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The 2023-24 Xavier High School girls basketball team. (Submitted photo)
Xavier

Xavier girls basketball takes down Winneconne in WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal

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AppletonSportsPage.com

CHILTON – The Xavier girls basketball team stands one win away from its first state tournament in eight years after defeating Winneconne 57-41 in a WIAA Division 3 sectional semifinal Thursday night at Chilton High School.

The No. 1 seed Xavier (20-7) will take on another No. 1 seed in Wittenberg-Birnamwood (25-2) in a D-3 sectional final Saturday at Brillion High School at 1 p.m. The winner advances to the 2024 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament next week in Green Bay.

Xavier has not made it to state since back-to-back appearances in 2015 and 2016. Wittenberg-Birnamwood has never qualified for the state tournament.

The Hawks methodically ran up a 10-point lead by halftime at 32-22 and held Winneconne (14-13) to 19 points in the second half to finish off the win and a berth in the sectional final.

Elle Krull had 12 points, Kyley Standish had nine and Carsyn Stempa eight in a balanced attack for Xavier.

Harper Neace had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds for Winneconne.

Hawks 57, Wolves 41
Winneconne   22   19   –   41
Xavier   32   25   –   57
WINNECONNE (41): Jade Kaiser 1-5 0-0 3, Brooklyn Messerschmidt 1-1 0-0 2, Lacey Stephens 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlin Wegner 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Rogers 0-0 0-0 0, Neela Gardner 0-3 0-0 0, Isabella Schaffer 3-12 1-3 7, Addison Verkuilen 1-3 2-2 5, Millie Braman 0-4 1-2 1, Olivia Knobloch 0-7 1-4 1, Grace Mitchell 4-10 0-1 9, Harper Neace 5-16 3-4 13, Gwen Barkovich 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 15-61. FT: 8-16. 3-pointers: 3-12 (Kaiser 1-2, Verkuilen 1-2, Mitchell 1-3, Neace 0-1, Gardner 0-2, Schaffer 0-2). Rebounds: 49 (Neace 14). Record: 14-13.
XAVIER (57): Hailey Hafner 0 0-0 0, Kyley Standish 4 1-3 9, Joy Krull 4 0-0 9, Halle VandeHey 2 3-4 7, Chloe Pfefferle 0 0-0 0, Molly Martine 1 0-1 2, Elle Krull 5 2-4 12, Allie Tylinski 0 0-0 0, Faith Hafner 2 1-1 6, Annika Heimann 2 0-0 4, Carsyn Stempa 4 0-1 8, Layna Petersen 0 0-0 0. FG: 24. FT: 7-14. 3-pointers” 2 (J. Krull 1, F. Hafner 1). Record 20-7.