This story is sponsored by: Gary Varsho Baseball League
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPENCER – Abbotsford overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half to force overtime, but Spencer dominated the extra period to win 64-54 in a WIAA Division 4 girls basketball regional quarterfinal Tuesday night at Spencer High School.
Fourth-seeded Spencer (11-8) moves on to a D-4 regional semifinal at No. 1 seed Edgar (11-9) on Friday at 7 p.m. Abbotsford ends its season with a 4-13 record.
The Rockets led 36-26 with 13 minutes to go following back-to-back baskets by Heavyn Kind.
Abbotsford responded with a 14-4 run, which included a 3-pointer by Catie Clement and seven points by Sydney Falteisek, to tie the game at 40-40 with 5:13 remaining.
Spencer responded with a three-point play by Amber Becker and pushed its lead to 48-43 after a basket by Rebecca Mlsna with 2½ minutes to go.
Spencer would miss six of 11 free throw attempts in the final 4 minutes and Abbotsford was able to stay afloat.
A three-point play by Alea Graff with 14.2 seconds left cut the Rockets’ lead to 51-50. After Kind made one of two free throws, Falteisek hit a short jumper with 3 seconds left to force overtime.
In the extra 4-minute period, Spencer scored the first seven points, which included a three-point play by Jorie Meyer, to go up 59-52 with 1:59 left.
Abbotsford’s Brissa Diaz-Miranda made its only basket of the overtime before the Rockets were able to finish off the win by making 5 of 6 free throws over the next 1:20.
Kind finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, Becker had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Meyer added nine points for Spencer.
Falteisek had 17 points and seven rebounds, and Clement and Graff each added 10 points for Abbotsford.
Rockets 64, Falcons 54 (OT)
Abbotsford 19 33 2 – 54
Spencer 28 24 12 – 64
ABBOTSFORD (54): Bridgett Pogodzinski 0-2 0-0 0, Brissa Diaz-Miranda 3-10 0-0 7, Mya Ruesch 1-11 2-4 4, Catie Clement 3-11 1-2 10, Adriana Fuentes 0-1 0-0 0, Briseida Escalera 1-5 2-2 4, Sydney Falteisek 7-17 3-5 17, Sommer Brodhagen 1-1 0-1 2, Alea Graff 4-5 2-3 10. FG: 20-63. FT: 10-17. 3-pointers: 4-17 (Clement 3-6, Diaz-Miranda 1-4, Pogodzinski 0-1, Ruesch 0-1, Falteisek 0-5). Rebounds: 36 (Falteisek 7, Graff 7). Turnovers: 30. Fouls: 31. Fouled out: Ruesch, Graff, Clement, Falteisek. Record: 4-13.
SPENCER (64): Madison Knecht 1-5 1-2 3, Zalexis Mannigel 2-5 2-3 6, Jorie Meyer 3-4 3-3 9, Heavyn Kind 7-18 6-10 22, Claudia Krause 0-0 0-2 0, Rebecca Mlsna 2-7 5-11 9, Amber Becker 5-8 3-5 13, Faith Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Elexa Post 0-8 0-1 0, Haylee Hopperdietzel 0-0 0-0 0, LeeAnn Lang 0-0 0-0 0, Cassidee Widmann 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 21-57. FT: 20-38. 3-pointers: 2-12 (Kind 2-7, Post 0-2, Knecht 0-3). Rebounds: 43 (Kind 14). Turnovers: 30. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: Becker. Record: 11-8.