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Published March 11, 2011, 04:38 PM

County girls hoops teams look to advance in regionals

Three Pierce County prep girls' basketball teams will play in WIAA regional semifinals this evening. The games begin at 7 p.m.

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Three Pierce County prep girls' basketball teams will play in WIAA regional semifinals this evening. The games begin at 7 p.m.

Prescott (16-7) is the highest seed remaining and will take on No. 2 seed and No. 12 ranked Mondovi (18-4) at Mondovi. The winner plays in the Division 3 finals at New Richmond at 7 p.m. tomorrow against either Durand (13-10) or No. 1 seed Altoona (15-7). Prescott's defensive challenge will be to stop the Buffaloes' leading scorer and one of the top five scorers in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference Hailey Froehlich, who averages 12 points a game.

No. 4 seed Elmwood also has to play a top-ranked team also, No. 9 Independence in the Division 5 Mondovi Regional semifinal at Independence. The Raiders (6-15) took the Indees (19-4) to overtime the last time the two teams played. Independence won the Small Dairyland Conference for the third season in a row led by their top scorers Bri Halama and Jenna Brandt. The winner plays in Mondovi Saturday evening vs. either No. 2 seed and defending regional champ Alma-Pepin (16-5) or No. 3 Chippewa Falls McDonell (10-13).

Spring Valley pulled off one of the biggest shockers in the state last Tuesday. A six seed with a 1-20 record, they upended No.3 seed Clear Lake 45-44.

"I shook my head and smiled after the game because for the first time this season we all played with the same focus," SV head coach Dan Stasiek said. "We played great defense holding Clear Lake's leading scorer well under her average. The seniors stepped up and played like seniors and Riley Harrison and Leah Jameson both did a great job scoring and rebounding."

Harrison finished with 12 points and Jameson pulled down nine rebounds. Spring Valley's 45 points was the most its scored all season.

As the old cliche goes everyone starts 0-0 when the tournament begins and the Cardinals are taking it to heart as they travel north to face the No. 1 seed, Grantsburg (14-8). The Pirates are led in scoring by point guard Hailey Larson at over 13 points per game and wing foward Kortney Morrin is averaging 12 points per game.

"We they have some very good guards and small fowards," Stasiek said. "To win we have to play the same way we did Tuesday, deny the ball to their top scorers, keep them from hurting us. Grantsburg likes to run so we have to get back on defense. If we have the same effort on D we did Tuesday, we'll a chance at winning."

The regional final is in Osceola Saturday and the other half of the bracket has No. 5 seed Webster (10-13) at No. 2 Boyceville (14-8).

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