Aquinas powers past Xavier in battle of state-ranked girls basketball teams at Watertown Shootout

AppletonSportsPage.com

WATERTOWN – La Crosse Aquinas was nearly perfect at the free throw line and downed Xavier 71-65 in a battle of state-ranked girls basketball teams on Friday at the Watertown Holiday Shootout.

Sophomore Samantha Davis, who already has Division 1 offers from Wisconsin-Green Bay and Marquette, had a game-high 33 points for Aquinas. She made 11 of 11 free throws in the game as the Blugolds finished 23 of 24 as a team.

Aquinas (10-2), ranked eighth in the this week’s Wissports.net Division 3 state coaches poll, led 33-27 at halftime and were able to maintain that six-point lead at the end to knock off Xavier (8-4), which was ranked ninth in the D-3 state poll.

Halle Vande Hey had 16 points, and Kylee Standish and Elle Krull each added 14 for the Hawks.

Xavier is back in action Friday, Jan. 5, at home against Green Bay East in a Bay Conference tilt. Game time is 7 p.m.

Blugolds 71, Hawks 65
Xavier   27   38   –   65
Aquinas   33   38   –   71
XAVIER (65): Kylee Standish 5 2-3 14, Joy Krull 2 0-0 5, Halle Vande Hey 4 7-9 16, Molly Martine 1 0-0 3, Elle Krull 4 5-10 14, Alexandra Tylinski 2 0-2 4, Annika Heimann 1 1-1 3, Carsyn Stempa 2 2-4 6. FG: 21. FT: 17-29. 3-pointers: 6 (Standish 2, J. Krull 1, Vande Hey 1, Martine 1, E. Krull 1). Record: 8-4.
AQUINAS (71): Samantha Davis 11 11-11 33, Ava Fernholz 4 3-3 11, Eva Willenbring 0 5-6 5, Kathryn Savoldelli 1 2-2 4, Maddie Murphy 5 0-0 13, Emma Dobbins 1 2-2 5. FG: 22. FT: 23-24. 3-pointers: 4 (Murphy 3, Dobbins 1). Record: 10-2.