Algoma ends drought, wins Division 4 state title

ASHWAUBENON - In his postgame press conference, Algoma girls basketball coach Mark Zastrow mentioned time and time again about how hard his team works.

While you need points to score, Zastrow knows his team’s best chance at succeeding is winning on the defensive end and that means putting in, what else, but hard work.

The Wolves brought their hard-working attitude to the Division 4 state championship game and Colfax got a first-hand look at what hard work looks like.

The Wolves’ defense swarmed the Vikings, holding them to a season-low point total as Algoma captured its first state title since 1986, and third overall, with a 46-30 win at the Resch Center.

“Today was a little bit more of a grind than Thursday,” Zastrow said. “The girls did a great job; we held them to 30 points, 10 in the second half. That’s kind of what we’ve been living on.”

Through one half, however, the game was in doubt with Algoma leading, 22-20 at the half. The third quarter is when the tide turned.

Algoma outscored the Vikings, 8-3, and that 30-23 lead after three quarters was just the start. Algoma could see the finish line and didn’t let up, putting Colfax’s dream of a state title to bed with a 16-7 advantage in the fourth quarter.

“We gave up three points,” Zastrow said of the third quarter. “Usually teams that give up three points, you’re going to be all right. It got us momentum.”

Overall, Algoma outscored Colfax, 24-10, in the second half and Zastrow said a key was his depth. He counts on his bench players to contribute and they did, especially on the defensive end.

“These kids work hard daily and defense is a focus for us,” Zastrow said. “We don’t know who’s going to be the scorer, we don’t know who’s going to be in foul trouble. We go deep, we press; we want to go up and down the floor, so we better have eight, nine kids that can play.”

The one kid who really played Saturday was junior forward Kennedy Blahnik. The team’s second-leading scorer behind Taylor Schmidt led Algoma with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Her offense was big, because Colfax concentrated on Schmidt, the Packerland Conference player of the year, limiting her offense.

“We looked at Kennedy and said this is going to be your opportunity to do something,” Zastrow said. “I thought she really stepped up in a big situation.”

As for Schmidt, after a great floor game in the semifinals Thursday, she had just seven points and two assists. Still, her ball handling was important.

“They really focused on Taylor, not letting her get many points,” Zastrow said. “The nice thing about Taylor, she understands the aspects of the game and created some things.”

Saturday’s win marks the fifth state title for Blahnik, who has won discus and shot put state titles her first two years at the state track and field meet. She said winning a state title with a team is a great experience.

“I like sharing it with everybody here,” Blahnik said. “I’m glad I could win it with these girls.”

The state title for Schmidt ended a high school career where she’s had great ups and downs. She’s a two-time conference player of the year, won a silver ball as a sophomore, tore her ACL in her left knee March 9, 2012, and most recently her grandfather passed away.

“It’s just awesome,” Schmidt said. “I can’t stop smiling. That’s all I ever wanted. I knew we could do it.”

• 3-pointers: Freshman Baleigh Delorit scored nine of Algoma’s 11 bench points. … Colfax was 10 of 33 from the field (30.3 percent), including 1 of 16 from 3-point range. … Algoma had a minus-four assist-to-turnover ratio ( 7 to 11), while Colfax’s was minus-14 (4 to 18).
• Game ball: Blahnik, who played huge in the biggest game of the season.
• Numbers game: 10 Second-half points Algoma allowed.

Click on link for a complete boxscore: http://www.wiaawi.org/Portals/0/PDF/Results/Basketball_Girls/2013/d4game3.htm

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

doug.ritchay@wluk.com