State Boys Basketball Preview: Division 2
Thursday, March 13th, 2014 -- 6:30 AM
The 99th Annual WIAA Boys Basketball State Championships get underway today thru Saturday at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Here's a preview of the Division 2 field..Friday, March 14
1:35 p.m. 2 West De Pere (20-4) vs. Wisconsin Lutheran (24-2)
2 Rice Lake (22-2) vs. Greendale (19-8) - will begin approximately 25 minutes following the previous game.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Last year?s runner-up Wisconsin Lutheran qualifies for the State Tournament for third time. The Vikings won the State championship in 2009. They rejoin the final field of four following a 57-43 win over Pewaukee in the Brookfield Central Sectional final. The Vikings are the champions of the Wisconsin Little Ten Conference this season. Rice Lake is making its eighth appearance in the State Tournament and the first since 2002 when the Warriors qualified in Division 1. They won the Division 2 State championship in 1993 and finished runner-up in 1961. They rolled over Rhinelander 72-49 in the Marshfield Sectional final to advance to the State semifinal. The Warriors are the champions of the Big Rivers Conference. Greendale has qualified for the State Tournament for the second time. The only other appearance resulted in a runner-up finish in 1995. The Panthers finished fifth in the West Division of the Woodland Conference this season and denied previously undefeated Mount Horeb a State berth with a 67-60 win in the final of the Sun Prairie Sectional. West De Pere is also making its second appearance at State; however, there may not be too many that may recall that experience back in 1933. They had a 2-2 record in that tournament, which included consolation rounds. The Phantoms finished second in the Bay Conference this season. They downed Port Washington 59-40 in the Manitowoc Lincoln Sectional final to return to the State Tournament for the first time in 81 years.
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