Heights boys fall to Dodgeville in opener

There were moments of terrific basketball. Periods of sustained excellence. And if Wisconsin Heights’ boys basketball team can perform at that level for more than brief intervals, the Vanguards could surprise this winter. Heights dropped its season opener to Dodgeville, 64-50, on Dec. 3. The Vanguards led, 28-16, at halftime before struggling in the second half. Heights coach Nolan Krentz saw plenty of positives, though, and believes his team could be poised to improve on last year’s 8-17 mark. “If we play like we did in the first half, we will surprise a lot of people this season,” Krentz said. “And I believe we are capable of doing just that.” Reed Adler had a sensational game and led the Vanguards with 25 points and seven rebounds. Mike Fancsali chipped in with 13 points, seven rebounds and one steal. Brayden Van Riper had six rebounds, three assists and two blocks, while Logan Duhr had three assists and one steal. Lukas Lemke and Ethan Myers both added a steal, as well. Heights got off to a tremendous start, taking an early 16-5 lead, and led 28-16 at halftime.   “We talked at halftime that the first three to four minutes of the second half would decide the game and that definitely was the case,” Krentz said.  Unfortunately for the Vanguards, the start of the second half didn’t go as planned. Not even close. Dodgeville started the half on a 13-0 run and surged into the lead. Heights regained its composure for a stretch and the teams were tied, 41-41 with 7 minutes left. Dodgeville answered again, though, with a 15-1 run to take control of the game. “I was very pleased with our performance in the first half, but we came out and looked a completely different team in the second half,” Krentz said. There were three major reasons for that. First, the Dodgers switched to a 1-1-3 zone that gave Heights fits. Second, the Vanguards struggled against Dodgeville’s pressure and finished with 25 turnovers — including 16 in the second half. Third, Dodgeville had 15 offensive rebounds to just for Heights, leading to a discrepancy in second chance points. “That is something we will have to clean up moving forward,” Krentz said. “Overall, though, I thought we did a lot of good things throughout the night and know have a better idea of what we need to work or continue to work on at this time.” • On deck: Heights hosted Richland Center Monday, then hosted St. Ambrose Academy Tuesday. The Vanguards then host Lodi Friday at 7:30 p.m.