D3 Semifinal Recap: 2026 WIAA State Tournament

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game #1: Seymour (27-1) vs. Saint Croix Central (19-9)</h2>   Saint Croix Central and Seymour traded punches throughout the first half as the Panthers were red hot from three point land. SCC started the game off four of five from beyond the arc, and were able to keep up with Seymour's highly efficient offense. Seymour did a ton of damage in the first half with second chance points and out rebounding SCC collecting seven offensive rebounds before the intermission horn. The Thunder run an extremely patient motion based offense that features a ton of inside post touches that lead to easy looks. Because of this, Seymour lead by four at the break, 29-25.   Out of halftime, Head Coach Bobby Kuchta and his staff adjusted to the SCC all switch defense to exploit mismatches on the interior. Seymour utilized fantastic half court sets and flare/slip actions to get wide open layups directly at the rim throughout the final 18 minutes. Senior and Bay Conference Player of the Year, [player_tooltip player_id='2391083' first='Kyler' last='Marks'] and Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2508494' first='Isaac' last='Feske'] were spectacular for the Thunder as the frontcourt duo had 20 points a piece in Thursday's semifinal matchup. SCC had no answer to slow down the two and could not get the lead back to single digits late in the second half. Seymour's ability to score inside with all of their contributors and rebound the basketball relentlessly on both ends of the floor led them to a 67-49 victory. Seymour shot a state record (D3) 64.1% from the field in this contest.   Box Score:   Seymour (29+ 38=67)   X Salzman 11, Geyso 2, Marks 20, Krause 10, Feske 20, G Salzman 2 FT's: 10-13. 3FG: 7-16. No players fouled out.   St. Croix Central (25+24= 49)   Rasmussen 7, Gottfredsen 5, Larson 11, Siler 3, Grinnell 13, Pierce 2, Johnson 4 FT's 5-7. 3FG: 8-19. No players fouled out.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Game #2: Lake Mills (26-2) vs. Racine St. Catherine's 22-4</h2>   A matchup made in heaven for basketball fans in the state of Wisconsin. Racine St. Catherine's ability to lock up teams defensively and Lake Mills' talents from way downtown, made this battle in Madison, one you could not miss. [player_tooltip player_id='1745860' first='Brady' last='Benish'] for Lake Mills was unbelievable in the first half knocking down five three point buckets and ending the half with 17 points. [player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'] showcased his versatile skillset and athleticism ripping away two possessions from L Cat offensive players to convert easy buckets for his squad, including a nice two handed dunk. His counterpart, EJ Vinson poured in 12 points doing his damage at the rim. Head Coach Steve Hicklin avoided an injury scare when Benish went down with a minor injury to finish up the action before the intermission but returned to start the second half. Lake Mills led at half 34-28.   Racine St. Catherine's full court and half court defense was entirely too much for the L-Cats to handle as the Angels were relentless with pressure. St. Cat's took a 51-49 lead at the 10:47 mark and never gave back the league. Head Coach Ryan Thompson's defensive system is perfect for their personnel that features strength, athleticism, and quickness. "It (the pressure defense) had a huge factor, because it turned the game into a rugged game that advantages them, " Lake Mills Head Coach Steve Hicklin said. Lake Mills had 16 turnovers, and struggled partially in fact due to [player_tooltip player_id='2436993' first='Jenner' last='Wellman'], a primary ballhandler missed this game as he suffered a torn ACL in their sectional final game. The Angels move on to Saturday with a 72-66 victory.   [player_tooltip player_id='1959723' first='LaMont' last='Hamilton'] put on a massive two-way performance for St. Catherine's. The multi sport athlete headed to Minnesota, next season to play football for the Gophers. Seymour will have their hands full on Saturday, as Hamilton can will his team back in the game with on ball quickness and pressure.   Despite the loss, [player_tooltip player_id='1745860' first='Brady' last='Benish'] put on an all-time shooting performance knocking down eight threes and finishing the game with 26 points. Benish is off to the University of Dubuque next season.   Racine St. Catherine's improved to 14-1 all time at the state tournament with their victory over Lake Mills Thursday. You need to find a seat on Saturday to see this matchup between two historic teams with contrasting styles. Seymour is seeking their fourth state championship as St. Catherine's is going for title number seven.   Box Score:   Lake Mills (34+32= 66)   Wollin 9, Kolkovich 7, Christian 16, Winger 8, Benish 26 FT's 12-24. 3FG: 10-23. No Players Fouled Out.   Racine St. Catherine's (28+44= 72)   Contreras Ward 13, Hamilton 17, Vinson 13, Ozier 12, Watson 6, Phillips 7, Lockridge 4. FT's 12-23. 3FG: 6-17. Fouled Out: Watson