Spence helps Pius move to the head of the class
After posting one of the best offensive displays of her prep career, Pius XI’s Jada Spence thanked her teammates. They, she said, are the ones who pulled her out of her slump.
The senior center/forward was in the midst of a shooting funk for a handful of games, but she kept working and, with the encouragement of her team- mates, kept shooting.
On Friday the Tennessee State recruit rewarded their faith with a 26point performance that sparked the Popes to a 70-55 victory on the road over Pewaukee in a showdown of coleaders in the Woodland West.
“It really shows how hard work and determination can pay off,” Spence said. “In games like this we need as many points as we can get so we can get ahead in conference.”
The effort established a new career high for Spence and set the stage for another highly anticipated game Friday when Pius plays at the other co-leader in the division, New Berlin Eisenhower.
And for Pius, it marked the second straight game it scored at least 70 points, a total it didn’t reach in its first 11 contests.
In addition to Spence’s big night, Pius got 16 points each from senior forward Jasmine Kondrakiewicz and sophomore center Mya Moore. The Popes also shot superbly from the free throw line (17 for 20) and weathered a storm early in the second half when the Pirates tried to rattle them with fullcourt pressure.
Credit the guards for being the unsung heroes of the night. After Pewaukee used its pressure to spark a 6-0 run to start the second half, the ability of seniors Jordan Teetz and Kaile Paris and junior Jaida Smith to handle that pressure allowed Pius to take advantage of its size inside.
Here are four more takeaways from the week.
Sussex Hamilton impresses
The most impressive win of the night goes to Sussex Hamilton, which beat Brookfield Central, 69-49, at home to give coach Bill Scasny his 400th victory. Despite having a modest record, Central has come within a couple of possessions of beating Germantown and Pewaukee, the area’s top two ranked teams.
Senior forward Ana Rhude led the
Chargers with 19 points.
A two-year run for Mukwonago
Seniors Dru Henning and Angie Cera combined for 25 points in Mukwonago’s 37-24 victory over Arrowhead on Friday. The win extended the team’s Classic 8 Conference winning streak to 32 games, the equivalent to two seasons in a league that is one of the state’s toughest. All but two of those wins came by at least 10 points.
Rockets flying
It wasn’t a league game, but South Milwaukee (12-1) scored arguably its most impressive win of the season with its 67-59 victory over Muskego on the road Tuesday.
The defending Woodland East champion had a chance to make a statement against Sussex Hamilton last month but struggled in a 73-42 loss on Dec. 28. The victory over Muskego came against a team that has been competitive with some of the top teams in the Classic 8. Sophomore forward Hailey Johnson had 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting and 10 rebounds. Mia Johnson, a sophomore guard, added 17 points and hit 6 of 12 shots.
A good sign for the Crusaders
The Metro Classic race is far from over, but Racine Lutheran’s play in the last week further solidified it as the team to beat.
The Crusaders scored a 71-70 win over Dominican on Tuesday. On Friday, Minnesota recruit Caroline Strande had 34 points, her seventh straight 30point game, in a 69-50 win over Martin Luther, which entered play undefeated in the conference.