LAKELAND PULLS OUT WIN OVER TOP-SEED MOSINEE IN D-2 GIRLS BASKETBALL SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL
Zaleski Sports
WAUSAU – The Mosinee girls basketball team’s magical season came to an end Thursday night with a hard-fought 58-56 loss to Great Northern Conference rival Lakeland in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal at Wausau West High School.
Lakeland (19-8) moves on to a sectional final against Menomonie (24-3) on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hayward High School. Menomonie has never appeared in a state tournament and Lakeland has not made it since 1993.
No. 1 seed Mosinee, which had beaten No. 2 seed Lakeland twice during the regular season on its way to a GNC championship, led 34-24 at halftime behind 12 points from Lexi Freiboth and 10 from Kate Fitzgerald.
Lakeland pecked away and trailed 55-54 when Mosinee missed a free throw with 31 seconds left.
Freshman Kristina Ouimette drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Thunderbirds a 57-55 lead with 21 seconds to go.
Freiboth was fouled with 10 seconds to go and made one of two free throws to make it a one-point game, and Lakeland’s Saylor Timmerman returned the favor with a free throw with 7 seconds left to make it 58-56.
Timmerman, who had a team-high 20 points for Lakeland, missed the second free throw attempt and Mosinee got a good look for a 3-point attempt and the win on the left elbow, but the shot was long as the buzzer sounded.
Fitzgerald finished with 21 points to lead Mosinee, which finishes the season at 25-2.
Thunderbirds 58, Indians 56
Mosinee 34 22 - 56
Lakeland 24 34 - 58
MOSINEE (56): Lexi Freiboth 6 1-3 15, Jenna Placek 1 0-0 3, Adalyn Lehman 2 1-2 5, Claire Selenske 4 0-0 9, Kate Fitzgerald 8 3-5 21, Hailey Shnowske 1 0-0 3, Brooke Baumann 0 0-2 0. FG: 22. FT: 5-12. 3-pointers: 7 (Freiboth 2, Fitzgerald 2, Selenske 1, Placek 1, Shnowske 1). Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Placek. Record: 25-2.
LAKELAND (58): Charley Cleveland 0 0-0 0, Julianna Ouimette 3 4-5 11, Cassidy Cleveland 4 0-0 9, Quade 0 0-0 0, Lily Fortier 0 2-3 2, Joeli Koehler 1 0-0 2, Saylor Timmerman 9 2-5 20, Kristina Ouimette 5 2-4 14. FG: 22. FT: 10-17. 3-pointers: 4 (K. Ouimette 2, Ca. Cleveland 1, J. Ouimette 1). Fouls: 14. Fouled out: J. Ouimette. Record: 19-8.