PdC boys basketball drop overtime heartbreaker to Dodgeville and tough non-conference game to Marshfield Columbus Catholic
Prairie’s Hunter Straka (12) forces his opponent to pass to another teammate while Max Schneider (50) guards Marshfield Columbus Catholic's Kohle Hilgemann. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Senior Dawson Eastman makes his defensive presence known to the Dons' offense. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Prairie du Chien senior Tyler Harris uses the backboard for two points during the first half of play. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Brady Lenzendorf looks to keep Columbus Catholic guard Alex Edwards from driving the paint. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Hunter Straka tries to beat the halftime buzzer with a shot from just inside half court. Straka's shot hit the front of the rim, up off the backboard and away from the basket. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Abe Amundson (middle) forces the Dons' Charlie Moore to change directions as Blackhawk teammates Nick McCullick (22) and Dawson Eastman (32) protect the basket. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
Nick McCullick heads up the court after interception a Columbus Catholic pass. (Derick Kelly/Courier Press)
By Derick Kelly
The Prairie du Chien boys basketball team dropped both games they played this week but showed some serious resiliency and tenacity in doing so.
The Hawks hosted Dodgeville on Thursday, Dec. 14, and came out of the gates incredibly flat as the visiting Dodgers dominated their way to a 40-18 halftime lead on the Blackhawks. What happened next will go down in Prairie du Chien athletic history for years to come as an example of what happens when you don’t give up.
The Hawks used a suffocating defense, key rebounding, and a steady offensive prowess in the second half to completely erase their 22 point halftime deficit when Max Schneider stole a Dodger pass and layed the ball off the glass to tie the game at 53-53 with one minute remaining. The Hawks actually give themselves a chance to win the game in regulation as well when they forced a Dodger turnover with 45 seconds remaining to give the Hawks the opportunity to hold for the final shot. With 3 seconds left, Tyler Harris’ runner in the middle of the lane from about 5 feet out hit off the top of the rim for rolled off and the game went to overtime.
The Dodgers grabbed the lead early in overtime but Schneider hit a free throw with 2:36 to go to tie the game at 54-54. Dodgeville retook the lead 56-54 with 1:23 left on the clock and added a free throw with 1:02 remaining to stretch the score to 57-54 before Schneider once again answered for the Hawks with an up-and-under shot off the glass to make the score 57-56 with 42 seconds remaining.
The Dodgers went to the line with 18 seconds left and the chance to build their but missed both free throws as the Hawks once again came down with the ball and the chance to play for the final shot. Nick McCullick’s shot with 7 seconds left hit the top of the rim, then hit the backboard, and then hit the top of the rim again before bouncing off to the side where it was rebounded by Harris but a questionable traveling call on the rebound by Harris gave the ball back to the Dodgers with 6 seconds left. The Hawks were forced to foul and the Dodgers sank both shots to make the score 59-56 with 5 seconds remaining. The Dodgers allowed Harris an uncontested layup with one second left to avoid a potential three-point play and make the final score 59-58 in favor of Dodgeville.
Marshfield Columbus Catholic (ranked second in Division Five) came to town on Saturday evening with the Hawks looking to continue their strong play from the second half and regulation of the Dodgeville game two nights earlier. After a back-and-forth first half that saw the visiting Dons pull away for a 30-24 lead, Prairie’s Hunter Straka came within a few millimeters of making one the of the best near half court shot attempts I have ever seen at any level right before the buzzer. Of course, with Prairie’s luck as of late, Straka’s shot bounced off the top of the rim and you guessed it, rolled off to the side.
Marshfield Columbus Catholic maintained a 6 to 12 point lead for most of the second half with the Hawks unable able to completely get over the hump and retake the lead. The Dons extended the score to 52-41 with 8 minutes remaining in the game when the Hawks went on a 12-2 run over the next four minutes to make the score 54-53 in favor of the visitors. However luck just wasn’t to be on the Hawks side as a loose ball with 3:40 left in the game rolled away from the Prairie defense and into the hands of a Marshfield Columbus player and one pass later a wide open three pointer by the Dons made the score 57-53. The Hawks would never get within one possession again the rest of the game and the Dons pulled away late for a 69-58 victory. The visitors from Marshfield improved to 7-0 with the win, while the Hawks fell to a hard luck mark of 0-5.
Following a home non-conference game with the Westby Norsemen on Tuesday night, the Hawks host the defending Division Four state champion Onalaska Luther Knights on Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m.
