Elk Mound boys upset Spring Valley
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SPRING VALLEY — The Elk Mound boys’ basketball team earned its signature win of the year when it knocked off league-leading Spring Valley in a 64-60 upset on the Cardinals’ home court in last Thursday’s conference and regular-season finalé.
The Mounder boys hit four three-point shots in the game, a pair in each half, but it was their free throw shooting, particularly in the second half, that helped them overcome ten triples by the Cardinals to secure the four-point victory. After taking and making just one freebie in the opening half of play, Elk Mound went 19-for-27 from the line in the second stanza as Spring Valley committed 22 fouls and saw Cardinal Cade Stasiek foul out.
“A nice win for our guys tonight against a really good Valley team,” said Michael Kessler, Elk Mound’s head coach. “We have had our fair share of close games this year, and many of them have not gone our way. It was nice to see our guys make the plays when they needed to and come out on the right end of a close one.”
“I was really impressed with our ability to get into the lane consistently on the offensive end, and get to the free throw line,” he added.
Junior Ryan Bartig led the Mounders’ offensive attack with 20 points as he added an 8-for-12 performance at the charity stripe to three hoops, and a pair of treys. The team’s leading scorer, sophmore Kaden Russo, went 6-for-10 at the line with a three to finish with 11 as Elk Mound overcame a one-point halftime deficit and outscored its host 40-35 in the final 18 minutes of action.
The Cardinals’ Connor Ducklow topped all scorers with 21 points while teammate Jameson Bauer added 18 points off of six three pointers.
With the victory, Elk Mound finished in fourth-place in the Dunn-St. Croix standings with an 8-6 mark. The Mounders are 14-10 overall.
Meanwhile, the loss didn’t prevent Spring Valley (18-5) from winning the conference championship, the Cardinals just had to share it with Durand as both teams finished 12-2 in the final count.
Bartig scored nine of his 20 points in the first half, Sam Wenzel chipped in for six, and Russo had his only three of the game as the Mounders trailed 24-25 at the half after Spring Valley put down five triples in the opening 18 minutes of action including two from Bauer.
Bauer continued to have a hot hand from behind the three-point arc in the second half accounting for four of Valley’s five second-half treys.
But, Elk Mound overcame Spring Valley’s three-point shooting advantage at the free throw line, hitting just over 70 percent from the line to help the Mounders to a five-point advantage in that final half.
Elk Mound, which has received a number three seed, received an opening round bye in the WIAA Division 3 playoff and will host the winner of the Adams-Friendship (#11) and Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (#6) contest this Friday, March 4. The regional championship is the following evening.