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Parkview’s late rally falls just short against Belleville

BELLEVILLE — Jasmine Koch got the look she wanted—a three-pointer from the top right side of the arc.

It looked good out of the Orfordville Parkview senior guard’s hand. It looked good as it started to fall through the cylinder.

But it just didn’t drop.

Koch’s potential tying shot with five seconds left popped back out of the basket as fifth-ranked Belleville High turned back a furious rally by the seventh-ranked Vikings and held on for a thrilling 55-51 victory in a WIAA Division 3 regional semifinal girls basketball game Thursday night.

“I thought it was going in. I’m not going to lie,” said Koch, who saw Wildcats junior Quinn Rear grab the last rebound and make one of two foul shots with two-tenths of a second remaining for the last of her game-high 19 points.

“I guess I just didn’t get the bounce.”

As a result, Belleville (23-1) plays top-ranked Cuba City (24-0) in a regional title game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Monroe. The winner advances to a Thursday semifinal game at Janesville Craig in the Reedsburg Sectional.

Thursday’s matchup of top-10 teams looked lopsided for much of the night, with the host Wildcats using a 14-2 run in the second quarter to seemingly seize control.

Yet even staring at a 15-point deficit at 42-27 late in the third quarter, there still was confidence for Rock Valley South champion Parkview (19-3).

“We always stay strong. Our fourth quarter is our strongest quarter,” Koch said.

April Wellnitz, one of the Vikings’ four senior starters, had six points, and Koch added four to fuel a 14-0 surge that pulled Parkview within 44-43 with 3:42 to play.

With half of the near-sellout crowd going wild on every possession, the Wildcats didn’t relinquish the lead despite making just seven of 15 free throws in the final quarter.

“We got a little too comfortable,” said Belleville’s Kaitlyn Murphy, whose team has won 19 straight games. “But that’s why you play the whole game.”

The Vikings, who lost to Cuba City in a regional final last season, got within 49-48 when senior Becca Neal made one of two free throws with 1:27 left.

However, Murphy—one of four junior starters for Belleville—laid a shot in off the glass with 47 seconds left. She then grabbed the rebound after senior Jenna Larsen’s miss on the other end and made two free throws with 29 seconds to go to make it 53-48.

Parkview junior Stephanie Aasen scored the last of her team-high 15 points on a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining, but Koch’s shot from nearly the identical spot in the final seconds did everything but fall.

“I couldn’t be any prouder of these kids,” Parkview coach Tina Aasen said. “To be down like that, they dug down deep and they gutted it out.

“I screamed and hollered at some kids like I haven’t screamed at hollered in a long time. They know why I do it. They don’t take it personally. They know I’m just trying to get every little ounce out of them I can. And, tonight, I did. We just ran out of time.

“We had our chances; it just wasn’t meant to be for us tonight.”

BELLEVILLE 55, PARKVIEW 51

Parkview (51)—Neal, 1-2-5; Larsen, 4-0-8; Aasen, 7-0-15; Koch, 2-2-6; Wellnitz, 4-0-8; Harnack, 1-2-5; Ryan, 1-2-4. Totals: 20-9-51.

Belleville (55)—Freidig, 0-1-1; Kernen, 4-5-14; Rear, 6-4-19; Manion, 3-4-10; Murphy, 2-3-7; Ace 2-0-4. Totals: 17-17-55.

Parkview 12 11 8 20—51

Belleville 17 15 12 11—55

Three-point goals—Parkview 2 (Aasen, Harnack); Belleville 4 (Rear 3, Kernen 1). Free throws missed—Parkview 11, Belleville 13. Total fouls—Parkview 24, Belleville 19.