Kewaunee and Denmark went punch-for-punch in a back-and-forth battle that rarely drifted outside a one-possession margin. Denmark held a 26-21 lead at halftime and pushed it to seven with a quick bucket out of the break, 28-21.

The Storm chipped away and finally broke through when Gabby Stangel finished in transition to give Kewaunee a 32-31 lead with 12 minutes left. From there, the lead swung back and forth, setting up a tight finish. It was tied again at 43 with four minutes to go before Denmark made the decisive push.

The Vikings held the ball for nearly 45 seconds on a late possession, eventually dumping it inside for a go-ahead layup they would never give back. On the next trip, a pass ahead to Shaelyn Kraschnewski led to a layup attempt and a foul, setting up a three-point play that extended Denmark’s lead to five.

Kewaunee couldn’t convert on its next few looks and was forced to foul. Denmark struggled at the line, going 1-for-6 across three trips, but it was just enough to stretch the lead to six.

Jadelynn Kroll drilled a three with 9.8 seconds left to pull the Storm within one possession. Another missed free throw opened the door for a potential game-tying shot, but the attempt in the final seconds was just a bit strong. Denmark hangs on to win the opener, 49-46, in a thriller.

Kewaunee is back in action at Oconto Falls on November 25th at 5:45 p.m.