to top-seeded and defending WIAA Division 5 state champion Albany/Monticello for a regional semifinal on Friday at 7 p.m.  The regional finals are Saturday, while sectional play is March 6 and 8. “I spoke with the girls Friday at practice about how the slate is clean and it’s a fresh start,” Fuchs said. “We are excited to host a playoff game for the first time in years and are looking forward to hopefully coming out victorious.  “I know it’s not quite March, but this is the time of the year where madness and miracles happen! If we work hard on defense, make it hard for them to get open looks, take care of the ball on offense, and be smart with our shot selection we can compete. I wouldn’t want to lead any other team into the playoffs.”