Monday Night Across the State: Big Game Performers

W7 productions provided two instant classics Monday night featuring ranked teams and PGH Wisconsin ranked players across all classes. In a battle against two ranked teams (New Berlin Eisenhower the D2 #4 and Kettle Moraine the D1 #3), it was the Lions of NBE that came out on top thanks to a [player_tooltip player_id="204139" first="Katelyn" last="Nee"] put-back at the buzzer. And in Mishicot, it took two over times to decide a winner, with Wrightstown leaving MHS with an impressive road win. Here were the top players from these marquee matchups: <strong>New Berlin Eisenhower at Kettle Moraine: 55-53 Ike Wins at the Buzzer</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="206575" first="Lexi" last="Bugajski"] | Eisenhower | Forward | Class of 2023 | #20 Overall Prospect Bugajski had been going through an inconsistent junior campaign, but with Ike dropping two straight games and facing arguably their toughest opponent thus far, the Class of 2023 prospect stepped up. Her 24 points marked a season-high, doubling the scoring output from her past two games combined. Eisenhower’s do-it-all forward dominated around the low block and showed touch from the outside as well, making quick decisions while utilizing a combination of physicality and finesse to overwhelm her matchup. She consistently sealed off the inside lane when working the post, providing easy passing angles for her guards. And once she got that inside seam, she played nearly mistake-free, attacking the basket quickly or swinging the ball to open cutters and shooters in the event of a double team. This brings me to arguable the most impressive part of her performance: her vision. Only credited with three assists, her ability to slip passes through narrow windows while constantly seeing double teams enabled Ike to slow down the game, keeping Kettle Moraine out of their killer transition game. Possessing guard skills at her height and strength is a massive asset for Eisenhower, and if this is the Bugasjki they’re getting for the remainder of the season, Division 2 is in trouble. Defensively, Bugajski was a constantly active presence whose length was a major disruptor both on the ball and in the passing lanes. Matched up against one of the best 2023 prospects in [player_tooltip player_id="156050" first="Grace" last="Grocholski"], Bugajski was able to prevent her from getting to her spots and keep her contained in isolation settings. Grocholski--PGH Wisconsin’s #2 overall prospect for the class of 2023 at the time of this writing--only scored 4 points in half-court isolation opportunities when guarded by Bugajski. All the while acting as Eisenhower’s bona fide rim protector; her instincts for playing the help and stepping up as a shot-challenger on dribble-drives was extremely impressive as well. Bugajski’s defensive effort and commitment affected the whole team. Eisenhower perfectly executed their defensive gameplan in the win, largely because of Bugajski’s ability to guard the perimeter, paint, and opposing team’s best player. [player_tooltip player_id="156050" first="Grace" last="Grocholski"] | Kettle Moraine | Forward | Class of 2023 | #2 Overall Prospect Despite Bugajski’s intense defensive effort, [player_tooltip player_id="156050" first="Grace" last="Grocholski"] was one of the most dangerous players on the court. What makes her a special prospect isn’t just her one-on-one scoring ability, but her highly refined overall offensive skillset. Her inspired play in the second half gave Kettle Moraine the juice it needed to make this game competitive despite facing a double-digit deficit at the start of the second half. When the offense ran through her, her passing shone through, highlighting her ability to throw on-time, on-target passes all around the half-court. But she didn’t need the ball to be an effective offensive presence. She’s an elite offensive rebounder who consistently got inside positioning when Bugaski had to peel off to address the drive threat, setting herself up for easy baskets and free throw opportunities. Oh, and she also served as the primary shooting threat on pin-down set-plays, accenting yet another offensive layer to her game. Grocholski finished with 21 points, 17 in the second half alone. She’s a natural playmaker, ball-handler, and decision-maker in both the half-court and on the break. Her guard skills and touch on the inside made her a constant threat to score yet again, in spite of the loss. <strong>Wrightstown at Mishicot: 62-58 the Tigers outlast Mishicot in Double OT</strong> Samantha Kiel | Wrightstown | Wing/Forward | Class of 2022 | Unranked Kiel was in for a special one tonight. She hit on two of her first three attempts from beyond the arc and kept the good times rolling throughout the competition. A constant threat as a catch-and-shoot, pull-up, and movement shooter, Kiel’s ability to generate a ton of power very quickly on her jumpers was on full display (including at the 8:08 mark of the second half--when Kiel launched from the leftside wing and started running back on defense while the shot was still in the air. Result: splash). She did so many small things to maximize her spacing and get the cleanest looks available. On flare screens--knowing that her range extends well beyond the high school three-point line--Kiel flattened her runs instead of curling them to fit the shape of the arc. This added a couple more feet of separation--acres for a shooter of Kiel’s caliber. When used as the screener, she would set down screens and finish her rolls at the opposite corner, confusing her matchup and, again, leading to open shots. And on relocations off of offensive rebounds, she was never content to stand still--gliding around the perimeter to find space as the defense was trying to reset. She finished with 27 points on 7 threes, elite marks for Wrightstown’s senior. But Kiel was no one-trick pony, showing flashes of her playmaking in transition as well. In Wrightstown’s first fastbreak opportunity of the game, Kiel slung a bullet pass from her free-throw line to the opposite wing for an easy layup. This pass alone was as impressive as some of her three-point shots and speak volumes about her IQ and versatility. When Kiel opts to keep the ball herself on the break, she tore up the space in front of her, attacking relentlessly without settling for anything other than a layup or two freethrows. Considering how this game ran its course, the Tigers needed every one of Kiel’s season-high 27 points to leave Mishicot with the win. [player_tooltip player_id="204129" first="Leah" last="Lemke"] | Wrightstown | Guard | Class of 2022 | #27 Overall Prospect Lemke’s dribble-drive creativity acted as the perfect compliment to Kiel’s outside shooting on Monday night. The Class of 2022 guard showed shiftiness and aggressiveness attacking the basket, using her elite handle to get to the paint at will. Her in-and-out crossover paired with footwork on the dribble-drive led to a ton of opportunities at the basket, either for herself (worth noting that Lemke has the ability to hang in the air on layup attempts, using contact to stabilizer herself and core strength to control her body) or for her teammates as the defense collapsed. At the rim, her finishing creativity and shooting touch led to easy scoring opportunities. Again, her handle is the key to her success. Lemke’s only credited with two assists but routinely created open looks for her shooters along the perimeter. The standout senior finished with 18 points, 8 boards, and 2 assists in the win. Kailey Tulachka | Mishicot | Forward/Center | Class of 2023 | Unranked Tulachka was monstrous on the offensive glass, and her dominance on that end of the glass propelled Mishicot to keep the game going as long as it did. She was an extremely active presence as a passer and paint scorer as well. Her aggression led to a lot of opportunities on the interior, using her ability to seal off her matchup and create contact down low to initiate offense for herself. She’s the type of player coaches don’t need to run actions for because they can integrate themselves into the offense with effort and smarts alone. It helps that her length and strength enable her to get her shots up among bigs and wings. Tulachka finished with 13 points and was the energy provider all night in a grueling loss for Mishicot.