New London's bid for a three-peat falls

ASHWAUBENON - After Friday’s Division 2 state semifinal loss New London coach Andrea Flease and Brenna Heise appeared to be in good moods, considering what transpired on the Resch Center floor about 30 minutes earlier.

Attempting to reach their third straight state title game and win its 69th game in a row, the Bulldogs suffered their first defeat since Jan. 28, 2011, when New Berlin Eisenhower edged New London, 48-47, in a rematch of last year's state title game.

Seconds after the loss, there was some crying but after the loss started to settle in Flease and Heise were able to reflect on a magical run.

“Sixty-eight games in a row; I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” said Heise, who scored 19 points in her final high school game. “Every streak comes to an end. I couldn’t have asked for a better team. It’s been an incredible ride. Sixty-eight games was an incredible ride.”

Early on it appeared New London, the two-time defending state champs, would reach No. 69 as the Bulldogs raced to a 21-6 lead in the second quarter. With the Bulldogs’ defense, which allowed just four teams to score at least 40 points in a game this season, this had the makings of a vintage New London performance.

However, Eisenhower (25-2) regrouped and made a run, scoring the next 15 points. Game on.

“We had them on their heels, but we couldn’t make shots when we needed to in that second quarter,” Flease said.

From there, it was back and forth as Eisenhower and New London battled like a state title was on the line.

With 17 seconds to play a berth in the state championship was on the line as New London led, 47-45, after splitting two free throws. Eisenhower took possession and looked to end the streak.

Eisenhower point guard Erin Ganzke said there was a play drawn up for a 3-pointer, but she then saw the lane open and drove to the basket. She converted the layup and was fouled and made a free throw, giving the Lions a 48-47 lead with 7.1 seconds to play.

“We obviously dug ourselves a hole early, almost like we didn’t know what hit us,” Eisenhower coach Gary Schmidt said. “Erin Ganzke stepped up to the plate big. She saw that gap and took it hard.”

New London brought the ball down court and called a timeout with 1.4 seconds to play. After two deflections, there was .8 seconds to play with the Bulldogs inbounding the ball under their basket.

The ball was passed to Cambria Fitzgerald, who knew she had to shoot quickly. She did from the left elbow and the ball banked off the backboard and fell to the court.

Streak over.

“They got the ‘And-1’ and somehow that layup went in,” Heise said. “We fought hard, we did everything we could to win.”

In her first season, Flease suffered one loss and it came in the final game. The New London graduate, who was part of New London’s 2007 state tournament runner-up team, though, knows there was a lot this Bulldogs team could be proud of.

“They have a lot to be proud of,” Flease said. “You’re going to tell anyone that at the end of their season, but they really do have a lot to be proud of. The seniors have four losses in their career. They went out like champions. They were hanging their heads, I told them to hold them high and act like a champion.”

Flease was able to smile during a post-game interview, which says something. Maybe that’s why Heise had so much praise for her coach.

“Coach Flease stepping in was incredible,” Heise said. “We went 26-1, incredible. If the ‘1’ would’ve come earlier in the season it would’ve been better. It stinks a loss ended our season.”

• 3-pointers: Mickey Roland had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulldogs. …New London was 12 for 41 from the field for 29.3 percent. … The score was tied 10 times and the lead changed 11 times.
• Game ball: Heise, who ended her career with a strong performance.
• Numbers game: 68 Games in a row New London had won before Friday.

Click on link for full boxscore: http://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Basketball_Girls/2013/d2semg2.htm

 

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

 

 

doug.ritchay@wluk.com