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Comets suffer last-second shocker

SUN PRAIRIE — “Big Bird” hit the big shot.

Austin Arians, otherwise known as “Big Bird” to his Madison Edgewood High School teammates, delivered just in time.

The sophomore forward got his three-point attempt to fall after first hitting the front of the rim and then falling though with four-tenths of a second remaining to end Delavan-Darien’s season with the stunning 53-52 victory for the Crusaders in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal boys basketball game here Friday night.

“I couldn’t make anything all night. So when that one went in, I was just thankful,” said Arians, who survived a crush of teammates and students after completing the Crusaders 8-0 closing run in the final 57 seconds.

“I was just glad it went in. I didn’t think it was going in when it hit the front rim and went up super-high, but then it got a few more bounces, which put it in.”

And bounced the Comets from the tournament.

Edgewood (16-9) will play Sauk Prairie (20-6), a 62-39 winner over Mount Horeb, at 7 tonight at Waunakee for the sectional title and a berth in next week’s state tournament.

“That was the definition of a heartbreaker,” Delavan-Darien coach Bob Beighton said. “We just couldn’t get control of the ball, and they dug it out.”

Until the final minute, the Comets (15-10) seemed to have the game tucked away after using a 10-1 run to start the fourth quarter for a 45-38 lead.

Utilizing a stall to run down the clock and making 11 of 13 free throws, Delavan-Darien led 52-45 after Tyler Butke’s free throw with 57 seconds left.

Arians hit the second of his three three-pointers in the final 1:37 to start the Edgewood rally. Christiaan Wabers added a rebound putback after Delavan-Darien missed two free throws as the Crusaders pulled within 52-50 with 25 seconds left.

The Comets followed with a turnover to set up Arias game-winner.

“It hurts,” Butke said. “I had a bad pass there at the end that we could have used.”

Arians missed his first attempt, but Scott Hird tipped the rebound in front of the Edgewood bench, where Connor Balczewski dug out the rebound and found Arians at the top of the key for the game-winner.

Four-tenths of a second were put back on the clock after Arians’ three-pointer, but Joshua Cesarz’s long in-bound pass was intercepted by Brock Pavlik to cap off the wild finish.

“We just hung with it and got a couple possessions at the end and got some shots to fall,” Edgewood coach Chris Zwettler said. “I guess the story with Austin is shoot until you get hot.”

Arians was 3-for-15 on field-goal attempts before making five of his eight fourth quarter shots. He scored 14 of Edgewood’s 16 points over the final eight minutes to finish with 20 points.

Butke led the Comets with 20 points, with eight in the fourth quarter, while Justin Fowlkes added 16 and Marcus McLin finished with 10.

“We couldn’t finish it,” Butke said.

EDGEWOOD 53, DELAVAN-DARIEN 52

Edgewood (53)—Hird, 1-0-2; Armwald, 1-0-2; Balczewski, 1-2-4; Brink, 7-1-17; Pavlik, 2-0-5; Arians, 8-1-20; Wabers, 1-1-3. Totals: 21-5-53.

Delavan-Darien (52)—Fowlkes, 5-4-16; Cesarz, 1-2-4; Osborne, 1-0-2; McLin, 4-2-10; Butke, 8-4-20. Totals: 19-12-52.

Madison Edgewood 11 14 12 16—53

Delavan-Darien 16 9 10 17—52

Three-point goals—Edgewood 6 (Arians 3, Brink, Pavlik), Delavan-Darien 2 (Fowlkes). Free throws missed—Edgewood 3, Delavan-Darien 5. Total fouls—Edgewood 18, Delavan-Darien 10.

n Sauk Prairie 62, Mount Horeb 39—Sam Koenig scored 14 points, and Travis Breunig added 13 as Sauk Prairie (20-6) advanced to the sectional final tonight against Madison Edgewood.

Mount Horeb finished 14-12.

SAUK PRAIRIE 62, MOUNT HOREB 39

Sauk Prairie (62)—Carden, 8; Sullivan, 6; Fuchs, 4; Walch, 2; Peters, 2; Kuenster, 2; Koenig, 14; Breunig, 13; Rudig, 11. Totals: 23-10-62.

Mount Horeb (39)—Webber, 7; Clark, 7; Fredrick, 5; Payne, 4; Colonero, 4; Fargo, 3; Tucker, 3; Forget, 2; Johnson, 2; Wolonec, 2. Totals: 13-9-39.

Mount Horeb 4 10 14 11—39

Sauk Prairie 15 10 19 18—62

Three-point goals—Sauk Prairie 6 (Carden 2, Koenig 2, Breunig, Rudig), Mount Horeb 4 (Clark, Fredrick, Fargo, Tucker). Free throws missed—Sauk Prairie 1, Mount Horeb 10. Total fouls—Mount Horeb 13, Sauk Prairie 20.