Colfax girls end season with sectional semifinal loss to Durand-Arkansaw

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

by Marlys Kruger

Sports Correspondent

EAU CLAIRE – The third time just wasn’t the charm as coaches, players and fans of the Colfax girls’ basketball team had hoped.

After losing to the Durand-Arkansaw Panthers in Dunn-St. Croix Conference action twice this season, the Vikings’ had a third chance to beat their rival conference team in the WIAA Division 4 sectional semifinal game played at Eau Claire North last Thursday evening, March 6. The inability of the Vikings to score points in the first half put them in a hole they couldn’t climb out of as they lost 57-22.

Colfax finished their season with a 17-9 overall record and tied for third in the conference. The Panthers, who were second in the conference, proved they are the real deal by earning a state berth with a 41-26 over Chippew Falls McDonell Central two days later in the sectional championship. Conference champion Elk Mound will also play at the state tournament in Division 3 this week.

The Vikings were coming off a regional final win over the number one seed Shell Lake team while the Panthers won their regional with a win over a very competitive squad from Fall Creek.

Employing a full-court press from the start of the game, the Panthers forced the Vikings into multiple turnovers and when the Vikings did finally get some shots off, they were not hitting the basket.

Colfax scored just eight points in the first half on a Jordyn Bowe free throw, five points from Sierra Shipman via a short jumper and a triple and a bucket from Bowe off an inbounds pass.

The Colfax defense was still doing their part, however, as it held the Panthers to just 19 points with the help of two shots from long range and the teams went into halftime with the Vikings down by just 11 points.

Colfax just couldn’t handle the pressure defense as it came up empty on five possessions due to three turnovers and two shots that were off the mark.

The Panthers, meanwhile, used both a pair of triples and deuces with a free throw to jump ahead 30-8 before Brynn Sikora dropped in a free throw for the Vikings. Sikora drilled a three-point shot followed by a pair of Shipman free throws and a fast break layup from Bowe, but the Panthers were as hot as a team could be as they drilled five triples and scored on several put backs to help them pull ahead  53-16.

Sikora knocked down two shots in the paint and Shipman added two free throws late in the game for the Viking’s final points while the Panthers added another bucket and two free throws to end the game.

Shipman scored nine points to lead the Vikings while Sikora tacked on eight and Bowe five.Colfax was 6-for-10 at the foul line and coming off back-to-back games where they hit eight triples, they were just 2-for-13 in this game. Bowe had five of Colfax’s 17 rebounds, Sikora added four and Shipman finished with three and a team-high three steals. Clara Hydukovich tallied two assists and two blocked shots.

Addison Auth scored 16 points for the Panthers including four of her team’s 10 triples, and Victoria Kurth added 14 points.They were 5-for-9 at the charity stripe.

Kaysen Goodell was the only senior for the Vikings and missed the final 10 games after tearing her ACL in a game against River Falls. She was the starting point guard for three seasons, including her sophomore year when the Vikings played in the WIAA state tournament. She finished her high school career with 554 points, shooting 60 percent from the free throw line making 108-of-180 shots, pulling down 260 rebounds, collecting 57 steals and 157 assists. She will continue her studies and basketball career at UW-River Falls next year.