Division 3 State Tournament: What to Watch For

The fields are set, and we know the State Semifinal matchups on Thursday and Friday, before we reach the final day of the season, Championship Saturday. We will take a look at the semifinal matchups in each of the five divisions leading up to 1:35 pm on Thursday, when we tip off at the Resch Center. We will start with D5 and work our way to D1 on Thursday Morning.   No. 1 Oostburg vs. No. 4 Mosinee   There is no way around it; this will be a tall task for Mosinee to make this game competitive. Oostburg is deep, has experience, has a state championship pedigree, and scholarship talent all over the floor. However, in one-game playoffs, as we have, anything can happen.   Mosine is a group that found its stride around the new year and has been playing excellent basketball ever since. Led by Payten Jirschele, who has excelled in her first season of high school basketball, has been a reliable focal point of Mosinee's offense. Jirschele has been their leading scorer and assist leader this season. She will have to find ways to be effective to keep her team in this game.   Outside of Jirschele, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='874409' first='Pacyn' last='Stoffel'] adds a different element to Mosinee's lineup as a physical frontcourt player who can control the area around the basket. Her ability to control the area around the basket will be vital to making this gam competitive. The other three leading scorers, Addy Henrich, Bridget Frye, and Megan Treu, are all players who have proven they can make high-pressure plays on both ends of the floor.   Regardless of how this season ends for Mosinee, this has been one of the most entertaining teams to follow.   The recipe for Oostburg is simple: keep doing what you've been doing.   [player_tooltip player_id='533060' first='Ady' last='Ketterhagen'] is a Ms. Basketball candidate for a reason, and may be the most frustrating player to defend around the state because she's as willing to play with her back to the basket as she is to attack off the dribble. She will also be active on the boards and will get her team second-chance points.   Her sisters, [player_tooltip player_id='880796' first='Kinsley' last='Ketterhagen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='533061' first='Riley' last='Ketterhagen'], also add elite elements to the Lady Dutch lineup. Kinsley is an elite national talent who can score from all three levels and make plays off the dribble. Riley is more of a connector on both ends of the floor, by moving the ball, spacing the floor, communicating on defense, and drawing offensive fouls.   A major development is the depth that has developed alongside the Ketterhagens. [player_tooltip player_id='1359856' first='Soraya' last='Benton'], a Howards Grove transfer, has added a versatile 5'11 defender, Macy Bruggink has been a reliable two-way guard, and Taylor Brasser has been more consistent, among others.   The key in this game will be if Mosinee can get a solid start and find an early lead to control the pace. If Oostburg can slow a game down with a double-digit lead in the second half, it would take a monumental effort for Mosinee to get back in the game.   No. 2 Kettle Moraine Lutheran vs. No. 3 Wisconsin Dells   There is a chance this may be the most entertaining semifinal matchup on Thursday and Friday.   Both teams are playing excellent basketball, but let's look at what the Dells have entering this game.   The Chiefs have an excellent balance of inside-out threats on their offense. [player_tooltip player_id='598735' first='Natalie' last='Backhaus'] is one of the better back-to-the-basket players in the state and is potentially the best frontcourt passer. She can roll off her defenders, play through contact, knock down mid-range jumpers, and read defenses. She is also a high-IQ player whose offense can play through and will make the right choices with the ball, and there aren't many players I'd rather have at the five in the state right now.   Outside of Backhaus, players like [player_tooltip player_id='624964' first='Ashiya' last='Hopkins'], [player_tooltip player_id='992497' first='Jazlyn' last='Alwin'], and Aja Gall have stepped up as perimeter shooters, but Hopkins has been the game-changer. She has improved tenfold since her first season of high school basketball and is playing with more confidence than I've ever seen. She has made perimeter shots in bunches, and if she's allowed space, she can shoot defenses out of games in a hurry.   Aja Gall and [player_tooltip player_id='992497' first='Jazlyn' last='Alwin'] have also been players who make plays on the margins by staying engaged away from the ball on both ends of the floor and being reliable three-point shooters. Those two have an opportunity to make game-altering plays this weekend.   Kettle Moraine Lutheran has a talented sophomore class led by [player_tooltip player_id='932119' first='Mya' last='Mayer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='931583' first='Brooklyn' last='Luehring']. Mayer is a physical frontcourt player who has been a double-double threat this season, and Luehring has been an offensive creator who can score from all three levels and defend at a high level. However, the depth of this team is what makes them dangerous.   On any given night, any of [player_tooltip player_id='882592' first='Natalie' last='Nolte'], Emma Wagner, [player_tooltip player_id='751259' first='Hayden' last='Lauer'], or [player_tooltip player_id='1257079' first='Elizabeth' last='Ehlke'] can win the Chargers a game.   The Chargers are as connected as any team in the state, and they don't flinch when things go wrong. They completed a 17-point comeback win on the road against Whitefish Bay late in the season. There won't be a situation that knocks them off their course.   I feel this game could be a toss-up, but there are a few things to highlight in this game. Watch which post player, [player_tooltip player_id='932119' first='Mya' last='Mayer'] or [player_tooltip player_id='598735' first='Natalie' last='Backhaus'], controls the area around the basket. Those two are skilled and physical, and if either can get an edge, that will make a difference. The other stat to watch in this game will be the turnover battle. Against Aquinas, the Dells turned it over 18 times, and in the Chargers' loss to Hartford, they turned it over 19 times. KML will test the Dells' backcourt poise and ball handling, and if they can force turnovers, the Chiefs will face an uphill battle.

The fields are set, and we know the State Semifinal matchups on Thursday and Friday, before we reach the final day of the season, Championship Saturday. We will take a look at the semifinal matchups in each of the five divisions leading up to 1:35 pm on Thursday, when we tip off at the Resch Center. We will start with D5 and work our way to D1 on Thursday Morning.