Two of the best high school girls’ basketball teams in the state square off Saturday night in Manitowoc as the undefeated Manitowoc Lutheran Lancers, ranked third in the wissports.net Division Four Coaches poll, host the 8 and 2 Sheboygan Falls Falcons, ranked eighth in Division Three.
The 9-0 Lancers love to play “up-tempo,” using a 1-3-1 full-court zone press to force turnovers and score off opponent’s mistakes, along with getting out and running off-made baskets to take advantage of their depth and athleticism.
The Lancers have three girls averaging double figures in scoring, led by senior “G” Ermis at nearly 16-and-a-half points per game. Ermis also leads the Lancers in assists per game, shoots nearly 42 percent from three-point range and nearly 72 percent from the line.
Junior Marissa Melhorn averages better than 14 points per game, and senior Makiah Krause scores about 11 points per game.
Sheboygan Falls, on the other hand, is just the opposite.
Although they can get out in transition, they’d prefer to slow it down and play a half-court game to take advantage of their height and strength.
6-foot-three-inch senior Addison Schliewe leads Sheboygan Falls and the Eastern Wisconsin Conference in scoring at nearly 15 points per game and in rebounding at better than 11 boards per contest.
Game time is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Lancer Circle.
Elsewhere in girls’ hoops, Manitowoc Lincoln has a 3:30 p.m. tip at Kettle Moraine, Sevastopol hosts Green Bay NEW Lutheran where Pioneers senior Naomi Rikkola needs six points to become Sevastopol’s all-time leading scorer, which would break the record of 1,324 points, held by Michelle Bushman-Shinkton, which has stood since 1992.
Game time is 2:00 p.m.
Other 2:00 p.m. starts have Kewaunee at Southern Door, Gibraltar at Sturgeon Bay and Oconto at Peshtigo.
At 3:30 p.m., Oshkosh West is at Divine Savior Holy Angels in Milwaukee. West De Pere hosts Lakeland (Minocqua) at 11:00 a.m., and at 7:15 p.m., Stevens Point hosts Appleton West.
In boys’ basketball, Roncalli, ranked ninth in the wissports.net Division Four Coaches poll, takes a 6 and 1 record to Wrightstown to meet The Tigers. Game time is 4:00 p.m.
At 1:00 p.m., Mishicot travels to Suring, Xavier of Appleton hosts Campbellsport, and at 5:30 p.m., Sheboygan Falls hosts Little Chute.
