Second-half surge pushes Kimberly past Appleton East girls basketball
AppletonSportsPage.com
KIMBERLY – Kimberly used a dominant second-half performance to defeat Appleton East 70-46 in the regular-season and Fox Valley Association girls basketball finale for both teams on Tuesday at Kimberly High School.
Kimberly led 33-31 after a hard-fought first half before wearing down the Patriots, outscoring them 37-15 over the final 18 minutes to pull away for the win and secure a second-place finish in the FVA.
Appleton East (14-10, 9-9 FVA) made 10 3-pointers, five from Ella Sweeney, but Kimberly hit 12 shots from long range and used a strong defensive effort in the second half to earn the win.
Haylie Dulas had 19 points and Katelyn McGinnis added 13 for Kimberly, which finishes the regular season with a 21-3 record and a 16-2 mark in the FVA.
Sweeney was the lone East player in double figures, finishing with 15 points.
Both teams will open WIAA postseason play with Division 1 regional semifinals on Friday. Appleton East will travel to Superior and Kimberly will be at home against Brookfield Central.
Papermakers 70, Patriots 46
Appleton East 31 15 – 46
Kimberly 33 37 – 70
APPLETON EAST (46): Lucy Doszak 1 0-0 3, Ava Schwan 1 0-0 3, Jenna Ott 2 0-0 5, Lindsey Gerard 2 0-0 4, Marissa Schwartz 1 0-0 2, Lilly Meulemans 3 0-0 7, Torie Neubauer 3 0-0 7, Aubrie Erickson 0 0-0 0, Aleena Neubauer 0 0-0 0, Ella Sweeney 5 0-0 15, Maiya Wheaton 0 0-0 0, Ella Jazdzewski 0 0-0 0, Addison Baier 0 0-0 0. FG: 18. FT: 0-0. 3-pointers: 10 (Sweeney 5, Doszak 1, Schwan 1, Ott 1, Meulemans 1, T. Neubauer 1). Fouls: 8. Fouled out; none. Record: 14-10, 9-9 Fox Valley Association.
KIMBERLY (70): Bentley Drout 2 0-0 6, Emily Urban 1 0-0 2, Alix Kilpatrick 0 0-0 0, Jadyn Dietrich 0 0-0 0, Katelyn McGinnis 4 3-6 14, Kennedy Ebben 1 0-0 2, Sydney Woelfel 0 0-0 0, Ayla Raasch 0 0-0 0, Claudia Asman 1 0-0 2, Haylie Dulas 8 0-0 19, Ava Van Vonderen 5 0-0 13, Raegen Krueger 4 3-6 11. FG: 26. FT: 6-12. 3-pointers: 12 (McGinnis 3, Dulas 3, Van Vonderen 3, Drout 2, Asman 1). Fouls: 7. Fouled out: none. Record: 21-3, 16-2 Fox Valley Association.