NEILLSVILLE GIRLS BASKETBALL STORMS BACK TO DEFEAT PHILLIPS IN DIVISION 4 SECTIONAL FINAL
Zaleski Sports
OSSEO – For the first time in eight years the Neillsville girls basketball team is going back to the state tournament.
The Warriors overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to upend Phillips 48-42 in a WIAA Division 4 sectional final Saturday afternoon at Osseo-Fairchild High School.
Neillsville (26-2), winners of 14-straight games, will play at the 2022 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament at the Resch Center in Green Bay on Thursday night as the No. 3 seed against No. 2 Laconia at 8:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on WAOW-TV 9.
The Warriors will be making their sixth appearance at the girls state tournament, the last coming after three-straight trips from 2012-14. Neillsville’s other two appearances came in 2006 and 2007, with its only championship coming in 2012.
Phillips made eight 3-pointers in the first half to open up a 31-18 lead before Neillsville buckled down defensively and limited the Loggers to just three made baskets from the field in the second half.
Emma Moseley scored 10 of her team-high 14 points in the second half run for Neillsville, which outscored Phillips 30-11 over the final 18 minutes.
Paige Voight and Amelia Trunkel each added 10 points for the Warriors.
Jada Eggebrecht scored 11 points for Phillips, which finishes the season 25-3.
Warriors 48, Loggers 42
Neillsville 18 30 - 48
Phillips 31 11 - 42
NEILLSVILLE (48): Paige Voight 1 8-9 10, Amelia Trunkel 2 4-5 10, Emma Moseley 7 0-0 14, Delaney Rochester 1 3-5 5, Paris Opelt 3 0-0 7, Not reported 2. FG: 14. FT: 15-19. 3-pointers: 3 (Trunkel 2, Opelt 1). Record: 26-2.
PHILLIPS (42): Jensen Weik 3 0-0 9, Kendall Weik 2 0-2 5, Mataya Eckert 2 0-0 6, Elisa Schulter 0 1-2 1, Brooke Eckert 1 3-4 5, Kacy Eggebrecht 1 2-3 5, Jada Eggebecht 4 1-2 11. FG: 13. FT: 7-13. 3-pointers: 9 (J. Weik 3, J. Eggebrecht 2, M. Eckert 2, K. Eggebrecht 1). Record: 25-3.