Lions answer South Milwaukee challenge

New Berlin - The New Berlin Eisenhower girls basketball team won Friday night while playing host to South Milwaukee, but that is about the only similarity the game had with the other victories that make up the Lions' perfect 12-0 start.

In the previous 11 games the Lions boasted a margin of victory of nearly 39 points and a scoring average of 66 points per game. Friday night the game was tied with just three minutes to go before Eisenhower (12-0, 10-0) scored the last nine points to win 40-31. South Milwaukee (7-2, 7-2) is the first team to be within less than 10 of the Lions at the final buzzer.

"They like to slow the ball down and play a different tempo game," Eisenhower head coach Gary Schmidt said. "I think they did a good job of doing that tonight; we sort of played their tempo for too long and that hurt us.

"We'd have spurts to try to get them out of their comfort zone but they stayed in it."

Rockets battle for win

Late in the third quarter South Milwaukee was facing a 10-point deficit but the Rockets battled back behind three baskets from juniors Brittany Buck and Riley Budde. By the time junior forward Emily Pusheck made two free throws to tie the game with 3:48 left in the fourth, the Rockets had completed an 11-1 run.

It was the seniors on the Eisenhower side that would respond and end that run.

Taylor McArthur drilled a 3-pointer of her own for her only points of the game to get the lead back before Nicole Bauman made six of six free throws in the final minute to secure the win.

Bauman led all scorers with 21 points to help extend the Eisenhower first-place lead to 2.5 games over South Milwaukee.

"We tried to pressure them a bit early but they did a really good job of getting to the hoop and then passing out from the post," Bauman said. "We all try to work hard to get the ball moving and get everyone involved just in case our shots aren't going."

For much of the game the Lions maintained a steady lead but were bothered a bit by the zone defense being played by South Milwaukee. To make things more difficult on Eisenhower the Rockets were able to slow down the game on offense as well, patiently managing possessions and keeping the game tight.

Senior guard played well

The play of senior guard Mal Wesley was an example of why the Rockets were able to keep the game close all night. Wesley gave South Milwaukee an early three-point lead in the first and finished the game with six points but the point total alone doesn't describe her impact.

Often Wesley was found on the perimeter of the zone hounding Bauman and the other Lions shooters while on offense she showed confidence with the ball in key situations.

"There is no price tag that you could put on senior leadership and we have a couple kids that do that for us," Rockets head coach Tracy Stolte said. "Mal has dealt with some injuries and she really played with her heart tonight because this is one that we really did want."

"She was able to keep calm and really lead the others by her example."

Next up for the Lions is a trip on Tuesday to Whitnall, another solid Woodland-Black conference opponent. In fact the next eight opponents for New Berlin Eisenhower have .500 records or better, and with Milwaukee Vincent on the schedule to end the season, the road to perfection is a bumpy one.

Schmidt knows that any team left on the schedule is a threat.

"I was very proud of our kids because there is always a target on your back when you are having a good year and everyone wants to beat you," Schmidt said. "The more mentally tough we get the better we will be down the road so a game like this is very beneficial.

"There are good teams out there, we've got good teams on the schedule and we certainly aren't invincible."

After back-to-back losses, South Milwaukee will now face Greendale and the team will look forward to getting a second crack at New Berlin Eisenhower on Feb. 10. The Rockets started the season with seven consecutive wins before facing defeat but Stolte doesn't see the losses as a set back.

"I think leading up to this game we have really been working on some stuff and getting better every game," Stolte said. "As a coach that is what you want from your team.

GREENDALE

Eisenhower continues to roll against the lower teams in the Woodland Conference, whipping Greendale 78-36 on Jan. 3 on the road.

A 25-8 first quarter led to a 43-16 halftime lead as Schmidt cleared his bench once again. The Lions played well in the second half with different lineups with a 35-20 advantage.

Bauman (22 points), Katie Lang (13), Jenny Weiland (10) and Erin Ganzke (nine) led the way as 10 Lions scored.