Lancers savor upset over Germantown
BROOKFIELD – There wasn't much from her team's performance for Brookfield Central head coach Mallory Liebl to critique.
Liebl had just watched on from the sideline on Tuesday as Brookfield Central handed Germantown its first loss of the season and knocked it from the top of the state Division 1 rankings. The Lancers held the Warhawks to 25% shooting, handled the full-court press well, limited opposing fast break opportunities and pulled away with a furious push midway through the second half.
In the process, Central tied Germantown for first place in the Greater Metro race.
“We knew we had an opportunity, but for us it's not a revenge game after losing to Germantown the first time,” Liebl said. “That's just wasted energy and negative energy. It's not about revenge. It's about the next game on our schedule.”
The Lancers also received a tremendous performance from senior point guard CJ Romero, who scored 23 points (on 10-for-17 shooting) to go with eight rebounds and four assists. Romero was in control of the offense, keeping the Warhawks from forcing the frenetic pace at which they wanted to play.
The win opened up a chance for the Lancers to win the Greater Metro Conference title, although the teams will not meet again during the regular season. Germantown defeated third-place DSHA on Friday night. Central's chances could come down to its game against DSHA in two weeks.
Red-hot 'Hawks
As statements go, Arrowhead is making quite the bold one in 2021.
The Warhawks are 7-0 going back to Dec. 22. Included in that stretch are wins over DSHA, Kettle Moraine, Lake Country Lutheran and Oconomowoc. Only one, a 49-45 defeat of area No. 2 Kettle Moraine on Tuesday, was decided by fewer than 10 points.
Head coach Rick Witte's team is tied with Kettle Moraine atop the Classic 8 Conference standings after handing third-place Oconomowoc an 81-44 loss Friday.
Phoebe Frentzel (15.2 ppg), Alaina Harper (14.3) and Bella Samz (10.0) combine for more than two-thirds of the team's scoring. Each has led the Warhawks in scoring once in the team's last three games, providing insurance if one is having an off night.
On the Shore
It should come as no surprise that the North Shore Conference race appears to be headed to be going down to the wire.
Since the beginning of the season, no conference in the area has displayed more parity. Slinger, Cedarburg and West Bend West are all 9-3, but there isn't much separation between them and the next four teams in the standings in terms of ability.
The conference's double round-robin format provides ample opportunities for teams to make up ground or separate themselves from others. Cedarburg, which knocked off Slinger last week, plays its next five games against teams all 6-6 or better in North Shore play. West Bend West still has to face Cedarbug, Slinger and Hartford, which is just one game back. Slinger's schedule is the lightest of the bunch, but the Owls still have to face Homestead and Hartford this week.
Oak Creek rolling
Oak Creek found itself placed in a new, more difficult sectional when the WIAA rearranged its playoff assignments this week. It's a good thing for the Knights they appear to have found a groove.
They opened the season losing three of their first five – to Arrowhead, Beaver Dam and South Milwaukee – but have since rattled off eight consecutive wins.
The Knights may not be an offensive juggernaut this season, but they can make life miserable for opponents, allowing just 36.9 points per game.
The Vikings' weapon
In taking in New Berlin West's win over Greendale on Friday night, it became apparent that few players in the area are as big of a matchup nightmare than Vikings center Meghan Schultz.
The 6-foot-3 Schultz is averaging 17.8 points and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 66.7%. She has the ability to get to the spot she wants in the post, the footwork once there to get off a good look and the touch with either hand to score.