By Jennifer Eisenbart
Sports editor
An 18-point fourth quarter blew open a relatively close game for the Waterford boys basketball team Tuesday night, and the Wolverines went on to a 52-34 win over Lake Geneva Badger at home.
The win improved Waterford to 6-2 in the Southern Lakes Conference and 9-5 overall. Badger dropped to 2-5 and 3-11.
Waterford led 23-17 at the half, but held the Badgers to just seven points in the third quarter – including just three shots from the field.
In the meantime, the Wolverines got seven points from senior Zach Fisher, with Jake Steffens, Mason Bagley, Chris Benavides, Greg Steffens and Dustin Schindler all scoring in the quarter.
The Wolverines then survived the fourth quarter, hitting seven of 11 free throws for the win.
Fisher finished with a game-high 14 points, including two of Waterford’s three 3-pointers. Bagley had the third.
Benavides added nine points, Bagley eight and Schindler seven.
Jake Growel led Badger with 12 points.
Girls
The Waterford Union High School girls basketball team learned a little something about itself Tuesday night.
Playing without star senior Stephanie Rank, the Wolverines still managed to pick up a victory on the road, pulling away in the fourth quarter at Greendale for a 52-40 non-conference victory.
Waterford is now 6-7 overall and 4-2 in the Southern Lakes Conference heading into Thursday’s game at home against Elkhorn.
That game was not completed before press deadline.
Waterford head coach Dena Bretchl made the decision to sit out Rank, who has struggled with knee problems in the last two years, in order to have her feeling better for the stretch SLC run.
“We had some adjustments to make,” Brechtl said. “We needed some kids to step up. It took about 16 minutes for kids to step up.”
Brechtl said Rank has been off the court for about nine days.
“She’s been off since Westosha,” the coach added. “We were just trying to get her feeling back to normal.
“Hopefully we’ve got her for that home stretch.”
In her absence, point guard Megan Jensen handled not just the ball but also turned out to be the leading scorer for the Wolverines with 13 points.
Freshman Madison Blair got more comfortable as the game went on, Brechtl said, and added 10 points.
“Megan could’ve had a lot more,” the coach explained. “Madison Blair did a really nice job.”
Waterford settled in during the final quarter, outscoring Greendale 19-8.
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