WIAA state girls basketball
Beaver Dam sinks Cudahy for Division 2 title
ASHWAUBENON - Perfection. That’s the definition of the Beaver Dam girls basketball team.
Despite trailing early by double digits, Beaver Dam (28-0) capped an undefeated season with a 52-33 victory over the Cudahy Packers in the WIAA Division 2 state championship game Saturday at the Resch Center.
It was the first title in the program’s history in its third trip to state.
Cudahy (20-8) jumped out to a 10-0 lead 6 minutes into the game, after the Golden Beavers missed their first seven shots and began the contest 2 for 13 from the field. Trailing, 17-9, Beaver Dam ended the first half on a 21-5 run to lead, 30-22, heading into intermission.
“We got down early 10-0
and just fought from there and got the lead,” said Beaver Dam coach Tim Chase. “In the second half we just started doing some things, but Cudahy’s defense was outstanding — one of the best defensive teams I’ve seen in a long time — but our kids kept persevering and I’m just so proud of them.
“During the timeout early, I basically said, ‘OK, we’ve played a quarter of the game and if this is the way it’s going to be, we’re not going to get this done today.’ They responded after that.”
The Golden Beavers employed a 1-3-1 fullcourt trapping defense after their slow start to force the Packers into 16 first-half turnovers.
“We’ve had a lot of good teams in the past, but the difference with this team was our defense,” Chase added. “It’s the reason why we finished on top.”
Sophomore forward Tara Stauffacher kept Beaver Dam in the game early by scoring the first seven points for her team with a three-pointer, another bucket and two free throws. She finished with a team-high 12 points.
“I know we were a bit nervous in the beginning — it was a big game,” said senior guard Cassidy Trotter, a Division II Michigan Tech recruit. “(Tara) showed her composure and she led us on the court at that time and we really needed that.”
Center Aly Van Loo, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, and senior guard Kara Crowley added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Beaver Dam, which had 16 steals on the night.
The Packers’ Bailey Eichner was in foul trouble, picking up her second with 6:30 left in the opening half. Cudahy coach Bob Maronde chose to keep Eichner — a William & Mary recruit — in the game, but that decision backfired when she picked up an offensive foul on the ensuing possession. She sat until the 2:48 mark but was ineffective on defense until well into the second half.
“I guess you could say it was midnight for our Cinderellas,” said Maronde, whose team wasn’t even predicted to get out of regional play. “I thought we came out extremely well and our defense was right there. Offensively we attacked well, but then I think we got a little nervous and the turnovers started to happen. When you do that with Beaver Dam, you’re in a lot of trouble.
“We need Bailey on the floor,” Maronde said in reference to keeping her star in the game with two fouls. “Bailey has had two fouls early lots of times before, but the third foul was a case of — Bailey is an amazing competitor — us needing a basket and she was going to get it at any cost. Unfortunately, the cost was her third foul.”
Cudahy was trying to win a state championship in its first appearance at state but was plagued by 23 turnovers overall and 32.4% shooting (12 for 37).
They were led by senior guard Nicole Ferch’s 14 points, while sophomore guard Camryn Kratt chipped in with nine. Junior guard Hannah Kulas led the team with seven rebounds. Due to her foul trouble, Eichner was held to just four points.