Game Report: Brookfield East 100, Wauwatosa West 95

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>KEYS TO THE GAME</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brookfield East raced to an 8-0 lead as Wauwatosa West turned the ball over on its first five possessions. From that point, a large crowd on Parents Night in the Brookfield East gym settled in for a Friday night game they won't soon forget. Brookfield East's fast start set the tone for the Spartans, who welcomed back freshman point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2853467' first='Max' last='McMullen'] after the 6-foot-0 ball-handling wizard had missed several games with an injury. McMullen and senior backcourt teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2417513' first='Ronje' last='Horton Jr.'] were outstanding all game, and the dynamic duo helped the Spartans play from in front the entire second half after leading 45-40 at intermission. McMullen's unflappable play against a very talented opponent stood out as he made one big play after another while also tossing in 25 points. Horton finished with 27 points and also made important plays on both ends of the court. The heroics of McMullen and Horton, not to mention the 18 points from senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2492552' first='TJ' last='Platz'], were needed to overcome the hugely impressive performances of Wauwatosa West's two major stars -- [player_tooltip player_id='1561869' first='Matthew' last='Kloskey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2288469' first='Jalen' last='Brown']. Kloskey got downhill on his drives to the basket and finished with 44 points on 15 baskets and 14 free throws. Brown buried four straight triples late to help the Trojans make things interesting until the very end. Brown completed the game with 29 points, but he did miss seven foul shots. Wauwatosa West closed within four points during the closing minute, but the Trojans could get no closer and Brookfield East put the exclamation point on its big win with a breakaway dunk from McMullen in the final seconds. <br><br><strong>GAME MVP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2853467"],"_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-699008aec8ff7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ranked No. 1 among state players in the 2029 class by Prep Hoops Wisconsin, McMullen more than lived up to his lofty ranking for Brookfield East in its win over Wauwatosa West. The crafty, skilled, poised and instinctual lead guard scored 25 points and made some huge baskets late in the game. But what stood out even more was his mental maturity and gritty demeanor. He simply stood out in that regard more than others while playing against older players. There is room to grow in the next three-plus years for McMullen. But already he is a standout player at the varsity level in one of the state's most competitive conferences. </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":["1561869"],"_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-699008aec9092"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Green Bay is getting a relentless player who competes with as much energy and determination in the last five minutes of a game as he does in the first minutes of a contest. Kloskey poured in 44 points for Wauwatosa West and was virtually impossible to keep away from the basket due to his aggressive nature and physical strength. Once there, he was able to finish off the glass, above the rim and through contact. He also drew foul after foul on the Brookfield East defenders on the way to scoring14 of his points from the foul line. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2288469"],"_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-699008aec9107"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Brown seemed slightly off his game in the first half even though he did score nine points. But he caught fire in the second half and his electric long-distance shooting display in the final four minutes was something to behold. Seemingly sinking each three-point shot from further out of the court, Brown buried four straight triples to keep the outcome in doubt until the final horn sounded. Brown finished with 29 points and five three-point baskets for the Trojans. His combination of size, unselfishness, skill and penchant for making the big plays are major assets for Wauwatosa West, and all of those positive traits to his game figure to translate well to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2417513"],"_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-699008aec9172"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Horton's quickness presented some real problems for the Wauwatosa West defense as the speedy combo guard repeatedly got to the basket. He finished well against bigger defenders with his ability to use the rim as protection from shot blockers. He also swished three big three-point shots for the Spartans on the way to netting a team-best 27 points. Horton is one of the more improved players in the Greater Metro and his strong play this winter is a big reason why the Spartans are in first place in the league standings. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2492552"],"_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-699008aec91db"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Platz might not have been as flashy as McMullen, Kloskey, Brown and Horton, but without his solid contribution, Brookfield East would not have won the game. The smart senior wing finished with 18 points and made some key shots around the basket while also making three-of-four foul shots in the closing minute to help Brookfield East hold off a strong challenge from Wauwatosa West. A four-year varsity competitor, Platz plays with completeness on both ends of the court and is a player the Spartans need on the court in order to win close games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>THE BIG PICTURE</strong><br><br>Defending WIAA Division 2 state champion Wauwatosa West slipped to 15-5 overall and 9-4 in the Greater Metro, one game behind first-place Brookfield East in the loss column. The Trojans have three league games left and are favored to win them all, although Marquette, Sussex Hamilton and Menomonee Falls figure to put up strong battles against coach Chris Newbauer's club. Wauwatosa West also has a non-league game with another Division 2 power in Slinger. In order to win the league crown, though, Wauwatosa West will need some outside help. <br><br>Brookfield East moved to 17-4 overall and 11-3 in league outings. The Spartans lead Wauwatosa West, Brookfield Central and Germantown by one game in the loss column so coach Joe Rux's squad controls its destiny as it relates to winning the conference championship. Brookfield East has Greater Metro games left with rival Brookfield Central as well as last-place West Allis Hale. <strong><br><br>BOXSCORE<br><br>Wauwatosa West (40-55 = 95)</strong><br>Goggin 6, Hennings 2, Kloskey 44, Chambers 2, Brown 29, Long 8, Mangum 4, Kleist 0. Three-point field goals: Brown 5, Goggin 2, Long 1. FT: 18-32. Fouled out: Chambers. Record: 15-5. <br><strong>Brookfield East (45-55 = 100)</strong><br>Horton 27, McMullen 25, Sawall 3, Platz 20, Kooyenga 7, Dusick 0, Mantei 2, Counsell 5, Rortvedt 0, White 11. Three-point field goals: Horton 3, McMullen 1, Sawall 1, Platz 1, Kooyenga 1, Counsell 1. FT: 21-30. Fouled out: Kooyenga. Record: 17-4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->