Eagles’ girls hoping to heat up

The postseason is approaching quickly. And Sauk Prairie’s girls basketball team would love to get on a roll. The Eagles took a step in that direction last week, cruising past McFarland, 61-34, on Jan. 23 for their third straight win. Waunakee ended Sauk Prairie’s streak, though, with a 59-37 win over the Eagles last Saturday. Sauk Prairie is now 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the Badger Small Conference. Here’s a recap of the Eagles’ week. • Sauk Prairie 61, McFarland 34 — The host Eagles raced to a 27-19 halftime lead, then held McFarland to just 15 second half points. “I was happy with our effort and how we played in the second half,” Eagles coach Jacob Breunig said. “We did not play our best defense in the first half.   “I give McFarland a lot of credit, they played really hard. Our defense in the second half limited them to 15 points while our offense did a good job of getting all the girls involved. I hope to see us continue to build off that going forward.” • Waunakee 59, Sauk Prairie 37 — The Warriors, (13-4, 7-1) showed why they’re tied for the lead in the Badger Large Conference. The Eagles battled hard early, but Waunakee went on a late first half run and took an 18-point lead to the break. “The first nine minutes of the game I was incredibly proud of the girls,” Breunig said. “They were playing tough and gritty and attacking Waunakee while making it hard for them to score. We then went on a bit of a stretch where they outscored us and had to battle back.” The Eagles tried doing that, but the Warriors’ talent and depth made it too tough. “Waunakee is a solid team and I am glad we played them in the middle of the season,” Breunig said. “This was a “get ready for the tournament” type of game.   “We did a really nice job of handling their press. I would love to see some of us play more confidently and sure of ourselves when we are being pressured in the half court. We are all capable players. I am looking for one or two girls to step up and take that role on going forward.” • On deck: The Eagles hosted Mount Horeb Tuesday, then are at Stoughton Saturday at 7:15 p.m. Sauk Prairie then hosts Lake Mills Feb. 4 at 7:15 a.m. “We have a big stretch coming up and games we can really set ourselves up for the tournament with seed wise,” Breunig said. “But we will need to be ready, compete, and play solid basketball.”