Basketball focus, standings, stats.
AREA RANKINGS Records through Sunday
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1. Destiny (15-1) 1 2. Milw. Washington (12-3) 2 3. Cedarburg (14-2) 3 4. Milwaukee Vincent (12-3) 4 5. Beaver Dam (16-0) 8 6. Pewaukee (14-2) 6 7. Pius XI (13-2) 7 8. Brookfield Central (14-1) 9 9. Milwaukee Riverside (10-6) 5 10. Arrowhead (11-4) 10
NOTABLE Player of the week: Deontay Long, Milwaukee Washington.
The 6-foot-4 sophomore wing, averaged 28.5 points per game in victories over Milwaukee North on Tuesday and Milwaukee Riverside on Friday as the Purgolders improved to 6-0 in the City Conference. The Riverside game, which was played as part of the City Review at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, was a showdown for first place. Long had 25 points, eight rebound and five assists, scoring 14 of his points during the first 6 minutes of the half when Washington turned a three-point deficit into a 12-point lead. “His leadership down the stretch has been tremendous for us,” Washington coach Freddie Riley said. “He’s saying leadership things in practice. He is demanding that his guys execute and come with it every day in practice. That’s MVP type stuff, that’s player of the year-type stuff.” Team of the week: Greendale
Martin Luther. The Spartans extended their winning streak to 10 games last week with victories over two teams that were leading their conference. On Tuesday they handed Metro Classic leader Racine Prairie its first league loss and pulled even with the Hawks in the loss column. On Saturday they took care of Midwest Classic leader Messmer, 83-66, at Brookfield Central’s Luke Homan Showcase. Sophomore point guard Trequan Carrington had 32 points on 12of-15 shooting, plus he had five assists and four steals at Prairie.
Hot hand: Junior guard Bryce Miller helped New Berlin Eisenhower remain within striking distance of Pewaukee in the Woodland West with victories over Wauwatosa West and Shorewood before it flexed the division’s muscle with an 81-36 non-conference win over Wauwatosa East at Brookfield Central’s Luke Homan Memorial Showcase on Saturday. With 25 points against Tosa West on Jan. 24, 24 against Shorewood on Friday and 32 against Tosa East on Saturday, Miller posted his three-best scoring days of the season. He hit 24 of 37 shots overall and was 19 of 30 from three-point range.
On the rise: Nicolet won five North Shore games the past three seasons, a run that included winless league seasons in 2013-’14 and 2014-’15. This year the team is 9-7 overall and 5-3 in the conference thanks to a run of victories that came down the final possession. Nicolet defeated Germantown, 62-60, Friday on sophomore guard Sonny Phinisee’s bucket in the closing seconds. In league play, that victory was preceded by a 63-60 win over Port Washington on Jan. 20 and a 79-76 victory over Milwaukee Lutheran on Jan. 13. Senior forward Jayden Hardy averages a team-best 14.6 points per game for the Knights. Junior forward Jack Brahm (13.7 ppg.) and 6-8 freshman forward Jamari Sibley (9.2 ppg.) are among a number of non-seniors who are playing key roles. Parity reigns: Messmer completed a season sweep of HOPE Christian on Thursday to create chaos in the Midwest Classic. Messmer (8-2) entered the week with a half-game lead over HOPE, Brookfield Academy and University School. Living Word Lutheran was a game back in the loss column. As a result, there will be a handful of key games in the coming weeks starting with Living Word at HOPE at 7:15 p.m. Thursday. Messmer’s 52-48 victory over HOPE was the Bishops’ seventh in their last eight league games. Junior guard Keyron Gouveia had 18 points. The final two came in the final 10 seconds after a steal by sophomore guard Jalen Brown-Morrow. The big games down the stretch for the Bishops will be at Living Word on Feb. 7 and at home against defending champion Brookfield Academy Feb. 14.
COMING UP Martin Luther at Racine St. Catherine’s, 7:15 p.m. Tuesday:
Martin Luther goes for a season sweep of the third-place Angels. Martin Luther won the first meeting over its Metro Classic rival by four points. Milwaukee Vincent at Milwaukee Washington, 7 p.m. Tuesday: The undefeated teams in the City Conference square off.
Whitnall at Pius XI, 7:15 p.m.
Tuesday: Whitnall knocked off Woodland West leader Pewaukee on Friday. Could the second-place Popes be next? Milwaukee Academy of Science at Young Coggs Prep, 6:30 p.m. Friday: Young Coggs won, 67-66, when these rivals met Jan. 10.