The Capitol — South girls basketball conference season is finally hitting its stride. After more than a month of strict non-conference competition, the six members of the conference are squaring off with regularity.
Marshall and Waterloo started their respective conference seasons by facing off against one another back on Friday, Dec. 16, a 64-55 win for the home team, Marshall. The two sides’ respective seasons have been divergent since they last met. Now they’re set to square off once again, this time at Waterloo High School, on Friday, Jan. 27.
Waterloo senior Maddie Webster hoists a shot over a trio of defenders in a home game against Hustisford on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
The Cardinals of Marshall have found success in the meantime since facing their rivals, winning four of their next seven games. Marshall had won four of its last five games heading into its only conference game of last week, a home matchup with New Glarus on Thursday, Jan. 19.
This was no small task. The Glarner Knights were not only the top team in the conference, they entered a perfect 15-0 on the season and were ranked sixth in Division 4 of the wissports.net coaches poll. New Glarus lived up to its reputation, beating Marshall 75-37. The Cardinals kept things close in the first half but were outscored 43-14 in the second.
Marshall’s best scoring threat came from senior guard Halle Weisensel, who nailed a trio of three point shots to lead the team with 15 points. Fellow senior Allie Rateike also added 12. There was just no stopping reigning conference Player of the Year Lindsey Schadewalt as she led the game with 27 points for New Glarus. Teammates Grace Nommensen and Elle Lancaster also added 16 and 15 points, respectively.
Marshall senior Halle Weisensel drives the ball against Clinton at home on Monday, Jan. 16.
Waterloo will also enter the rematch with Marshall licking its wounds. The Pirates have had a tough stretch since the Marshall loss, losing seven of their next eight. They, too, closed last week with a conference loss. Waterloo traveled to Belleville on Thursday, Jan. 19 and lost, 54-43. The Pirates were down by 10 by the halftime break, a hole they couldn’t dig themselves out of.
Junior Brenna Huebner used her strong driving ability to lead Waterloo in scoring. She drew plenty of fouls, hitting nine of her 10 free throw attempts to pair with a trio of field goals for 15 points. Waterloo also got a pair of three point shots from both junior Tess Blundell and Julia Asik, who scored 10 and eight points, respectively.
Belleville, on the other hand, had a quartet of double digit scorers in Maddi DeSmet (14), Toria Devoe, (11), Lainey Winkers (10), and Addison Edge (10). DeSmet hit four three point shots to lead the Wildcats.
As it currently stands, Marshall sits at third in the conference standings with a 3-2 record while Waterloo is fifth with a 1-4 mark.
Both Marshall and Waterloo still have some business left to handle before squaring off in a rematch on Friday. Waterloo has a pair of non-conference road games before then. The Pirates will travel to Lakeside Lutheran on Tuesday, Jan. 24 and to Pardeeville on Thursday, Jan. 26. As for Marshall, the Cardinals will host non-conference Poynette on Tuesday, Jan. 24.
