Champions in five divisions earned gold trophies at the 2026 State Girls Basketball Tournament on Saturday at the Resch Center.
Second-seeded Arrowhead (28-2) and top-seeded Wauwatosa East (29-1) locked into an instant classic in the Division 1 championship game to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the State Girls Basketball Tournament. The Warhawks defeated the Red Raiders 80-74 in double overtime.
Wauwatosa East led for much of the game but trailed 62-58 with 28 seconds remaining in regulation when Ellie Duprey tied the game for the Red Raiders with eight seconds left on the clock. She hit a 3-pointer and was fouled, completing a four-point play to send the game into overtime.
Nothing was decided in the first overtime, with each team scoring three points. In the second overtime, Natalie Kussow scored eight of her game-high 34 points to propel the Warhawks to the victory.
Kussow recorded a double-double with 34 points and 10 rebounds, and she also distributed six assists. Libby Gilmore added a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Sidney Zehner contributed 12 points and six assists.
The Red Raiders had five players score in double figures. Mikaia Litza led the way with 26 points to go with a team-high 10 rebounds and a game-high nine assists. Audrey Sellinger added 14 points, Duprey scored 12, and Emma Close and Ellie Pudelko each finished with 11.
Arrowhead defeated Pewaukee 72-49 in the semifinals to earn its berth in the championship game. In their 13th state appearance, the Warhawks won their second title in the past three seasons and their fourth overall.
Wauwatosa East, last year’s champion in Division 2, finished runner-up in its fifth state appearance. The Red Raiders advanced to the title game following a 62-58 victory over Notre Dame in the semifinals.
Whitefish Bay (26-4), the No. 2 seed, edged fourth-seeded Beaver Dam (23-7) 64-63 to claim the Division 2 title.
The Blue Dukes went on a 7-0 run at the end of an evenly played first half to take a 38-30 lead into halftime. A 9-0 run to start the second half appeared to put Whitefish Bay in position for a comfortable ride to the title. That’s when the Golden Beavers responded with a 22-4 run to take a 52-51 lead with 9:02 remaining.
With Beaver Dam leading 63-60 with 1:32 to play in regulation, Sage Miskel scored twice in the paint on successive possessions for the Blue Dukes to provide the margin of victory.
Miskel led Whitefish Bay with 18 points. Madaline Volpe added 12 points, and Rowan Counsell and Carrington Balthasar chipped in with 10 points apiece. Counsell also recorded a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds and added five assists.
The Golden Beavers were efficient from the 3-point arc, converting 9 of 13 attempts (.692). Joelee Drzonek went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and scored a game-high 19 points. Nataya Donaldson and Emma Julka also scored in double figures with 14 and 13 points, respectively. Donaldson also led the game with 13 rebounds, and Sheamarie Ashley handed out a game-high six assists.
Whitefish Bay defeated Elkhorn 78-42 in the semifinals to advance to the title game. The Blue Dukes won their first championship in eight state appearances.
Beaver Dam downed Rice Lake 70-58 in the semifinals and finished runner-up in its seventh state appearance.
Top-seeded Oostburg (30-0) rolled to its second consecutive Division 3 championship, defeating second-seeded Wisconsin Dells (29-1) 64-37 in the title game.
The Lady Dutch scored the first eight points of the game and led 12-1 before the Chiefs fought back to pull within a basket at 14-12 with an 11-2 run. Oostburg responded by building a double-digit lead for the remainder of the first half to take a 42-21 halftime advantage. The closest Wisconsin Dells would get in the second half was 18 points after a 3-pointer to start the scoring.
The Lady Dutch were led by the trio of Ketterhagen sisters. Ady Ketterhagen led the team in scoring and rebounds with 20 points and nine rebounds. Kinsley Ketterhagen contributed 14 points, six rebounds and a game-high five assists, and Riley Ketterhagen added 10 points and seven rebounds.
The Chiefs were led offensively by Jaz Alwin’s 20 points. Natalie Backhaus chipped in with seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds to go with a team-high four assists.
Oostburg defeated Mosinee 63-50 in the semifinals to advance to the championship game for the second straight year. The Lady Dutch won the program’s fifth title in their 12th state appearance. Wisconsin Dells beat Kettle Moraine Lutheran 77-71 in the semifinals to advance to the final, finishing runner-up in its second state appearance.
Top-seeded Neillsville (29-1) turned back third-seeded Albany/Monticello (27-3) 43-40 in the Division 4 title game to win the championship.
The Warriors withstood a late comeback attempt by the Space Stallions. Trailing by seven with one minute remaining, Albany/Monticello’s Heidi Olson drained a 3-pointer. Molly Olson then made a steal on the next Neillsville possession, and Annie Olson cut the deficit to one at 41-40 with another 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining. However, Madi Davel secured the title for the Warriors with a steal and two free throws in the final moments.
The Warriors held a significant 36-19 rebounding advantage, including a 16-0 edge in second-chance points. Eden Mang recorded a double-double for the Warriors with a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds. Braelyn Anding added 10 points, and Tessa Warren led all players with 14 rebounds for Neillsville.
Albany/Monticello featured a balanced scoring attack. Annie Olson led the team with nine points, and Emersen Butts, Molly Olson and Heidi Olson each added eight. Butts also handed out a game-high eight assists and recorded four steals.
Neillsville advanced to the championship game with a 58-31 victory over Lomira in the semifinals. The Warriors won their second championship in the program’s seventh state appearance.
Albany/Monticello finished runner-up in its second state appearance as a co-op program after advancing to the final with a 45-31 win over St. Mary Catholic in the semifinals.
Second-seeded Pacelli (25-4) cruised to the Division 5 championship with a 70-40 win over top-seeded Eleva-Strum (30-1) in a battle of Cardinal mascots.
Pacelli took a 4-3 lead at 16:32 in the first half and never relinquished it. Ahead 35-25 at halftime, Pacelli used a 13-0 run to extend its lead to 52-30 with 10:12 remaining and led by as many as 32 points in the second half.
Jaedyn Zdroik led Pacelli with a triple-double of 20 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists. The 19 rebounds tied a Division 5 record and the 10 assists set the division mark. Ella Van Order added 19 points, and Haylee Cisewski chipped in with 14 for the Cardinals, who out-rebounded Eleva-Strum 52-37 and outscored them 34-12 in the paint.
Eleva-Strum was led by Avery Glenz with 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Aliza Kulig also scored in double figures with 11 points and pulled down six rebounds.
Pacelli advanced to the championship game with a 49-40 win over Barneveld in the semifinals. The Cardinals won the school’s first championship in its first state tournament appearance.
Eleva-Strum defeated Fall River 70-54 in the semifinals to advance to the final. The Cardinals finished runner-up in their second state appearance.
