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Parkview edges Brodhead in OT

ORFORDVILLE — After a narrow loss to Orfordville Parkview early in the season, Brodhead High’s goal for the rest of the Rock Valley South girls basketball race is pretty clear.

“We can’t lose,” Brodhead coach Chris Medenwaldt said. “It’s that simple; we can’t lose.”

Parkview, on the other hand, has the luxury of an early edge over the Cardinals, thanks to its 36-34 overtime win over Brodhead in a matchup of the conference’s defending co-champions here Tuesday night.

The Vikings improved to 4-0 for the season and remained tied with Walworth Big Foot at 2-0 in the Rock Valley South by winning the heated battle between the nearby archrivals, which are separated by just seven miles of highway.

“This is a huge win for us,” said junior Jenna Larsen, who led Parkview with nine points. “Last year, Brodhead was our biggest competition, and this year we knew it was going to be the same way.”

The Cardinals (1-2, 1-1) took an early lead and kept it until the midway through the third quarter, but the Vikings battled back to a 34-34 tie by the end of regulation.

Brodhead’s 20-16 advantage at halftime came with the help of three three-point goals and a 5-for-6 shooting on free throws.

However, Parkview’s disciplined defense held Brodhead to only three field goals in the second half, two from behind the three-point line.

“I didn’t think we made shots all game,” Mendenwaldt said. “Defensively, we probably had a better game in the first half than the second, but we just weren’t making shots.

“We didn’t knock them down, and the girls know it. We can’t go and win games shooting the way we are from the perimeter.”

Meanwhile, with its defense clicking, Parkview closed with 18 points in the second half—all coming on field goals. Six players connected for the Vikings, capped by a jumper from the lane by sophomore Stephanie Aasen with 20 seconds left to force the overtime.

“We weren’t getting any offensive rebounds,” Parkview coach Tina Aasen said of the first half. “And turnovers really hurt us, but I told the kids that they just have to suck it up, and the second half is ours. We pulled it off.”

Brodhead’s five fouls in overtime kept the Vikings at the line long enough to hit two free throws to finish out the game.

“I think our defense flustered them a little bit,” Tina Aasen said. “That front and back coverage really cut down on their ability to play their game.”

Brodhead’s standout post combo of Kristen Ruchti and Dana Lewis was held to six points from the field, all of which came in the first half. Ruchti finished with nine points, and Lewis had three, but it wasn’t enough to save the Cardinals.

“That really hurt us,” Brodhead senior guard Alyssa Harding said. “They double-teamed our post, and that’s what we run off of—our post play.”

So with the middle of the court clogged, Brodhead moved to the perimeter but couldn’t get anything to fall.

“We shot a lot, and nothing was going in,” Harding said. “We didn’t know how to come back.”

Still, with Ruchti going 5-for-7 from the line, Brodhead stayed close by finishing 11-for-13 on free throws to Parkview’s 5-for-13. But the Vikings had the final edge where it mattered most—on the scoreboard.

PARKVIEW 36, BRODHEAD 34

Brodhead (34)—Ruchti, 2-5-9; Heller, 2-0-6; Mielke, 1-0-3; Harding, 2-3-8; Hegl, 1-2-5; Lewis, 1-1-3; Totals: 9-11-34.

Parkview (36)—Danielson, 1-0-2; Harnack, 1-0-3; Suiter, 1-0-2; Larsen, 2-4-9; Aasen, 3-0-6; Koch, 3-0-6; Oldenburg, 1-0-3; Wellnitz, 2-1-5. Totals: 14-5-36.

Brodhead 9 11 7 7 0—34

Orfordville Parkview 5 11 9 9 2—36

Three-point goals—Brodhead 5 (Heller 2, Mielke, Harding, Lewis), Parkview 3 (Oldenburg, Larsen, Harnack). Free throws missed—Brodhead 2, Parkview 8. Total fouls—Brodhead 15, Parkview 12.