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WIAA D4: Benton 61, Blair-Taylor 49MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Junior Michael Droessler scored 14 points to help Benton to a 61-49 victory over Blair-Taylor on Friday in the WIAA Division 4 boys state basketball tournament semifinals. The Zephyrs will play the winner of the Wisconsin Rapids Assumption-St. Mary Central game in Saturday's championship game. Coach Jim Blaine didn't even have to look at the box score to tell the story. "I can't tell you who scored what, but I bet we had three guys in double figures," Blaine said after Friday's game. He was right. Along with Droessler's 14, freshman David Neis and sophomore Matt Savatski each scored 11 points. The game featured three ties and seven lead changes before Benton broke a 17-17 deadlock with a 15-1 run fueled by three straight 3-pointers that helped the team to a 39-23 lead at half. They were never threatened after that. Jordan Hendricks and Savatski hit 3-pointers in the run that brought the Wildcats out of their zone and into a man-to-man defense. Both scored nine points in the first half -- seven each in the closing five minutes of the second quarter. "We just started hitting shots," Hendricks said. "I think we were a little nervous in the first quarter, but then we settled down." Benton improved to 24-2, while Blair-Taylor finished its season at 23-3. Blair-Taylor was led by senior Jordan Tenneson, who finished with 17 points. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) |
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