Defending section champs upend WHS basketball girls

The Waseca High School girls’ basketball team went 1-2 throughout the final two weeks of 2022. They lost to #7 state ranked Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial. Then over winter break, the team split two games at the Winona State University Holiday Classic, winning against Lewiston-Altura before ultimately losing to a talented Plainview-Elgin-Millville squad.

 

LCWM 55, Waseca 33

Waseca traveled to LCWM Tuesday, Dec. 20 for one the toughest games on their schedule. Head Coach Joan Conway acknowledged how great of a basketball team the Knights were.

“They are the defending section 2AA champion with all their key members returning this season,” she pointed out. “They are a very good team that is so offensively gifted.”

That’s not been the only reason for their success. It’s been their outstanding defense. Prior to facing Waseca, the Knights allowed opponents to only score a mind-blowing 24.25 points per game.

Said Conway, “To compete with a team of their caliber, we had to limit turnovers. We did not do that.”

Senior Kloe Wadd has usually been next to impossible to stop from scoring this year. Against the Knights, she only had six points. Fellow senior Sam Azure led the team with 10. Other contributors were Megan Kanewischer 6, Avery Madsen 5, Addie Wieseler 2, Mia Kanewischer 2, Ella Dufault 1, and Callie Dufault 1.

The loss broke their three-game undefeated streak.

 

Winona Holiday Classic

Waseca traveled to Winona State University for the Lewiston Auto Holiday Classic. It’s been a gathering of girls’ basketball teams that Waseca has enjoyed being a part of for a few seasons.

“We always look forward to traveling to Winona State,” Conway said. “It is a well run event on a great college floor.”

The first team the Lady Jays faced was Lewiston-Altura. The Cardinals hadn’t won a game at all this season prior to facing Waseca, and they didn’t get a win there either.

Both Waseca and Lewiston-Altura had their best defensive performance of the season against each other. But the Lady Jays did just enough to win 44-32.

Individually: Wadd, 16 points; Azure 11; Megan Kanewischer 9; Madsen 6; and Wieseler 2 points.

The game against the 4-2 Plainview-Elgin-Millville Bulldogs was more of the same. Defense was the name of the game. However, Waseca was on the losing end of a 47-33 contest. Azure led the team with 14 points scored, with Wadd contributing 8, Madsen 5, Megan Kanewischer 3, and Mia Kanewischer 3. 

Waseca’s record after the two losses is 4-2. The girls host New Ulm Jan. 6.