Sending message to teammate, then foe

Drost keeps season alive for Dashers

Special to the Journal Sentinel

The message was powerful, authoritative — and most importantly, accurate.

Taylor Drost, a standout forward for DHSA’s girls basketball team, found Megan Misiewicz before the Dashers and Brookfield Central went to overtime Thursday night. Drost then delivered the most prophetic speech of the evening.

“I told Megan, ‘We cannot let this be the last four minutes of our career,’ ” Drost said. “Just being a senior, this isn't how it was going to an end.”

Thanks largely to Drost, it didn’t. Drost had eight of her game-high 29 points in overtime and defending state champion DSHA held off the upstart Lancers, 5949, in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal game at Marquette.

DSHA improved to 20-5 and defeated Brookfield Central (19-6) for the third time this season. The second-seeded Dashers will meet top-seeded Oak Creek in a sectional final at 1 p.m. Saturday at West Allis Central.

“Taylor’s fantastic. She’s one of the top players in the state,” said second-year DSHA coach Jeff Worzella, who sports a 9-0 postseason record. “She came through when we needed her most.”

Central coach Mallory Liebl, a former DSHA assistant, remains close to Drost and the two talk almost daily. It was radio silence between the duo this week, though. But when it mattered most, Liebl’s Lancers simply couldn’t keep Drost quiet.

“She kicked our butts,” Liebl said. “She’s a fantastic player and she just

doesn’t crumble with the game on the line. That’s Taylor’s team.”

The Lancers trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half but made a spirited run to force overtime tied at 46-46.

Drost attacked the rim from the right wing and gave the Dashers a 48-46 lead to begin overtime. She knocked down a 10-footer to give DSHA a 52-48 edge with 1:50 to play. And with Central struggling to score, Drost hit four clutch free throws in the final 1:07.

“It’s so tough to beat a team three times in the same season,” Drost said. “We just really tried to keep our composure.”

The Dashers did just that throughout the night. DSHA closed the first half on an 18-1 run and took a 24-13 halftime lead.

The Dashers scored on eight of their final 10 possessions after scoring on just three of their first 18. The Lancers, on the other hand, managed just one free throw on their final 11 possessions of the half. Central also shot 0-of-8 in that stretch and committed five turnovers.

DSHA’s lead grew to as many as 14. But Central junior forward Claire Haynes had 15 of her team-high 19 points in the second half and helped the Lancers tie the game on two occasions.

“I was really proud how we stuck together,” said Liebl, whose team shot 52.0% in the second half. “I thought our team was really tough.”

The Lancers were exactly that. But Drost was even more resilient.

Now, her brilliant career has at least one chapter left to write.

“To just still be playing, I feel really blessed,” she said.