Xavier Head Coach Andy Vande Hey presents the silver trophy to his team.
A freshman took over the game and a couple of seniors finished it off as Edgewood Sacred Heart of Madison defeated Xavier 55-52 to win the W.I.A.A. Girls State Basketball Division 3 Championship at the Resch Center Saturday afternoon. It’s the second title in school history for Head Coach Lora Staveness and the Crusaders, the first coming back in 2017. For Xavier, it’s their second runner-up finish in three tries at state.
The game was tight until a late push at the end of the half by Xavier, culminating with a three point hit from Joy Krull with :39 seconds remaining giving the Hawks a 29-21 lead at intermission. They played in front most of the game, holding a 44-39 advantage with 8 and a half minutes to go.
That’s when Edgewood’s freshman star Anna Miller seized the game. She scored the Crusaders’ next 11 points, on drives, from beyond the arc and a couple of free throws that gave Edgewood a 50-49 lead with 2:44 remaining. Edgewood went five of six from the line in the final minute with seniors Lilly Moschkau and Taya Fernandez calmly knocking them down.
Carsyn Stempa buried a three from the corner as the buzzer sounded pulling Xavier to within the final margin. She finished with a team high 16 points while Elle Krull added 11. The Hawks finished the year 22-8.
Miller led Edgewood with 20 points, Erin Schauer added 14. The top seeds coming into the final four delivered a championship effort to finish the season 27-3.
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