Alex Greene's buzzer-beating layup sends Wisconsin Lutheran to Division 2 title game

MADISON — 29-0, and one massive sigh of relief.

Alex Greene's layup to cap a frantic sequence just before the final buzzer of regulation vaulted unbeaten top-seed Wisconsin Lutheran past No. 4 seed Nicolet (24-5) in a 56-54 thriller during the first WIAA Division 2 state boys basketball semifinal Friday afternoon at the Kohl Center.

"I came off the ball screen and they switched it pretty high. I didn't get low enough on it. I should've gotten a little lower," said Wisconsin Lutheran forward Kon Knueppel, regarding the final 29.5 seconds that saw the Vikings play for the final shot.

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Box score: Wisconsin Lutheran 56, Nicolet 54

"My foot slipped (on a state court sticker) and luckily Z(avier Zens) was right there. I tried to bounce it right off to him and he made a great pass into Alex."

Greene's third field goal off an instinctive Zens left-handed fastball summed up one of the most efficient days in state history. The Vikings shot 66.7% from the floor on 36 shot attempts, including making 12 of their final 13 attempts. The shooting percentage tied the Division 2 state tournament single-game record that was previously held by Racine St. Catherine's in the 2005 tournament (26 for 39), the first of their six title runs.

"We always preach keeping up with plays, even though you see they don't always go as planned," Greene said on his game-winner.

Greene capped the day in large part due to Knueppel's impressive performance in his state debut. The future Duke Blue Devil scored 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting with seven rebounds and seven assists, including a wonderful block with four fouls at the rim following a game-tying fadeaway off the right block with 1:14 left that gave the Vikings one last crack at winning the battle in regulation.

"We have not played much from behind much this year, but the one thing about our team that has been true from Day 1 is we don't not get flustered like that," Vikings coach Ryan Walz said. "The guys just stay the course. They play consistent basketball and they handle what's in front of them and a lot of has to do with No. 33."

Knueppel started a bit slowly, missing five of his first eight shots with Nicolet's Nacir Beamon as the primary defender throughout much of the contest. The half ended with a tough contested Knueppel right-wing triple at the horn to give the Vikings a 29-26 lead at the break.

Once Beamon became more of a primary option for the Knights with a team-leading 21 points – 15 in the second half alone on 6-for-6 shooting with three triples – Nicolet coach Terence Smith opted to buy Beamon a breather for the homestretch and switched him off the assignment briefly. The new Mr. Basketball award winner in Wisconsin caught fire, proceeding to score 10 straight points to give the Vikings a 43-35 advantage with 9:09 to go.

"I just wanted to come on defense and be competitive," Beamon said on his matchup with Knueppel. "I just tried to slide my feet and use all of my energy on him and do the best I can. He's a great player, a phenomenal player. You gotta give him his props and to their team for the win."

Beamon and running mate Davion Hannah (15 points, seven rebounds) sparked a 10-0 run right out of a timeout to tie the game at 45 with 6:05 to play. Neither team could build any separation from the other prior to a wide-open three from Damon Landrum off a Hannah assist with 2:11 to play that gave Nicolet its first lead since a Beamon triple with 15:42 left (32-31). The Knights got a turnover of Knueppel before the final media timeout, and then a defensive five-second call put the ball back in Knueppel's hands for his game-saving two-way sequence.

"The last play, we knew the ball was going to Kon," Hannah said as he, Smith and Beamon battled through the tears of a second straight deflating semifinal loss at the post-game podium.

"He fell, but we just didn't find our man."

For Nicolet, it's a second straight heartbreaking finish at state following last year's close call with eventual D2 champion Pewaukee. Smith stated how proud he was of his unit for bouncing back from last year's ending to come within an eyelash of the school's first state title appearance since 2019 when they won the gold ball.

"It's a great group of kids, man," Smith said. "I would not pick another group of kids over them at all. They listen. They do what I tell them to do. At the end of the day, I didn't do it right for them. I messed it up for them."

The win sends Wisconsin Lutheran to its first state title game appearance since 2014 against Pewaukee, which got a 31-point triple-double from their own Mr. Basketball candidate Nick Janowski in an 89-69 victory over West Salem in the second D2 semifinal.

"I think it was four years ago, (Pewaukee coach David Burkemper) and I were talking and we had watched our kids come up through the youth program and we knew that we were really, really loaded," Walz said. "I said, 'I think either you or us are gonna win the state championship the next four years.' They've upheld their end of it and we haven't upheld our end of it. For us to come and play them tomorrow would mean a lot."

The trilogy will be completed on Saturday night between the Woodland West rivals this season and two players who many would've considered the top options for the Mr. Basketball award in Knueppel and Janowski.

"We've been pretty good friends for a long, long time," Knueppel said on Janowski. "We've obviously played club ball in the summer and we love to compete and we love to win. Going against each other and battling is special."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Alex Greene's layup sends Wisconsin Lutheran to WIAA D2 title game