Germantown finishes strong to beat Cedarburg.

22-6 run makes difference in end

Germantown — One of the most frustrating nights of Kenzie Schmitz’s high school basketball career ended as one of her more memorable.

Schmitz and her teammates spent the first 30 minutes of Friday’s North Shore Conference showdown of co-leaders Germantown and Cedarburg visibly annoyed, potentially seeing the Warhawks’ hopes of another league title slipping away with shot after missed shot.

But a change in aggressiveness on both ends of the court the last 6 minutes had the Warhawks cutting down nets when it was all over. A 22-6 run to close out the last 5 minutes 30 seconds gave Germantown a 50-41 victory and a share of a third straight North Shore title. The Warhawks (17-4, 11-2) can clinch it outright with a win Thursday over Port Washington. A loss would open the door for the Bulldogs (16-5, 10-3) or Homestead (15-6, 10-3) to share the crown.

“It was tough for me,” said Schmitz, who had 19 points, just off her average of 20.3 per contest, but needed 22 shots to get there. “But I felt confident that my team would pick me up.”

Schmitz wasn’t alone in her offensive struggles for Germantown. Fellow junior Olivia Verdin, who averages 10 a game, missed seven of her first eight shots. Germantown also missed seven of its first eight free throws before looking like a completely different team when it mattered most.

“We got aggressive on offense and defensively we switched up and got more aggressive in the passing lanes,” said Germantown coach Matt Stuve. “We forced them into bad decisions and defensively we made them less comfortable.”

Germantown forced Cedarburg into six turnovers during the game’s closing stages and kept the ball away from the Bulldogs’ top threat, 6-foot-5 senior center Allie Barber. The dominant post player, a Marquette volleyball recruit, finished with 23 points but scored her last basket with 5 minutes left to give Cedarburg a 37-31 lead.

After that it was all Germantown. Verdin hit a three-pointer to trigger a 19-4 run to end the game. Schmitz scored seven down the stretch, including a three-pointer at 2:40 to break a 38-38 tie and give Germantown the lead for good.

The Warhawks extended the lead by reversing their struggles at the free-throw line, making 11 of 14 in the last 3 minutes. Senior Piper Brown came off the bench and finished with nine points, making all four of her free throws in the final 3 minutes.

Cedarburg coach Dave Ross said his team missed an opportunity to end Germantown’s reign but feels his young squad — Barber is the only senior — has room to grow with the tournament just around the corner.

“With 6 minutes left, they were desperate,” Ross said. “Germantown can beat you in a variety of ways, with three-point plays and threepoint shots, and they brought it. We knew what Germantown was capable of.”