This story is sponsored by American Family Insurance/Randy Le Moine Agency LLC
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WAUPACA – The Auburndale girls basketball team’s magical run through the playoffs came to an end on Saturday night, but not without a fight.
Auburndale fought back from a nine-point deficit to take the lead midway through the third quarter but couldn’t hang on, falling to Algoma 48-40 in a WIAA Division 4 sectional final at Waupaca High School.
Algoma (24-2), the defending D-4 state champions, will play Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs (22-3) in a Division 4 semifinal Thursday night at the 2014 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Eau Claire Regis (20-5) plays Cuba City (25-1) in the other semifinal, with the championship to be decided Saturday afternoon.
Auburndale came through the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in its half of the sectional bracket and pulled off three-straight upsets before coming up just short in the sectional final. The Apaches finish the season with a 17-10 record.
“It didn’t work out for us tonight, but we showed the fight time after time after time,” first-year coach Auburndale coach Scott Meidl said.
Auburndale got off to a slow start, missing its first six shot attempts, and fell behind 12-3 before Kendra Kundinger hit a short jumper and Taylor Gotz had a rebound and basket to pull the Apaches to within five.
Algoma opened its lead back up to eight at 21-13 after a basket by Kennedy Blahnik.
A 3-pointer by Auburndale’s Cheyenne Karl with 21 seconds left in the half cut the Wolves’ lead to 23-18 at the break.
Auburndale took the momentum from that late 3 into the second half as it scored the first six points to take a 24-23 lead.
Gotz scored off another offensive rebound, Shannon Yanke hit from inside and Kundinger had a steal and layup to put the Apaches on top for the first time with 4:48 to go in the third quarter.
Blahnik responded with a basket before Gotz, who had 12 points and 12 rebounds, scored again inside to hand the lead back to the Apaches.
“We got down early, we let the jitters get to us and their press get to us,” Meidl said. “We weren’t being strong with the ball. We pulled back, they some shots to go and we pulled back again. At the end, the ball just didn’t bounce our way. We didn’t block out, didn’t get the rebounds when we needed to and they made enough shots and enough free throws to take it home.”
Auburndale wouldn’t score over the final 2:45 of the quarter and Blahnik, who finished with 28 points, made four straight free throws to give the Wolves the lead back for good.
Blahnik was near perfect at the free throw line, making 14 of 15. She had nine points, five from the line, in the fourth quarter as Algoma held off another run by Auburndale.
A three-point play by Paiton Richardson (seven points, seven rebounds) brought Auburndale to within two at 36-34 with 4:54 to play.
It was 40-37 after a basket by Kundinger with 2:39 left, but Algoma made 8 of 10 free throws over the next 2:14 as the Apaches missed on five straight trips down court and the Wolves pulled away.
Five seniors – Kundinger, Stafani Karl, Brianna Meyer, Elizabeth Pumper and Sabrina Mitchell – graduate, but the Apaches will return three starters and their top three reserves. The playoff run proved invaluable for Auburndale.
“I’m really proud of how they came together and played as a team,” Meidl said. “All of 11 of them really worked hard. I’m very happy for the seniors for what they did this year and the tone that they set for the program. This is only the second time we’ve made it this far (to the sectional final) and they were integral in making that happen.
“We’ve got girls coming back and it’s good to see games like this where they struggle, but they know the resolve and the fight they have to have to pull through. I think we grew a lot in these playoffs. Hopefully, we’ll come back and be stronger from it.”
Wolves 48, Apaches 40
Auburndale 7 11 8 14 – 40
Algoma 14 9 6 19 – 48
AUBURNDALE (40): Kendra Kundinger 3-7 0-0 6, Stafani Karl 0-0 0-0 0, Brianna Meyer 0-0 0-0 0, Allison Linzmeier 0-3 0-1 0, Cheyenne Karl 1-4 3-4 6, Jeanette Peplinski 0-1 0-0 0, Elizabeth Pumper 0-0 0-0 0, Shannon Yahnke 3-7 0-0 6, Taylor Gotz 3-6 6-8 12, Sabrina Mitchell 1-1 0-0 3, Paiton Richardson 3-8 1-1 7. FG: 14-37. FT: 10-14. 3-pointers: 2-9 (C. Karl 1-4, Mitchell 1-1, Kundinger 0-4). Rebounds: 24 (Gotz 12, Richardson 7). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: Gotz. Record: 17-10.
ALGOMA (48): Jordan Demmin 0-0 0-0 0, Baleigh Delorit 2-5 2-2 8, Karissa Koss 1-3 0-2 2, Meg Ryan 3-6 2-3 9, Rachel Feuerstein 0-2 1-2 1, Linsey Pierre 0-3 0-2 0, Leah Blazkovec 0-1 0-0 0, Jade LeDocq 0-1 0-0 0, Kennedy Blahnik 7-12 14-15 28, Anna Dier 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 13-33. FT: 19-26. 3-pointers: 3-11 (Delorit 2-4, Ryan 1-3, Koss 0-2, Pierre 0-2). Rebounds: 26 (Blahnik 5, Delorit 5, Koss 5). Turnovers: 12. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: none. Record: 24-2.