By Tim Wester
Sports Correspondent
Just when it seemed a Southern Lakes Conference championship had slipped through its fingers, the Union Grove girls basketball team got a reprieve last Friday, Feb. 5.
The Broncos’ commanding 61-38 victory over Burlington, coupled with Delavan-Darien’s 71-69 upset victory over previously unbeaten Wilmot, sets up a Union Grove (10-2) showdown for first place at Wilmot (11-1 tonight in Wilmot.
After suffering a heart-breaking loss to Wilmot at home earlier in the season, the Broncos have been able to keep pace, winning seven of their last eight, including victories over Burlington and Kenosha Tremper on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
“Losing is out of the question now,” Union Grove senior forward Frankie Pettit said. “We just got to keep doing our thing.”
Pettit and the Broncos indeed did their thing against Burlington. After jumping out to a 30-18 halftime lead, the Grove blew the game open with a 15-3 run to start the second half, en route to a 45-23 lead.
Brooklyn Bull led the onslaught with a game-high 20 points, while Janelle Shiffler had 16, and Alyssa Kus chipped in 15.
“In the first half we weren’t sharing the ball as much and at half we talked about closing out better,” Shiffler said.
The Broncos also featured improved ball movement, which was vital against the Demons’ zone press.
But the Grove proved to be more than up to the challenge, maintaining a 20-point advantage for most of the second half.
“They started pressing us, which is always a bad idea because we just get layups,” Pettit said.
The Broncos certainly had the right idea at Kenosha Tremper, winning 65-56.
Shiffler led the way with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Bull and Kus each chipped in 13 points apiece to help the Grove post a non-conference victory and avenge a painful 61-58 loss to Delavan-Darien in the previous game.
Host Tremper kept the game close throughout, and trailed by just at halftime, 21-18.
The Broncos picked up the scoring attack in the second half with their starters increasing the scoring pressure on Tremper en route to the victory.
Union Grove will now try to ride the momentum of a pair of big victories into Wilmot tonight. A Bronco victory there would draw both teams even atop the Lakes with just one game to play. The Broncos tied with Waterford for the Southern Lakes Conference championship last season.
Union Grove will host the Wolverines in a regular season finale next Friday.
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