Hillsboro fell just short in their quest for a boys basketball state championship on Saturday ,losing 56-50 to Milwaukee Young Coggs Prep in the D-5 State title game at the Kohl Center in a matchup of teams at the State Tournament for the first time. Hillsboro trailed 14-10 after one period and after trailing by eight in the second period, battled back to within four at halftime at 26-22. The Eagles from Milwaukee threatened to blow the game open in the third period, building the lead to 12 at one point but Hillsboro again rallied and closed the gap to three on two different occasions in the final four minutes. The Coggs though scored the game’s final three points as the inner city private school from Milwaukee celebrates a State title in just their sixth year in the WIAA. The Eagles lost their point guard Jontae Peterson to an ankle injury in the first period but they still prevail with Tiwon Jones scoring 24 points including 14 of 21 at the foul line and DeAngelo Crawford added 20 points including a 12 of 15 effort at the foul line. Free throw shooting was a huge storyline as the Eagles made 28 of 45 free throw attempts with the 45 attempts the second most in any State Tournament game in any division with the 28 makes the fourth most by any State Tournament ever. Hillsboro was whistled for 29 fouls compared to 16 for the Eagles with Hillsboro 11 of 15 at the foul line with Max Stockwell the only Hillsboro player to go to the foul line. Hillsboro also committed 20 turnovers in the contest which made the comeback bid that much more difficult. Stockwell scored a season high 28 points for the Tigers with 2 rebounds as well but no other Tigers player scored more than six as Hillsboro takes home the silver ball in D-5, finishing with a final record of 23-6. Hillsboro joins Royall in 2010 as the only teams representing the Scenic Bluffs Conference at the timeto qualify for the boys State Basketball Tournament. Milwaukee Young Coggs Prep finishes a State championship season at 21-5 overall.
Whitefish Bay Dominican wins their 4th straight D-4 State title, led by Diamond Stone, 75-49 over previously unbeaten Mineral Point.
Brown Deer is a repeat champion in D-3 after downing Appleton Xavier 74-60 in the final
Mount Horeb is the D-2 champion after winning 58-46 over Rice Lake in the title game with Rice Lake missing the services of the co-winner of the Mr Basketball award Henry Ellenson who was out with a hand injury.
Stevens Point denies Germantown a fourth straight D-1 title with an extremely impressive 67-51 win in Saturday night’s final.