WIAA Division Two Sectional Preview: Sectionals Three and Four

The first weekend of the postseason is in the books, and in seven days, we will know who will be the final four teams left in each division playing for a Gold Ball in Green Bay. Through Thursday morning, I will be previewing the sectional participants as we inch closer to the State Tournament in a few weeks. We will start with Division One and work our way through Division Five.   Sectional 3   No. 1 Xavier vs. No. 3 West De Pere   Xavier   The Hawks were elevated to Division Two through competitive balance rules after reaching the Division Three State Championship game the last two years. Unfortunately, Xavier is not at full strength again, with [player_tooltip player_id='751258' first='Elle' last='Krull'] and [player_tooltip player_id='766619' first='Joy' last='Krull'] sustaining knee injuries early in the season. However, [player_tooltip player_id='766628' first='Brynn' last='Krull'] is having a career season in her senior campaign and has been a reliable scorer for a Hawks team looking to make a run in their first season in Division Two. They also have a tone setter in their backcourt with Faith Hafner. Hafner is an athletic guard who can get downhill and brings an edge to the defensive end of the court.   West De Pere   I pointed out West De Pere as a potential spoiler in this sectional, and they went on the road to defeat a solid Fox Valley Lutheran team in a Regional Title game. [player_tooltip player_id='879987' first='Molly' last='Walder'] had an excellent showing in that game, scoring 20 points in a narrow win for the Phantoms, and was an efficent scorer that night. [player_tooltip player_id='842266' first='Alexa' last='Rattray'] has also added some versatility in the backcourt by rebounding, creating, and handling the ball under pressure. They played a challenging schedule in the Bay Conference, and may surprise some teams this week.   No. 3 Beaver Dam vs. No. 4 Port Washington   Beaver Dam   The Golden Beavers have been on the cusp of making the State Tournament again for the past few seasons. [player_tooltip player_id='533067' first='Nataya' last='Donaldson'] is a physical wing who can play around the basket and rebound the ball at a high level on both ends of the court. She is a player who can overpower defenses and will her way to a 20-point night. Emma Julka is also a solid glue player who can defend and knock down timely perimeter shots. She may not be a player who forces her will on a game, but she plays off her teammates well and picks her spots offensively. I also like the pressure that [player_tooltip player_id='842257' first='Sheamarie' last='Ashley'] puts on opposing teams on both ends of the floor. Beaver Dam is also a team that will take plenty of perimeter jumpers and give themselves a chance to go on a scoring run.   Port Washington   The Pirates got a fortunate draw and are an improved team from a season ago. Port Washington has enough size to make opposing frontcourts uncomfortable with [player_tooltip player_id='437116' first='Norah' last='Merow'] and [player_tooltip player_id='751255' first='Delaney' last='Rauch']. Merow is a physical post player who does most of her work around the basket, and Rauch is a versatile wing who can play the four. Rauch's ability to handle the ball at her size, space the floor, and move the ball within their offense will open the floor for her teammates. I also like what [player_tooltip player_id='1227459' first='Savanna' last='Miller'] can do in the backcourt. She is a confident player who can knock down shots in bunches and organize her team on the offensive end of the court.   Sectional 4   No. 1 Whitefish Bay vs. No. 2 Pius XI   Whitefish Bay   The Blue Dukes are led by a talented stable of guards who can make plays for themselves and teammates. [player_tooltip player_id='751283' first='Rowan' last='Counsell'] leads that backcourt and will handle a significant amount of her team's lead guard duties. She plays well under pressure, gets to the basket, and is a consistent perimeter shooter when she plays off the ball. The difference maker for them will be [player_tooltip player_id='509716' first='Sage' last='Miskel']. The senior guard is an athletic and physical guard who plays with immense effort on both ends of the floor. They will also trust their role players, [player_tooltip player_id='751252' first='Carrington' last='Balthasar'], [player_tooltip player_id='888430' first='Leyla' last='Burkemper'], [player_tooltip player_id='751282' first='Rose' last='Mussoline'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1228363' first='Madeline' last='Volpe'] to handle the ball and make open shots.   Pius XI   The Lady Pops have one of the most talented groups in Wisconsin, and they're gelling at the right time of year. They've played some of their best basketball in February, and seem to be finding their footing. [player_tooltip player_id='1173638' first='Lizzie' last='Jackson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1173652' first='Lillee' last='Jackson'] are a physical and competitive duo who can rebound the ball at a high level, and Lillee has been starting to find her groove as a multi-level scorer. Their backcourt also includes a few talented players in Marciella Rivera and [player_tooltip player_id='1319432' first='Chelinda' last='Spector'], who compete defensively and complement each other on the offensive end. Spector is a player who can hunt and make challenging shots, whereas Rivera is more of a facilitator in their backcourt.   No. 1 Whitnall vs. No. 3 Greenfield   Whitnall   The Falcons have a team that has reached sectionals for the last handful of years. Whitball also has the experience to surprise people this week. [player_tooltip player_id='654832' first='Riley' last='Ward'] is the lead ball handler for the Falcons and is comfortable scoring from all three levels. The Falcons also boast a physical frontcourt pairing in [player_tooltip player_id='489577' first='Ella' last='Koch'] and [player_tooltip player_id='885737' first='Taylor' last='Pitta'], who both bring plenty of effort to the boards on both ends of the court. If they can compete on the glass with teams in this sectional, they'll have an opportunity pull off an upset.   Greenfield   The Hustlin Hawks had some good fortune with their draw within their sectional. However, since they are in sectionals, you can't count them out in a one-game playoff. [player_tooltip player_id='751238' first='Armani' last='Tauschek'] is a physical wing who can create some mismatches offensively and power her way to the basket. Greenfield also has a solid guard in [player_tooltip player_id='1039227' first='Ava' last='Teschendorf'], who can knock down some perimeter shots and space the floor for this team. They have also seen Whitnall twice this season, and even though they were swept in the regular season series, a win on Thursday will nullify those losses in the Hustlin Hawks' eyes.

The first weekend of the postseason is in the books, and in seven days, we will know who will be the final four teams left in each division playing for a Gold Ball in Green Bay. Through Thursday morning, I will be previewing the sectional participants as we inch closer to the State Tournament in a few weeks. We will start with Division One and work our way through Division Five.