Game Report: Monona Grove 62, Edgewood 38

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEYS TO THE GAME</strong><br><br>Monona Grove took advantage of Edgewood turnovers in the first half and got a nice driving layup from senior Calen Woerth just before intermission to take a 22-18 lead into the locker room of Tuesday's WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal contest held in the Monona Grove gym. The Silver Eagles then stepped up their defense in the second half, using a combination of man-to-man and zone to keep Edgewood off balance. Offensively, Monona Grove scored off cuts to the basket and from three-point range in the second 18 minutes. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2140876' first='Austin' last='Luchetti'] was particularly effective for Monona Grove as he scored a game-high 16 points. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2415497' first='AJ' last='Nelson'] also had a strong outing for the winners as he used his athleticism and ability to get to the rim to score 15 points. Woerth did a nice job of running the MG offense and pitched in eight points. Edgewood got a team-best 11 points from promising freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2369866' first='AJ' last='Gnewuch']. <strong><br><br>STAR OF THE GAME</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2140876"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7f43c19802"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">An athletic, strong and aggressive combination forward, Luchetti has the ability to beat frontline opponents off the dribble in the paint, but he can also swish mid-range jump shots. Luchetti also has solid court vision and can find open teammates when double teamed near the basket. He finished with 16 points against Edgewood and also had several nice assists. Already a two-year varsity performer, Luchetti is one of the state's better collegiate prospects in the 2027 class due to his size, skill and athleticism. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>EMERGING PLAYERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2415497"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7f43c198b9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Nelson is an explosive wing who soars for rebounds, scores well near the hoop off of two feet, and can guard different positions. His versatility on defense along with his ability to outleap opponents in the paint were huge factors in Monona Grove's win over Edgewood. Nelson finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds as the Silver Eagles improved to 16-9 with the regional quarterfinal triumph.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2415933"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7f43c19941"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of five sophomores on the Monona Grove varsity roster, Thome came off the bench and provided the Silver Eagles with an offensive spark. He earned a trip to the foul line and cashed in on two charity tosses, scored twice off the bounce and also knocked down a three-point basket on the way to score nine points, one below his season best of 10 scored in a win at Middleton last month. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2369866"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-67c7f43c199c3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Gnewuch, like most freshman playing at the varsity level, had his ups and downs during the 2024-25 season. But his future looks exceptionally bright as he has the size, length, athelticism and skill to become an impact player on a consistent basis for Edgewood. He had 11 points on two three-point baskets, a mid-range pull-up jump shot, a contested dunk and a free throw against Monona Grove. As he continues to add strength and aggressiveness to his game, Gnewuch figures to become one of the elite players in the Badger Conference over the next three seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE BIG PICTURE</strong><br><br>Monona Grove takes a 16-9 record into its regional semifinal contest at Fort Atkinson on Friday. The Silver Eagles finished in fifth place in the Badger Large and lost twice in league play to Fort Atkinson, which tied Waunakee for the league title. Coach Dan Zweifel's squad certainly is very familiar with the personnel at Fort Atkinson, and figures to give the Blackhawks a tough tussle Friday. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Edgewood started two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior. It also played five underclassmen off the bench. The Crusaders' youth movement led to some difficult outcomes during the season as coach Kevin Schmotzer's squad finished 6-19. But there was improvement shown. After losing to Reedsburg, Baraboo and Sauk Prairie during the first round of play in the Badger Small Conference, Edgewood turned around and beat those three squads in February. <strong><br><br>BOXSCORE<br><br>Edgewood (18-20 = 38)</strong><br>West 9, Bagstad 6, Gnewuch 11, Clark 9, Oeth 0, Mitchell 0, Christensen 3, Rist 0, Jacques 0, Hannan 0, Breidel 0, Young 0, Faust 0, Wood 0, Morey 0. Three-point field goals: Gnewuch 2, Christensen 1. FT: 3-8. Fouled out: None. Record: 6-19.<br><strong>Monona Grove (22-40 = 62)</strong><br>T. Rodefeld 5, Connor 3, Woerth 8, Nelson 15, Luchetti 16, Thome 9, Meyer 4, Dean 0, A. Rodefeld 0, Schwab 0, Hunt 0, McKail 0, Hablewitz 0, Chynoweth 0, Leach 3. Three-point field goals: T. Rodefeld 1, Connor 1, Woerth 1, Thome 1. FT: 8-9. Fouled out: None. Record: 16-9.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->