By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports editor
Coming off a loss to Elkhorn last week in which “everything went wrong,” according to coach Dena Brechtl, the Waterford Union High School girls basketball team was looking for a little redemption Tuesday night.
They got it.
Waterford weathered a late run by Wilmot that sent the game to overtime, then pulled away for a 70-65 win over the Panthers.
The win improved Waterford to 5-3 in the Southern Lakes Conference with just two games remaining. Badger, Union Grove, Wilmot and Elkhorn all have just two losses.
“It was a huge win, obviously,” said Brechtl, adding that the loss against Elkhorn might have been the best thing to refocus her team.
Waterford trailed by 10 at the half, having scored just 18 points. But the Wolverines poured on the offensive effort in the second half, and then went 8-for-10 from the free-throw line in overtime to clinch the victory.
Senior Steffi Rank finished with a team-high 21 points, including five in overtime, and 11 rebounds, while Megan Jensen played all but about 30 seconds of the game and finished with 18 points.
Madison Blair, who Brechtl said took the ball to the rim with confidence, added 12 points, while Kristina Kamer “really played within herself” and added 10 points.
Kaytlyn Eidson paced Wilmot with 24 points.
“We were money in overtime,” Brechtl said. “Defensively, we really stepped it up (too).”
The Wolverines were dealt a severe blow to their SLC title hopes, though, by losing 59-48 at home against the Elks.
“Everything went wrong,” said Brechtl. “That will not happen to use again.”
Rank scored 20 points to lead the Wolverines, and Alyssa Helwig had 10, but Elkhorn finished with three players in double figures.
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