VanLanen's heroics lead Pulaski over Ashwaubenon in regional final

PULASKI - During the regular season little separated the Ashwaubenon and Pulaski boys basketball teams.

Ashwaubenon managed to squeeze out two one-point wins, but when the teams met Saturday there was more at stake then a regular season game. The Fox River Classic Conference foes were meeting in a Division 2 regional final.

Once again little separated the teams and in fact this had to go an extra four minutes to determine a winner. And an unlikely hero came to the rescue.

Pulaski’s Luke VanLanen scored the Red Raiders’ last four points on drives to the basket as Pulaski let Ashwaubenon know how a one-point loss feels as the Red Raiders eked out a 44-43 overtime win to move onto sectionals for the third straight season.

“There was no doubt in our players’ minds,” VanLanen said. “We knew we were the better team. There was no doubt we were going to win this game.”

Maybe so, but for much of the game the outcome was in doubt. While Pulaski led by as many as eight points in the second quarter, this game never had the feel of a runaway.

Pulaski and Ashwaubenon displayed during the regular season nothing was going to be easy, and it wasn’t.

“I think the players on both sides known each other very well,” Pulaski coach Dave Shaw said. “(Ashwaubenon) Coach (Kevin) Phillips does a good job of scouting and we do too, so that creates a grinder.”

Because of that late in the game when every possession felt like it would determine the game, everybody expected Cody Wichmann (20 points) or Jordan Stiede (14) would make the big play for Pulaski, but they didn’t.

VanLanen was scoreless for the first 28 minutes of the game and then gave Pulaski a 38-36 lead with his first two points. Ashwaubenon went to their big man, 6-foot-10 Bennett Koch, and he delivered with his second dunk of the game off an inbounds play with 2:37 left in the fourth quarter.

Tied 38-all, Pulaski took the air out of the ball and managed to run the clock down below 10 seconds. However, a turnover with 2.8 seconds gave Ashwaubenon the ball but it couldn’t beat the buzzer, sending the game into overtime for the second straight meeting with these teams.

In overtime, with the season on the line VanLanen stepped up again, twice. He scored layups on consecutive possessions - with Koch making two free throws in between them - the last coming before the final buzzer as the Red Raiders outlasted the Jaguars.

“It was just a heat of the moment thing,” VanLanen said. “I knew we needed to score. We can’t win if we’re down one, so I took it to the rim over Koch and laid it in.”

Shaw said the play to win the game didn’t develop the way he hoped, but the outcome was acceptable.

“We would like our best player to get the first look,” Shaw said. “When there’s a breakdown someone has to be aggressive and Luke’s that personality.

“We were just looking to penetrate. Be aggressive to the rim and maybe get a foul if that were the case, but he was able to go all the way.”

Shaw added this win was also about pride.

“We talked about we were the one seed and had to hold court,” Shaw said. “We started out aggressive early and faded a little bit and then Ashwaubenon was the aggressor, but going things happened down the stretch.”

VanLanen said he never hit a game-winning shot, and said he liked the feeling.

“This is my first one,” VanLanen said. “It feels amazing. I don’t think there’s another feeling in the world like this.”

VanLanen said he was never nervous in the final seconds.

“I think it’s key not to think about the season being on the line,” VanLanen said. “You got to take it like it’s the next minute of the game, go out there and play like you would any other basketball game.”

Pulaski moves on to play Seymour on Thursday at Bay Port in a sectional semifinal.

“We’re just happy to be there,” Shaw said. “They have dreams and aspirations of making the state tournament, so we have some work to do.”

• 3-pointers: Koch finished his career with 15 points. He will attend Northern Iowa next year. … Seymour beat Plymouth, 62-61, in its regional final. … Ashwaubenon eliminated Ashwaubenon last year, 61-43, in a regional final.
• Game ball: VanLanen's big plays kept Pulaski's season alive.
• Numbers game: 3 Years in a row Pulaski has reached sectionals.

PULASKI 44, ASHWAUBENON 43 (OT)
Ashwaubenon…..9   9  10  10  5 —  43
Pulaski…………..13  9   5   11  6  — 44
Ashwaubenon (18-6): Jack Messenger 4, Kyle Monroe 7, Jake Imig 12, Bennett Koch 15, Bryce VanLaanen 5. 3-pointers: 4 (Imig 3, VanLaanen 1). Turnovers: 13. Totals: 15 9-14 43.
Pulaski (20-4): Jacob Bader 2, Jordan Stiede 14, Cody Wichmann 20, Taylor Splan 2, Luke VanLanen 6. 3-pointers: 6 (Stiede 4, Wichmann 2). Turnovers: 8. Totals: 14 10-12 44.

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

doug.ritchay@wluk.xom