Second-half run pushes undefeated Kiel past Xavier in WIAA Division 3 boys basketball sectional semifinal
AppletonSportsPage.com
BRILLION – A huge second-half surge sent undefeated Kiel to the sectional final after the Raiders defeated Xavier 60-37 in a WIAA Division 3 boys basketball sectional semifinal Wednesday night at Brillion High School.
Xavier led 23-17 after a low-scoring first half as Sam Pfefferle hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Xavier pushed the lead to 26-19 early in the second half before Kiel took over.
The Raiders ripped off a 22-0 run that included five 3-pointers and a three-point play. After a basket by Reid Hietpas ended Xavier’s eight-minute scoring drought, Kiel scored 11 of the next 12 points, finishing off a 33-3 run that essentially ended it with about three minutes to go.
Xavier ended up shooting just 24 percent from the field (14-for-58) and were 6-for-33 from 3-point range, 1-for-13 in the second half.
Hayden Quimby had 12 points and Pfefferle nine in the loss for the Hawks, who finish a great season at 24-3, including Bay Conference and regional championships.
Kiel (27-0) will play a Division 3 sectional final against the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between Freedom (22-4) and Southern Door (22-4) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Chilton High School.
Grant Manz had 18 points, Aidan Murphy 17 and Pierce Arenz 16 in the win for Kiel.
Raiders 60, Hawks 37
Xavier 23 14 – 37
Kiel 17 43 – 60
XAVIER (37): Sam Pfefferle 3-11 2-3 9, Hayden Quimby 4-12 1-2 12, Isaiah Des Jardins 0-3 0-0 0, Joe Gallucci 0-0 -0 0, Reid Hietpas 1-3 0-2 2, Luke Krull 1-5 0-0 2, Tyler Brightman 3-16 0-0 6, Luke Oelhafen 1-3 0-0 3, Michael Kippenhan 0-1 0-0 0, Logan Ramczyk 1-4 0-0 3. FG: 14-58. FT: 3-7. 3-pointers: 6-33 (Quimby 3-10, Oelfhafen 1-2, Ramczyk 1-3, Pfefferle 1-5, Hietpas 0-1, Kippenhan 0-1, Des Jardins 0-2, Krull 0-3, Brightman 0-6). Rebounds: 38 (Brightman 11). Record: 24-3.
KIEL (60): Aidan Murphy 17, Cade Voelker 8, Pierce Arenz 16, Landon Brunner 0, Jack Heckmann 0, Grant Manz 18, Braden April 1. Record: 27-0.
Click here for the statewide sectional scoreboard and schedule