Wisconsin Heights girls capture two of three

The streak is over. And a much better one has begun for Wisconsin Heights’ girls basketball team. The Vanguards snapped a four-game losing streak with a 47-41 win over Dodgeville on Jan. 28. Heights followed that with a 68-47 dismantling of Waterloo on Jan. 31. The Vanguards are now 9-7 overall and 1-4 in the Capitol South Conference. Here’s a recap of Heights’ week. • Poynette 57, Wisconsin Heights 40 — Sonja Severson had 20 points in a losing effort for the Vanguards. R.J. Kalscheur added four points and eight rebounds. The Pumas improved to 15-2 with the win. Poynette jumped to a 19-2 lead, but Heights trimmed that to 26-16 by halftime. Severson had three 3-pointers and 11 points in the first half, while Mya Boebel added a 3-pointer. “The girls responded well and kept battling,” Heights coach Tyler Fuchs said. “Our defense tightened up with much more aggressive box outs.” Heights played extremely well in the second half, too, but couldn’t make a dent in the Pumas’ lead. “We played some of our best basketball of the season in the second half,” Fuchs said. “Defensively, we only committed five fouls and gave up a lot less offensive rebounds.  “Offensively, we moved the ball with much greater speed and purpose, only committing seven turnovers. It was fun to watch them play that style of ball. Twelve of our 13 made baskets in the game were assisted which is incredible and shows how unselfish everyone played.” • Wisconsin Heights 47, Dodgeville 41 — Sonja Severson had a huge game with 24 points, four rebounds, one steal and a block to power the Vanguards past the Dodgers. Jocelyn Brabender had seven points, six rebounds, two steals, two assists and a block, while R.J. Kalscheur added seven points, six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal. After a slow start, Heights used a 16-8 burst in the middle of the first half to take a 19-10 lead. “We relied on the three point shot, but they weren’t falling, so I challenged the girls to work the ball inside and get some more paint touches,” Fuchs said. “The girls responded well.” Dodgeville closed within 21-19 late in the half, but Severson buried a pair of 3-pointers before the half ended to give Heights a 27-20 lead at the break. Dodgeville closed within one with 2 ½ minutes left. But Heights went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch and held on. “The girls responded and played much more intense defense and worked the ball around to get open shots,” Fuchs said. • Wisconsin Heights 68, Waterloo 47 — The host Vanguards raced to a 37-19 lead and cruised home. Once again, Sonja Severson was terrific for the Vanguards with 23 points, eight rebounds and six steals. Jocelyn Brabender added 17 points, 12 rebounds and five steals, while R.J. Kalscheur had 12 points and Haley Wipperfurth added 10 points, four rebounds and five steals. Heights sprinted to a 23-3 lead and never looked back. “We came out with a ton of energy,” Fuchs said. “Our press forced some turnovers which led to a lot of easy layups. We worked the ball around offensively and played solid defense.” Heights extended its lead to as many as 30 in the second half, before Waterloo made things more respectable in the final minutes. “We played excellent offense, worked the ball around, and made a lot of baskets to maintain a comfortable lead,” Fuchs said. “I’m proud of how the girls played this week, we are starting to play very complimentary and selfless basketball. We are hoping to continue this trend in the last month of the season.” • On deck: Heights was at Waterloo Tuesday, then is at Belleville Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and at Cambridge Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.