Pioneers to Host Vikings in Regional Semifinals

Sevastopol’s Naomi Rikkola (20) steals the ball from St. Thomas Aquinas’s Martha Anderson (right) as Jenna Maxwell (54) and Sevastopol’s Lyvia Duessler (back left) look on during Tuesday’s WIAA Division 5 regional quarterfinal at Sevastopol. Photo by Kevin Boneske.

The Sevastopol and Gibraltar girls basketball teams will face each other Friday for the third time this season after both teams won their WIAA Division 5 quarterfinal games on Tuesday night.

The No. 2-seeded Pioneers jumped out to a 38-7 halftime lead and shut out No. 15-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas in the final 18 minutes to win at home, 65-7.

Sevastopol, which led 20-0 before the Cavaliers’ Jenna Maxwell made a free throw with 9:27 left in the first half to snap the shutout, had its reserve players in the game for multiple minutes with eight players ending up with four or more points against St. Thomas Aquinas, which only suited up six players.

Naomi Rikkola and Katie Spude led the Pioneers with 12 points apiece.

Sevastopol, which entered the postseason as the Packerland Conference co-champion with Kewaunee, improved to 21-3 overall and will host No. 10-seeded Gibraltar in the regional semifinals Friday at 7 pm.

The Pioneers won the previous two games in conference play this season against the Vikings, 66-22 on Dec. 15 in Fish Creek and 80-31 on Feb 3 in Institute. The regional semifinal winner will advance to Saturday’s championship game against the winner of the other semifinal between No. 3-seeded Wabeno/Laona and No. 6-seeded Gillett, with the highest remaining seed hosting the title game.   

Vikings Down Badgers

Gibraltar headed to Niagara on Tuesday night and defeated the No. 7-seeded Badgers, 45-43.

The Vikings (11-14), who led 19-17 at halftime, had three players end up in double figures with Andie Schar tallying a game-high 15 points. McKailey Reisen added 12 points with Mikala Gorham scoring 10 more.