Game Report: Oshkosh North 85, Fond du Lac 80

KEYS TO THE GAME The chase-and-foul game over the final two minutes of Thursday's Fox Valley Association game between visiting Oshkosh North and Fond du Lac almost worked for the host Cardinals. Trailing by double digits late, Fond du Lac got a heroic performance from senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1485496' first='Eli' last='Zimmerman'], who made three triples -- one from 30 feet with a defender in his face -- and three straight free throws after being fouled taking a three. Zimmerman and Co. managed to cut a 79-74 deficit with 38 seconds left to just 81-80 with 22 ticks left. But junior [player_tooltip player_id='2784342' first='Jackson' last='Anderson'] swished two foul shots for Oshkosh North to make it 83-80 and Zimmerman's three bounced off the back of the rim, allowing the Spartans to hang on for an important 85-80 triumph. The loss put Fond du Lac one game behind Kaukauna in the FVA standings. Kaukauna plays Kimberly tonight and then hosts Fond du Lac next Thursday. For Oshkosh North, the victory avenged an earlier 75-68 loss to Fond du Lac and improved its season record to 14-9. Moreover, the Spartans' impressive length and overall size figures to be a big issue for opponents in the WIAA playoffs, particularly with junior [player_tooltip player_id='1973116' first='Bryce' last='Ott'] (6-7) now back in the lineup after missing much of the season with an injury. Oshkosh North led 38-32 at half thanks to late scoring spree and then led the entire second half, thanks in large part to the outstanding play of senior forward and Iowa State recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1282617' first='Xzavion' last='Mitchell'] (6-6), who scored 27 of game-high 40 points after intermission. STAR OF THE GAME    There was simply no stopping Mitchell in the second half as he put up 27 of game-best 40 points to help Oshkosh North play from in front the entire half. Mitchell's smooth moves along the baseline and in the lane were no match for the Fond du Lac defenders, who had done a good job in the first 18 minutes of limiting his touches and crowding him when he put the ball on the floor. In addition to repeatedly scoring around the basket, Mitchell also drew numerous fouls and made 12-of-14 foul attempts. The two plays who guard Mitchell the most during the contest -- seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2402477' first='Eli' last='Braatz'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2402482' first='Travion' last='Pate'] -- both fouled out for Fond du Lac. Mitchell is one of six finalists for the Mr. Basketball award, and the performance of the Iowa State recruit against an outstanding Fond du Lac team most certainly will help his cause and he approaches the fourth period of what has been nothing short of a sensational high school career.    EMERGING PLAYERS    While Mitchell was doing the majority of his damage in the second half, Haslett did the same for Fond du Lac in the first 18 minutes of Thursday's entertaining contest. The lanky senior wing guard scored 20 of his 30 points in the first half as he got to the basket with his quick first step and was able to finish with his length and shiftiness. Haslett finished with 30 points and was able to get his feet set from three-point range and bury three triples. He also scored at the rim and from the foul line, making seven-of-eight tries. Haslett plans to play basketball at the next level, but he remains undecided about which school he will attend. He has had an outstanding season, one that could very well earn him a spot on the all-FVA first team.     Zimmerman put on a memorable long-distance shooting performance near the end of the contest that thrilled the large gathering inside the Fondy gym. He made five triples, including three in the closing minutes while being heavily guarded. He also drew a foul while attempting a three and made all three foul shots. A four-year varsity performer and rock-steady point guard for coach Nick Ford at Fond du Lac, Zimmerman finished the game with 20 points. His shooting at the end is what most will remember, but his poised play throughout the game helped the Cardinals remain close to Oshkosh North for the duration of the contest. Zimmerman, who leads the Cardinals with 49 made triples in 23 contests, plans to attend the University of Wisconsin in the fall and major in engineering.     Anderson loves competing with Fond du Lac as two of his better games this season have come against the Cardinals. The first time around, the feisty lead guard scored a career-high 15 points while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists in a 75-68 loss on the Spartans' home court. Last night, Anderson scored 13 point and made some crucial foul shots in the final minute of the game to help Oshkosh North hold off charging Fond du Lac. Anderson might not be a big scorer -- he's averaging 5.4 ppg -- but his floor presence, ball handling and passing are all vital to the success of coach Brad Weber's squad.     Playing in just his sixth game of the season after sitting out 17 while recovering from an injury sustained during the football season last fall, Ott continues to round into shape for Oshkosh North. And that is a very good thing for the Spartans as Ott is a talented player with excellent size, length and versatility. He can guard different positions, score and rebound with his size and verticality, and score when called upon. He finished with nine points against Fond du Lac and gave his team some extra opportunities with some big offensive rebounds. Ott is one of the better prospects in the state's 2027 class and it's good to see him back on the court after missing so many games. And, make no mistake, having Ott back in the lineup makes Oshkosh North an extremely dangerous team heading into the WIAA playoffs.    THE BIG PICTURE Oshkosh North has a FVA game with invading Appleton West next Thursday and then turns its attention to the post season. This is a team with tremendous length -- Ott (6-7), [player_tooltip player_id='2397160' first='Stefan' last='Stojilovic'] (6-7), [player_tooltip player_id='2498969' first='Owen' last='Weber'] (6-7) and Mitchell 96-6) all play big minutes -- and one with a true difference maker in Mitchell. The Spartans own wins over Neenah, Kimberly, Hortonville and Fond du Lac since Ott's return to the lineup and that definitely will catch the attention of opponents in Sectional 2. Fond du Lac, which also competes in Sectional 2, can still get a share of the FVA title by beating Kaukauna next Thursday in Kaukauna. The Cardinals are another dangerous team because they defend with purpose and have a couple of very physical players on that end of the floor in Braatz and Pate. Fondy also shoots the ball well with Zimmerman, Haslett and promising sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2784458' first='Zavion' last='Davis'] all capable shooters from deep. Depth is an issue and so is the lack of a true post player. Still, Fond du Lac can beat almost any other team in the sectional if it gets hot with its perimeter shooting. BOXSCORE Oshkosh North (38-37 = 85) Mitchell 40, Ott 9, Anderson 13, Stojilovic 3, Coleman 7, Weber 6, Clark 0, Lister 7. Three-point field goals: Weber 1, Coleman 1, Lister 1, Stojilovic 1. FT: 27-38. Fouled out: Ott. Record: 14-9. Fond du Lac (32-38 = 80) Davis 11, Zimmerman 20, Pate 6, Haslett 30, Braatz 5, Streblow 0, Johnson 8, Brenner 0. Three-point field goals: Zimmerman 5, Haslett 3, Davis 2, Johnson 1, Braatz 1. FT: 16-24. Fouled out: Davis, Pate, Braatz. Record: 17-6.

KEYS TO THE GAME

The chase-and-foul game over the final two minutes of Thursday's Fox Valley Association game between visiting Oshkosh North and Fond du Lac almost worked for the host Cardinals. Trailing by double digits late, Fond du Lac got a heroic performance from senior point guard Eli Zimmerman Eli Zimmerman 5'10" | PG Fond Du Lac | 2025 State WI , who made three triples -- one from 30 feet with a defender in his face -- and three straight free throws after being fouled taking a three. Zimmerman and Co. managed to cut a 79-74 deficit with 38 seconds left to just 81-80 with 22 ticks left. But junior Jackson Anderson Jackson Anderson 6'0" | PG Oshkosh North | 2026 State WI swished two foul shots for Oshkosh North to make it 83-80 and Zimmerman's three bounced off the back of the rim, allowing the Spartans to hang on for an important 85-80 triumph. The loss put Fond du Lac one game behind Kaukauna in the FVA standings. Kaukauna plays Kimberly tonight and then hosts Fond du Lac next Thursday. For Oshkosh North, the victory avenged an earlier 75-68 loss to Fond du Lac and improved its season record to 14-9. Moreover, the Spartans' impressive length and overall size figures to be a big issue for opponents in the WIAA playoffs, particularly with junior Bryce Ott Bryce Ott 6'7" | SF Oshkosh North | 2026 State WI (6-7) now back in the lineup after missing much of the season with an injury. Oshkosh North led 38-32 at half thanks to late scoring spree and then led the entire second half, thanks in large part to the outstanding play of senior forward and Iowa State recruit Xzavion Mitchell Xzavion Mitchell 6'7" | SF Oshkosh North | 2025 State #119 Nation WI (6-6), who scored 27 of game-high 40 points after intermission.

STAR OF THE GAME