The Spring Valley Cardinals won a nail biter against the Elk Mound Mounders in Spring Valley on Friday night by a score of 58-55. It was a huge win for the 10-3 Cardinals as they stayed perfect in the Dunn-St. Croix at 5-0 and pushed the 10-2 Mounders back a step to 4-2 in the conference.

The game started the way it finished: close. With Spring Valley down by one early at 6-5, Kaden Robelia came through from the top right corner for three and the lead.

By mid-period, the Mounders had regained the lead and were pushing to add on. Caleb Bartko was playing tight coverage, harassing the defender and trying to get the ball out of his hands, and he did just that, coming up with a timely steal to keep the deficit at 15-13.

Spring Valley capitalized on this, taking a 16-15 lead, and seconds later, Jameson Bauer added on three more from the left side of the perimeter.

The Cardinals made their way out to a 22-17 lead with the midpoint in the game approaching, when Cade Stasiek added on a no doubter from the top of the key for three more. Diego Schmitt stepped up next on defense, garnering a steal at midcourt; however, Spring Valley wasn’t able to do anything with it.

With the final seconds winding down in the first period, Elk Mound had pulled back within four, but Stasiek drained another three before time ran out. Thus, the Cardinals went into the half up by a half dozen at 30-24.

The Mounders made some changes during the break, outscoring the home team 10-6 coming into the second period and making it a one-score game once again. Stasiek broke up this streak, coming through in the clutch once again for the Cardinals, this time from deep beyond the arc for three more to make it 39-34.

The Mounders never said die, fighting for the win until the very end. Every time Spring Valley started to pull away, Elk Mound kept battling back. The Cardinals showed some real tenacity though, taking the victory, however slim, at 58-55.

The team shot well across the board while picking up 40 rebounds and 18 assists. Their defense also did some tremendous work on Elk Mound, limiting them to just 38% on field goals and 22% from the perimeter.

Bauer was the leading scorer on the game with 21 to go along with his seven rebounds, and Stasiek came in not far behind with 17. Stasiek nearly had a triple double as well, coming up just two assists shy at eight to pair with his 11 rebounds.

If there was one gripe they would like to improve, it would be getting to the line more. The Cardinals only had six total free throw attempts on the night. Head Coach Rob Bosshart says it was a very clean game with not a lot of fouls called on either team.

“Both teams were pretty aggressive offensively. It was a little surprising that there weren't more fouls, but both teams played well defensively,” Bosshart said. “The kids battled hard the entire 36 minutes. I thought they showed a lot of poise when Elk Mound closed the gap and tied the score late in the game. This group has been able to do that the last couple of years, and it shows a real sense of confidence in what they are doing.”

With first place on the line in their next game, Coach Bosshart says they know they have to play a solid game in order to give themselves a chance, but that “must win” is a bit strong at this point in the season.

“We're excited to play Durand simply because they are a really good team and it's another opportunity for us to grow,” Bosshart said. “This game counts the same as any other conference game, and we're not even through the first rotation of the conference schedule yet. I think whichever team executes better is going to win.” 

Next up for the 5-0, first-place Spring Valley Cardinals is the match of the season as they will host the 5-0 Durand-Arkansaw Panthers on Tuesday night. It may not be a “must win,” but after being locked into a tie all year, these two powerhouses going head-to-head is definitely “must see” basketball. Tip off is at 7:15 p.m.

Elmwood-Plum City

The Elmwood-Plum City Wolves defeated the Colfax Vikings by a score of 55-45 on Thursday in Plum City. It was the Wolves’ first conference victory of the year, as they hit a bit of a rough patch after starting the season playing .500 ball.

The game played close throughout the first period. Late in the half, Colfax had a three-point lead at 15-12, and they were looking to add on when Dylan Zeilinger came up with a steal that Lucas Glaus immediately turned into three points with a jump shot from well outside the top left of the perimeter to tie it up.

The Wolves got the ball back right away and made the Vikings pay with a Blake Allen three from the left corner for the lead 18-15. The period would end shortly thereafter, and Elmwood would go into the half in a one-score game at 20-17.

The second period is where EPC made their hay, adding on to the lead right away, pushing out to a 28-22 advantage. They were looking for more, too, after Glaus got an opportunistic takeaway by jumping in front of the Vikings pass and taking it to the hoop. He was fouled on the attempt, but he picked up another point from the line anyways.

Moments later, Glaus was back at it. While playing tight coverage from behind, he reached in, pushed the ball out and into the waiting hands of Aiden Maxwell.

The tough defense wasn’t over yet, either. After coming up with two points on the Maxwell steal, Allen came up with a brilliant steal of his own. As Colfax threw it in, Allen slid around the outside of the Vikings player, smoothly intercepted the ball mid-dribble and took it to the net.

After scoring just 20 points in the first half, the Wolves’ tough defense and improved shooting propelled them to a 35-point half and a nice victory over a conference rival, with a final score of 55-45. On the night, they racked up an impressive 43 rebounds to go with 10 assists and a handful of steals.

The player of the game was a tossup between Glaus, who was the leading scorer at 14 with eight rebounds, and Maxwell, who had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds while going 5-6 on field goals. Allen also had a nice night, scoring 13 and contributing in every category.

Head Coach Kyle Webb says the biggest key to this victory was being prepared mentally.

“We went into it knowing this was a winnable game and that we have to start seizing the opportunities while we have the chance. Our schedule is not going to get any easier as we progress through the season,” Webb said. “When we make our free throws, we win the closer games. Last Thursday was one of those days where we did not have that happening, but our defense and scoring around the basket on offense helped make up for that. We have to realize that this will not always be the case, though.”

On deck for the Wolves is a tough week on the road against two of the top teams in the conference. On Tuesday, they will travel to Elk Mound to play the second place Mounders, and then on Friday they go to Spring Valley to play the first-place Cardinals. Tip off for both of those games is at 7:15 p.m.