Prescott dethrones defending state champs, EHS loses on buzzer-beater

• Prescott's Nick Jacobsen

Nick Jacobsen powers up a shot in the paint against La Crosse Aquinas.

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• WIAA Division 3 Boys Basketball Tournament Pairings

PRESCOTT - There will be a new state champion in Division 3 boys basketball as defending champion La Crosse Aquinas went down to Prescott 52-42 Friday evening. The No. 3 seeded Cardinals will face No. 2 seeded Westby, who edged Ellsworth 29-26 in the WIAA regional tournament semifinals.

PHS outscored the Blugolds, 11-13 overall, 18-9 to start the game and held a double digit lead throughout much of the first half. Aquinas came back, led by UW recruit, junior point guard Bronson Koenig and senior forwards Quinn McCartney along with a stingy 1-3-1 zone trap defense in the second half brough Aquinas within a point 38-37 early in the fourth quarter. Prescott then outscored Aquinas 14-5, largely on free-throw shooting. The Cardinals made 19-for-24 while Aquinas was a miserable 7-for-16. The Blugolds also mjissed a number of lay-ups and easy shots which could have made a difference in the outcome.

The Cards' had four players in double figures led by Mike Lytle's 14 points, 12 points each for Nick Jacobsen and Billy Brookshaw and 10 points by Clay Seifert. McCartney had 15 to lead all scorers and Koenig finished with eight points although he was in and out of the contest. He had sat out much of the second half of the season with a hand injury and just started playing again this week.

Prescott will take on the Norsemen at Westby with 7 p.m. tip-off. Westby, 18-5 overall, edged Ellsworth 29-26 due to a made three-point shot at the buzzer. The score was tied at halftime 16-16 and No. 7 seeded Ellsworth stayed right with the Norsemen the whole way until the final buzzer.

Tags: prep boys basketball, sports, prep, ellsworth, prescott