By David Paulsen
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
With games this week signaling the halfway point of the season, the Union Grove High School boys and girls basketball teams look to turn around sub-500 seasons.
After their first eight games, the Bronco girls are 3-5 overall and 1-2 in the Southern Lakes Conference, while the boys’ squad is 4-6 overall, and 2-3 in the SLC.
After playing non-conference opponents in five of their first eight games, the girls will get into the heart of their SLC schedule. Eight of the next nine games are against SLC foes.
With their first two games after the Christmas break very winnable, the girls’ squad could conceivably be 5-5 going into a big game with Wilmot, Friday, Jan. 11.
The Bronco girls hoped to get their January schedule off on the right foot when they hosted Burlington Thursday. Burlington came into the game 1-7 overall, and 1-3 in the SLC.
After another very winnable game at 0-7 Delavan-Darien (0-4 in the SLC) on Tuesday, Jan. 8, the Broncos will host Wilmot on Friday, Jan. 11. Wilmot is 10-0 overall and ranked No. 6 in the state in Division 2.
Wilmot defeated Union Grove 55-31 earlier this season and is led by Kari Clements who is averaging 17 points per game, and Sarah Vozel at 12.1 points per game (ppg).
Union Grove’s top point-getter the first half of the season has been Becca Maier at 8.0 ppg.
While the Bronco girls have held their opponents to just 43.4 ppg, they have had a hard time scoring themselves, averaging only 37.5 ppg.
The boys began their season with five non-conference games, but have faced SLC teams the past five games, going 2-3 in that stretch.
Nine of their remaining 12 games are SLC matchups.
Andrew Kazikowski has led the Union Grove boys the first 10 games, averaging 12.9 points per game.
The Bronco boys’ next two games are against non-conference teams with similar records to the Broncos. They will host Shoreland Lutheran (4-4 overall) on Saturday, Jan. 5, at 7 p.m., and then will travel to West Allis Hale (3-5 overall) on Tuesday, Jan. 8, for a 7:30 p.m. game.
The boys’ second game next week will be a challenging one as they will take on No.-7 ranked Wilmot (10-1 overall) on Friday, Jan. 11, at 7:45 p.m. on the Broncos home court.
Wilmot is led by Mike Stevenson, who is averaging 14.5 ppg.
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