Game Report: Edgewood 87, Waukesha North 78

KEYS TO THE GAME Edgewood's smooth-shooting Crusaders came out and made their first five shots from the floor, including four three-point baskets, to take a 14-3 lead, an advantage they would never surrender on the way to an 87-78 WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal win over visiting Waukesha North Tuesday evening. Edgewood led 43-25 at intermission and then extended its lead to as many as 25 points before Waukesha North put together an impressive rally. Relying on their pressure defense and some accurate long-distance shooting of their own, the Northstars managed to get as close as four points down the stretch before Edgewood finally put the game away. The Crusaders made things tough on themselves by making just 14-of-31 attempts from the foul line. Still, first-year coach [player_tooltip player_id='2140929' first='Jackson' last='Riley']'s crew got 28 points from junior [player_tooltip player_id='2452072' first='Drew' last='Christensen'], 15 from sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2673454' first='Kaleb' last='Oeth'] and 10 each from juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2508657' first='Henry' last='Clark'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2415505' first='Ben' last='Morey'] to hold off the Northstars. Talented sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2675019' first='Derek' last='Williams'] had 22 points and senior [player_tooltip player_id='3021133' first='David' last='Stuart'] came off the bench to drill five triples on the way to scoring a team-best 27 points.   GAME MVP    Christensen was feeling it from deep on Tuesday night as he buried seven three-point shots on the way to scoring a career-high 28 points. The three-year varsity performer did an excellent job of moving without the ball and finding spots on the floor where he could spot up and shoot. He also got to the foul line often, although he struggled a bit from that distance, making just five-of-11 tries. Still, Christensen's ability to make shots while also playing an active role in the Crusaders' 3-2 zone defense proved to be instrumental in Edgewood's victory.    EMERGING PLAYERS    Oeth has battled some injuries this season, but he appeared close to 100 percent for Edgewood in its win over Waukesha North. At 6-foot-5, Oeth can play either guard spot or small forward. And his size, length and skill can make things difficult for opposing guards as he can pass and shoot over smaller defenders. Oeth had a several stellar passes to teammates cutting to the basket while also bringing the ball up at times against Wauukesha North's pressure defense. He finished the game with 15 points, which included one made three-point shot. He could have easily reached 20 points but missed on all six of his foul shots.     Clark did the dirty work for Edgewood in its win over Waukesha North. A bruising 6-foot-4 inside muscle man, Clark grabbed rebound after rebound while also making it difficult for the Northstars' frontcourt players to score in the lane. Clark takes up a good deal of space, is smart with the ball in his hands, and plays bigger than his height because of his width and nose for the basketball. Known primarily as a football prospect, Clark also does a stellar job on the basketball court for the Crusaders.     A top-tier class of 2028 prospect in Wisconsin, Williams lived up to that lofty reputation by scoring 22 points for Waukesha North in its loss to Edgewood. Williams got the ball often at the high post and was able to beat some of Edgewood's taller defenders to the basket with his quickness and explosive jumping ability. He also stepped outside a bit to handle the ball and take a few perimeter shots, but his true value in his verticality and ability to score in the paint. As he rounds out his game over the next couple of seasons, look for Williams to gain plenty of recruiting attention from collegiate programs.     The production Stuart provided Waukesha North as a reserve in the Northstars' loss to Edgewood was nothing short of outstanding. The 6-foot-1 shooting guard made five three-point shots, including four during Waukesha North's impressive comeback, en route to scoring a team-best 27 points. The sleek guard also did a good job of getting into the lane and scoring with short jump shots or layups. He drew several fouls as well and connected on four-of-seven shots from the charity stripe.    THE BIG PICTURE Edgewood, which figures to drop from Division 2 to Division 3 next year due to a slight enrollment decrease, moves on to play a familiar opponent in McFarland, a team that swept the Crusaders in Badger Small Conference outings during the regular season. McFarland (19-5) is a heavy favorite to defeat Edgewood, which takes a 9-16 mark into the contest Friday in the McFarland gymnasium. Waukesha North completes its season with a 7-18 record during Mitchell Henes' first year as head coach. The Northstars certainly went down with plenty of fight and figure to be improved a year from now as six of the eight players who saw action Tuesday return.   BOXSCORE Waukesha North (25-53 = 78) Loren-Garcia 2, Piacsek 0, Williams 22, Koopmeiners 0, Thompson 16, Kwasniewicz 0, Martin 11, Stuart 27, Eagon 0. Three-point field goals: Stuart 5, Thompson 4, Martin 3. FT: 8-14. Fouled out: Williams, Martin. Record: 7-18. Edgewood (43-44 = 87) Oeth 15, Christensen 28, Bagstad 9, Breidel 4, Clark 10, Morey 10, Mitchell 3, Milesko 4, Klipstine 0, Rist 2. Three-point field goals: Christensen 7, Bagstad 3, Oeth 1. FT: 14-31. Fouled out: None. Record: 9-16.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Edgewood's smooth-shooting Crusaders came out and made their first five shots from the floor, including four three-point baskets, to take a 14-3 lead, an advantage they would never surrender on the way to an 87-78 WIAA Division 2 regional quarterfinal win over visiting Waukesha North Tuesday evening. Edgewood led 43-25 at intermission and then extended its lead to as many as 25 points before Waukesha North put together an impressive rally. Relying on their pressure defense and some accurate long-distance shooting of their own, the Northstars managed to get as close as four points down the stretch before Edgewood finally put the game away. The Crusaders made things tough on themselves by making just 14-of-31 attempts from the foul line. Still, first-year coach Jackson Riley Jackson Riley 6'0" | CG Wausau West | 2027 State WI 's crew got 28 points from junior Drew Christensen Drew Christensen 6'2" | SG Edgewood | 2027 State WI , 15 from sophomore Kaleb Oeth Kaleb Oeth 6'5" | SF Edgewood | 2028 State WI and 10 each from juniors Henry Clark Henry Clark 6'4" | SF Edgewood | 2027 State WI and Ben Morey Ben Morey 6'1" | CG Edgewood | 2027 WI to hold off the Northstars. Talented sophomore Derek Williams Derek Williams 6'5" | SF/PG Waukesha North | 2028 State WI had 22 points and senior David Stuart David Stuart 6'1" | SG Waukesha North | 2026 WI came off the bench to drill five triples on the way to scoring a team-best 27 points.