GRESHAM, WI- The Gresham Wildcats are looking to make history when they take on the Green Bay NEW Lutheran Blazers in the WIAA Division 5 Sectional Final Saturday. They are one win away from their first ever trip to State.
The Wildcats topped Prentice 75-55 on a night when shots were falling. Gresham used balanced scoring with five players reaching double digits. Jake Hoffman led the way 16 and Austin Sperberg scored 15. Leading scorer Lucas Pecore scored 12 points in his first game back from injury since early February.
“I am really proud of the guys and the effort that they put in to get here,” said Head Coach Jeff Zobeck.
While Gresham did well in the Conference, they also received some challenges in their non-conference schedule, according to Zobeck.
“I think our late season schedule kind of prepped us for these big games.”
In February, Gresham played at Iola-Scandinavia, at Manawa and home against Stockbridge. They may being seeing one of the strongest offenses that they have seen all season Saturday night. Next up is Green Bay NEW Lutheran, who averages 63 points a game, and has outscored their opponents 240-126 in the post season. Most recently, an 88-46 win over Goodman/Pembine on Thursday.
The Wildcats will have to contain leading scorer Marshall Bukowski, who averages 18 points a game and surpassed the 1000 career point mark this season. Sophomore Tristian Lynch offers nearly 11 points a game and Junior Lucas Dhein and Senior Elijah Lange have both chipped in 9 points a game.
“We are doing what we need to do and I am hoping for one more really good one and it is just getting out there and trying to play hard and executing.”
Pecore is averaging 19 points a game. Will Jensen is scoring 14 a game. Belasaire Vele with 12 points a game and Sperberg with 11.
Green Bay NEW Lutheran’s Coach Mark Meerstein is in his 30th season as head coach and was named to this year’s class in the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
In the Sectional Semifinal win over Goodman/Pembine, Bukowski had 24 and Lynch had 18 to lead the Blazers.
The Blazers are a little more familiar with the State atmosphere, making it to the season’s final tournament 3 of the last five seasons and a total of 7 times in school history.
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