Wisconsin vs. Illinois Border Battle results/standouts

The eighth annual Wisconsin vs. Illinois Border Battle was held Saturday at The Prairie School in Racine with each state winning four games. Following are recaps of each of the eight contests: GAME ONE Prospect (IL) 68, Milwaukee South Division (WI) 54 After a 31-31 deadlock at intermission, Prospect made foul shots and three-point baskets in the second half to post its 10th win of the season. Four players scored in double figures for Prospect, which made 13 three-point baskets in the game. [player_tooltip player_id='3361185' first='Will' last='Stratigos'] had four triples and 14 points for Prospect while Anderson Neach added 12 points and three triples. [player_tooltip player_id='2082362' first='Kaiden' last='Simpson'] had a big game for South Division with 31 points before fouling out late in the contest as the Cardinals slipped to 6-9 on the campaign.   GAME MVP    This is a player college programs will want to dig into. An under-the-radar performer, Simpson plays with size, athleticism, skill and purpose. He is a sight to behold on drives to the basket due to his elevation and size/length. He had 31 points for South Division against Prospect and scored from outside the arc with four triples while also getting to the rim and completing plays. He made five-of-six shots from the foul line as well for the Cardinals. Simpson has a college-ready frame/physique and the skills to match. Definitely a player to watch now and into the future.    BOXSCORE Milwaukee South (31-23 = 54) Thorpe 11, Simpson 31, Jackson 6, Johnson 3, Burton 0, Rash 3, Flores 0. Three-point field goals: Simpson 4, Thorpe 1, Rash 1, Johnson 1. FT: 9-11. Fouled out: Simpson. Record: 6-9. Prospect (31-37 = 68) Tucker 11, Nellis 2, Neach 13, Stratigos 14, Simon 8, Zinzer 11, Aleksic 3, Gerdes 0, Kemp 0, Fack 3, Christopulos 3. Three-point field goals: Stratigos 4, Neach 3, Zinzer 3, Tucker 2, Fack 1. FT: 7-12. Fouled out: None. Record: 10-13. GAME TWO Oak Creek (WI) 75, Buffalo Grove (IL) 69 Oak Creek rallied from an early deficit to notch an impressive non-league win over Buffalo Grove. Underclassmen played a huge role in the Knights' win as junior sharpshooter [player_tooltip player_id='2140987' first='Tyson' last='Busch'] finished with 27 points and drilled six three-point baskets, including a huge one late in the game when the Bison were making a run. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2504214' first='Ja'Quan' last='Turner'] added 19 points for Oak Creek, which now is 9-8 under coach Eric Hollow. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2561077' first='Coleton' last='Brukwitzki'] contributed eight points for Oak Creek while talented junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2323618' first='Alex' last='Sirbu'] had 24 points for Buffalo Grove, now 11-15. Also impressive for Buffalo Grove was the play of gritty sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2411146' first='Edwin' last='Karnauchovas'], who scored 29 points and drilled five three-point baskets. GAME MVPs    When Busch gets his feet set and lets fly with a three-point shot, it's a surprise when it doesn't go in. He has become an elite shooter due to his hard work and dedication to the game. He scored 27 points for Oak Creek in a very competitive contest against a good Buffalo Grove squad. Busch made six triples in the game and swished all five of his foul shots. He does a good job of searching for openings in the defense and it doesn't take long for him to spot up and shoot from deep. Busch competes with passion and a strong understanding of the game, traits that have served Oak Creek very well this season.     One of the better class of 2027 prospects in Illinois, Sirbu has filled out some over the past 12 months and has become a dependable low-post scorer for coach Kevin Geldon and the Bison of Buffalo Grove. Sirbu runs the floor well, posts with purpose and strength with his back to the basket, and does a nice job of using the glass to bank in short shots in the lane. He had 24 points and made six of his foul shots for Buffalo Grove in its narrow loss to Oak Creek at the Wisconsin vs. Illinois Border Battle.    BOXSCORE Oak Creek (37-38 = 75) Hanson 2, Carini 12, Turner 19, Busch 27, Brukwitzki 8, Peterburs 3, Botsch 0, Masoad 4. Three-point field goals: Busch 6, Turner 3, Carini 2, Peterburs 1. FT: 11-14. Fouled out: None. Record: 9-8. Buffalo Grove (28-41 = 69) Karnauchovas 29, Sirbu 24, Oldenburg 2, Ronczkowski 4, Freheit 0, Pattis 3, Kim 3, Fajardo 4, Wright 0, Hong 0. Three-point field goals: Karnauchovas 5, Pattis 1, Kim 1. FT: 8-9. Fouled out: None. Record: 11-15.   GAME THREE New Berlin West (WI) 69, Niles North (IL) 50 New Berlin West continues to improve as a team and was very impressive in its win over a solid Niles North squad. Coach Scott Cook's squad led 40-33 at intermission and then outscored Niles North 29-17 in the second half to secure its 15th win against just two losses. [player_tooltip player_id='2371703' first='Jayce' last='Cook'] had 26 points and did most of the heavy lifting for New Berlin West in the first half when the Vikings established control of the contest. Stevens Point recruit [player_tooltip player_id='1874970' first='Evan' last='Kern'] contributed 20 points and played a very strong all-around floor game for New Berlin West while versatile senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2381809' first='Elijah' last='Gammage'] added 14 points. [player_tooltip player_id='2875733' first='Osman' last='Khan'] led Niles North with 16 points but his team slipped to 18-7 on the season. GAME MVP    A shooting guard with great distance with his jumper, Cook does a nice job of getting his shot off quickly. It might look a bit funky because of its low release, but his shot normally finds the bottom of the net. Cook had 26 points and scored at all three levels for New Berlin West in its win over Niles North. He is quick enough and strong enough off the dribble to get to the basket and finish. And, of course, if you play off of him, he will drill shot after shot from beyond the arc. A gym rate who loves to compete, Cook is ranked among the top 30 prospects in Wisconsin's super talented 2027 class by Prep Hoops Wisconsin.    BOXSCORE New Berlin West (40-29 = 69) Cook 26, Hewitt 2, Kern 20, Krueger 4, Gammage 14, Krajcir 1, Susek 0, Casto 2. Three-point field goals: Kern 4, Cook 3. FT: 8-14. Fouled out: None. Record: 15-2. Niles North (33-17 = 50) D'andrea 8, Punzal 6, Khan 16, Rexhepi 2, Avila 1, Opio 3, Mann 5, Tobin 9. Three-point field goals: Khan 4, D'andrea 1, Mann 1, Punzal 1, Tobin 1, Opio 1. FT: 3-5. Fouled out: None. Record: 18-7. GAME FOUR Kenosha St. Joseph (WI) 68, Chicago St. Francis de Sales (IL) 59 St. Joseph had the better guard play and that proved to be the difference against a St. Francis de Sales squad that had a huge height advantage. Guards [player_tooltip player_id='2354009' first='Reymundo' last='Garibay'] (20 points), [player_tooltip player_id='2508296' first='Christopher' last='Kenesie'] (18 points) and [player_tooltip player_id='2763283' first='Charlie' last='Guttormsen'] (15 points) all had strong outings for a quick, but size-deficient St. Joseph squad, which improved to 12-5 under coach Kyle Clark. [player_tooltip player_id='1900158' first='Stephen' last='George'] used his 6-foot-7 height and impressive strength to score 12 points for St. Francis de Sales while fast senior wing Jacahana Pullum added 10 as the Pioneers of the Chicago Catholic League fell to 7-15. GAME MVP    There is plenty to admire about the way Garibay takes care of business on the basketball court. Like all of the St. Joseph players, Garibay is a smart player who makes plays on both ends of the court. He takes good shots, doesn't force the issue and is a good help defender in addition to keeping his opponent away from the basket as often as possible. Gariaby is a knock-down three-point shooter who finished with a team-best 20 points in the Lancers' 68-59 victory over a much bigger St. Francis de Sales squad. He made four three-point baskets and was money from the foul line late in the game as the Lancers moved to 12-5 on the season.    BOXSCORE Kenosha St. Joseph (37-31 = 68) Garibay 20, Baez 4, Kenesie 18, Guttormsen 15, Kuiper 4, McCray 5. Three-point field goals: Garibay 4, Guttormsen 4. FT: 6-11. Fouled out: None. Record: 12-5. Chicago St. Francis de Sales (29-30 = 59) Thompson 3, Kal. Leonard 11, Johnson 0, Kah. Leonard 2, George 12, Pullum 10, Milner 5, Washington 6, Williams 8, Melson 2. Three-point field goals: Kal. Leonard 1, Williams 1. FT: 5-13. Fouled out: None. Record: 7-15. GAME FIVE Warren Township (IL) 83, Racine Lutheran 75 (WI) In the game of the day, two outstanding teams went head-to-head and battled tooth-and-nail for all 36 minutes before Warren Township emerged with an impressive 83-75 victory over a very talented Racine Lutheran outfit. [player_tooltip player_id='2323571' first='Jaxson' last='Davis'], the top-ranked junior in Illinois, scored 26 points and had a couple of impressive scoring sprees for Warren Township, which improved to 20-2 under coach Zack Ryan. Senior guard/forward BraylonWalker also had a terrific game for Warren Township with 24 points. Racine Lutheran, which fell to 14-3, got 21 points from stellar senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2224532' first='Sam' last='Pitrof'] and 15 points from junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin']. GAME MVPs    It's not hard to understand why Marquette, Iowa, Purdue and Illinois, among many others, have made Davis a recruiting priority in the 2027 class. The smooth, smart and skilled lead guard knows how to compete, how to run a team and how to communicate on the floor. He also knows how to put the ball in the basket. On an afternoon when his three-point shot was dropping at the level it normally does, Davis still managed to score 26 points. He went on a personal 11-0 scoring spree in the first half to give Warren Township a lead it never surrendered, although Racine Lutheran did manage to tie the game at 56 in the second half. The 20025 Mr. Basketball award winner in Illinois, Davis made seven of his foul shots to help secure Warren Township's victory.     Racine Lutheran received strong showings from a number of its players in its 83-75 loss to Warren Township with freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2365287' first='Trenton' last='House'] coming off the bench to score 12 big points, the Pratt-Hassan brothers playing strong defense and [player_tooltip player_id='2398434' first='Bryce' last='Austin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2429738' first='Isaiah' last='Cosey'] breaking down defenders for 15 and 11 points, respectively. But Pitrof was the Crusaders' top performer with 21 points, a couple of threes and one monster dunk in traffic. He also made nine-of-10 foul shots and did a stellar job of rebounding on both ends of the court. Pitrof is one of the top uncommitted players in Wisconsin's senior class and is hearing from several scholarship schools at the NCAA Division I and II levels.    BOXSCORE Racine Lutheran (32-43 = 75) Cosey 11, Mich. Pratt-Hassan 9, Mik. Pratt-Hassan 7, Austin 15, Pitrof 21, Contreras 0, Jones 0, House 12. Three-point field goals: Pitrof 2, House 1, Mich. Pratt-Hassan 1. FT: 22-25. Fouled out: Mik. Pratt-Hassan. Record: 14-3. Warren Township (41-43 = 83) Davis 26, Walker 24, Griffin 6, Ramig 0, King 11, Massey 9, Collins 7, Paasch 0. Three-point field goals: Walker 2, Davis 1, Massey 1. FT: 25-30. Fouled out: None. Record: 20-2. GAME SIX Chicago St. Ignatius (IL) 66, Marquette High (WI) 59 The Wolfpack of St. Ignatius held a lead throughout most of the contest with Marquette High, but every time coach Matt Monroe's squad looked like it was going to pull away, Marquette High rallied to keep it close. The difference in the game might have been the strong play of senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2323283' first='Chris' last='Bolte'] as the 6-foot-7 Yale recruit scored 24 points for St. Ignatius. He got help from junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2125620' first='Duke' last='Ross'], who scored 16 points. Marquette High, which fell to 6-9, got 18 points from senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1561924' first='Luke' last='Gundrum'] and 17 from junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2642421' first='Christian' last='Miller']. St. Ignatius, which led 26-22 at intermission and made some clutch foul shots in the closing minutes of the game, improved to 21-4. GAME MVP    Each time down the floor, Bolte was an option and a good option for the St. Ignatius offense. And he responded well once the ball found its way to him as he scored 24 points to lead all scorers in the Wolfpack's 66-59 win over Marquette High. Bolte stepped outside and made two three-point baskets, converted his foul shots and scored with his length, skill and bounce in the post. The Yale recruit played strong on defense and was a major factor on the glass on both ends of the court for St. Ignatius, which improved to 21-4 win the win.    BOXSCORE Marquette High (22-37 = 59) Gundrum 18, Schwabe 9, Miller 17, Dorrington 0, Sanders 7, Czarnecki 6, Minessale 2, Hohenwalter 0, Orr 0, Briscoe 0, Broeker 0. Three-point field goals: Gundrum 3, Miller 2, Sanders 1. FT: 9-10. Fouled out: None. Record: 6-9. Chicago St. Ignantius (26-40 = 66) Harris IV 9, Tucker 6, Ross 16, Bolte 24, Caldwell 5, Chittaro 6, Ross 0. Three-point field goals: Ross 3, Bolte 2, Harris 1, Chittaro 1, Caldwell 1. FT: 6-12. Fouled out: None. Record: 21-4. GAME SEVEN West DePere (WI) 84, Yorkville Christian (IL) 69 West DePere has sustained a few losses in recent outings heading into the contest with Yorkville Christian, which owns wins over both Madison La Follette and Appleton North. But the Phantoms put forth a full game of strong basketball in posting a convincing 84-69 triumph. Coach Todd Deschane's squad got 18 points from junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2140897' first='Carson' last='Samson'], 18 from improved junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2381929' first='Jack' last='Wilichowski'] and 12 from senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='3022868' first='Patrick' last='Greisen'] to improve to 11-4. Yorkville Christian senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1874810' first='Jayden' last='Riley'] encountered first-half foul trouble and finished with 24 points before being disqualified on fouls in the second half. Yorkville Christin also got 12 points from junior [player_tooltip player_id='2417805' first='Blake' last='Wells'] while falling to 13-9. GAME MVP    One of the more improved players in northeast Wisconsin, Wilichowski is making a name for himself as a versatile 6-foot-7 wing/forward for the West DePere basketball team this winter. He finished with 18 points and scored off the dribble, in the post and from three-point range in the Phantoms' win over Yorkville Christian. He also got to the foul line for West DePere while also providing some length and size in the post on the defensive end of the court. Wilichowski plays with impressive mobility and skill, and will be a player to watch in the 2027 class as the season winds down and club ball gets underway in the spring.    BOXSCORE West DePere (45-39 = 84) Samson 19, Greisen 12, Borowicz 9, Bouchard 10, Wilichowski 18, Schmidt 2, Parrett 0, Eggart 3, Woldt 9, DeCleene 0. Three-point field goals: Bouchard 3, Woldt 3, Samson 2, Greisen 2, Borowicz 1, Eggart 1, Wilichowski 1. FT: 9-13. Fouled out: None. Record: 11-4. Yorkville Christian (34-35 = 69) B. Wells 12, Maxwell 9, Riley 24, T. Alford 15, Purvis 5, J. Alford 2, Versluys 0, C. Wells 0, Ogulei 0, Grubb 0. Three-point field goals: Riley 4, B. Wells 3, T. Alford 2, Maxwell 1, Purvis 1. FT: 14-17. Fouled out: Riley. Record: 13-9. GAME EIGHT Unity Christian (IL) 79, The Prairie School (WI) 73 After trailing by 43-35 at intermission, The Prairie School battled to get closer in the second half, but Unity Christian ultimately won the game thanks to some strong foul shooting and big hoops in the closing minutes of the contest. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='3437798' first='Donovan' last='O'Neil'] Jr., the son of Unity Christian coach [player_tooltip player_id='3437798' first='Donovan' last='O'Neil'] Sr., was outstanding throuhgout the game. He scored 33 points and made some big free throws and baskets late in the game to keep the Phoenix ahead. Physical junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='3437783' first='Vincent' last='Allen'] also had a strong game for Unity Christian with 15 points. Foul issues hindered The Prairie School as both [player_tooltip player_id='2140901' first='Chandler' last='Perry'] (24 points) and [player_tooltip player_id='2508284' first='Dalton' last='Ahlensdorf'] (14 points) fouled out for the Hawks. GAME MVPs    O'Neil started out the game with three swishes from deep and then he got to work beating defender after defender off the dribble on his way to the basket. Once there, he either finished or was fouled as he had seven two-point field goals and made eight-of-11 foul shots on the way to scoring a game-best 33 points. O'Neil has good size and length and is able to keep opponents in front of him on defense due to his lateral quickness. Once he adds more weight and strength, O'Neil figures to become an even tougher cover for opponents in the future.     Perry utilized his strong frame to get the ball at the high post and then weave his way around defenders for baskets in the lane en route to scoring a team-best 24 points. He finished almost every drive he took in the second half and his scoring kept The Prairie School within striking distance of Unity Christian until the very end of the game. Perry's size and strength combination are tough to defend, and he's crafty enough around the basket to score and get to the foul line on a regular basis. Developing a consistent perimeter jumper is probably the next phase of Perry's development as all 12 of his baskets came inside the three-point arc.    BOXSCORE The Prairie School (35-38 = 73) N. Grebb 8, Vanoss 18, Perry 24, Wassil 9, Ahlensdorf 14, H. Greb 0, Jedlicka 0, Carter 0, Radke 0. Three-point field goals: Vanoss 4, N. Grebb 2. FT: 7-10. Fouled out: Perry, Ahlensdorf. Record: 8-9. Unity Christian (43-36 = 79) O'Neal 11, Dy. O'Neil 9, Do. O'Neil 33, R. Allen 4, V. Allen 15, Robinson 4, Stewart 3. Three-point field goals: Do. O'Neil 3, Dy. O'Neil 2. FT: 18-28. Fouled out: None. Record: 13-6.

The eighth annual Wisconsin vs. Illinois Border Battle was held Saturday at The Prairie School in Racine with each state winning four games.

Following are recaps of each of the eight contests:

GAME ONE
Prospect (IL) 68, Milwaukee South Division (WI) 54
After a 31-31 deadlock at intermission, Prospect made foul shots and three-point baskets in the second half to post its 10th win of the season. Four players scored in double figures for Prospect, which made 13 three-point baskets in the game. Will Stratigos Will Stratigos 6'0" | PG Prospect | 2026 State IL had four triples and 14 points for Prospect while Anderson Neach added 12 points and three triples. Kaiden Simpson Kaiden Simpson 6'5" | SG/SF Milwaukee South | 2026 State WI had a big game for South Division with 31 points before fouling out late in the contest as the Cardinals slipped to 6-9 on the campaign.