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Memorial pulls even with East

After almost a season-long battle to get back into the Big Eight boys basketball title race, Madison Memorial has returned to the top.

Memorial’s six-time defending champions throttled Madison La Follette, 80-55, Tuesday night and took advantage of Verona’s victory over Madison East to tie the Purgolders for first place at 12-2.

The fourth-ranked Spartans (15-3) jumped to 19-11 first-quarter lead over visiting La Follette (8-10, 6-8) and were in control the rest of the way.

Jamar Morris led Memorial’s defending WIAA Division 1 state champions with 17 points. Vander Blue and Junior Lomomba each added 11, while Tre Burnette scored 10.

Jaren Singh scored 16 points, and teammate John Dybevik added 15 for the Lancers.

MEMORIAL 80, LA FOLLETTE 55

La Follette (55)—Smith 1-0-2; Dybevik, 5-2-15; Hakim, 0-2-2; Morgan 0-1-1; Hunter, 1-0-2; Henley, 2-1-6; Carlson, 3-0-7; Flood, 2-0-4; Singh, 6-3-16. Totals: 20-9-55.

Memorial (80)—Ortiz, 1-0-3; Fredrick, 2-0-4; Nkemji, 0-2-2; Chamberlain, 2-1-5; Burnette, 3-3-10; Olson, 1-0-2; Creamer, 3-2-9; Blue, 5-1-11; Lamomba, 4-3-11; Morris, 7-3-17; Charch, 1-0-2; Kluener, 2-0-4. Totals: 31-15-80.

Madison La Follette 11 15 11 18—55

Madison Memorial 19 18 15 28—80

Three-point goals—La Follette 6 (Dybevik 3, Henley, Carlson, Singh). Memor 3 (Ortiz, Burnette, Creamer). Free throws missed—La Follette 6, Memorial 11. Total fouls—La Follette 21, Memorial 17. Fouled out—Morgan, Henley, Singh.

--n Verona 52, East 49—Verona (12-6, 9-5) used a 19-14 surge in the fourth quarter to knock off second-ranked Madison East (15-2, 12-2) on the Purgolders’ court.

In avenging last month’s bitter 52-45 loss, the Wildcats forced East to share the Big Eight lead with Madison Memorial, which had fallen two games behind the Purgolders a month ago. East still has to play Memorial in a regular-season finale.

Sam Karls and Matt Ropel led Verona past the Purgolders with 19 and 14 points, respectively. Klayton Brandt also had 10 as the Wildcats offset 14-point performances by East’s s Marquis Mason, Nimrod Hilliard IV and Marcel Terry.

VERONA 52, EAST 49

Verona (52)—Wadzinski, 4; Ray, 2; Peterson, 2; Karls, 19; Ropel, 14; Brandt, 10; Burns, 1. Totals: 20-11-52.

East (49)—McAdams, 6; Terry, 14; Mason, 14; Hilliard IV, 14; Bell, 1. Totals: 17-12-49.

Verona 13 12 8 19—52

Madison East 15 10 10 14—49

Three-point goals—Verona 1 (Ropel), East 3 (Hillard IV 2, Mason). Free throws missed—Verona 4, East 2. Total fouls—Verona 14, East 20.