The Sevastopol girls basketball team is just one win away from the Resch Center after beating Oneida Nation 45-28 in Manitowoc.

 

Both teams struggled to get their offenses going in both halves, but the Thunderhawks took advantage early in the opening period. They jumped out to a 7-1 lead as Mariah Cloud got to the hoop against a Pioneers team expecting the Thunderhawks to pour it in from beyond the arc. Three-pointers from Sadie Rikkola and Addison Schauske broke the dam open for the Pioneers, paving the way for Kayla Ranly to score 10 first-half points to guide the team to the locker room nursing a 28-13 advantage.

The Pioneers kept the Thunderhawks at bay thanks to defensive pressure up and down the court, including several steals from Naomi Rikkola and Ella Volkmann and strong rebounding efforts from Sienna Cain. The Thunderhawks eventually found their stroke from behind the arc late in the second half after being shut down from deep in the first half, but the Pioneers' lead was too much for them to overcome in the end.

Ranly led all scorers with 16 points, with Naomi Rikkola adding another 11 and Sadie Rikkola chipping in nine points for the Pioneers. Mariah Cloud led the Thunderhawks with seven points, all of which came in the first half, while Kamaben knocked down two three-pointers to contribute six points.

The Pioneers return to action on Saturday night when they face Assumption in Waupaca at 7 p.m. They dismantled Pacelli 61-43 in the other sectional semifinal hosted by Adams-Friendship. The Royals now stand at 26-1 and are looking for their third trip to state since the 2020-2021 season, where they won the Division 5 championship against Three Lakes/Phelps. The Pioneers' win on Thursday marked the furthest they have gone in the tournament since the mid-1980s.