Arrowhead survives longest game in state boys basketball tournament history against Neenah

MADISON – The first four-overtime game in the 108-year history of the WIAA boys state basketball tournament had just about everything and then some on Friday night at the Kohl Center.

Behind a herculean 34-point, 14-rebound from Iowa State football commit Jace Gilbert and the best field goal percentage in the history of the Division 1 state tournament (71.7%, 33 of 46), top-seeded Arrowhead (27-2) overcame a 15-point first-half deficit and survived a heavyweight bout for the ages against No. 4 seed Neenah (21-8), 99-95.

"Our guys just believe right now," Arrowhead coach Craig Haase said. "We're in that mode where we believe. We're down 12 at half and we knew we did not play defensively. We knew we had to play better. We had to pressure the ball.

"They were really dictating tempo and really dictating everything to be totally honest. Once we got a couple stops from pressuring, the momentum started to swing."

The game set state records across all divisions for most points between two teams (194), most field goal attempts (113) and the best field goal percentage between two teams (62.4%). Neenah also set the highest mark of any division in state history with the highest losing total (95).

Arrowhead will go back to the Division 1 title game for the second straight season to face Marquette, who downed back-to-back state tournament qualifier Kettle Moraine in the second semifinal, 67-60.

"I don't know. I've never been a part of a game that's gone that long," Haase said. "Just an incredible game. I'm super happy for these kids that did everything they possibly could to get us a victory."

True to their name, the Rockets fired themselves out of the gate to a 20-10 advantage inside of the game's first nine minutes. The lead reached as many as 15 points (32-17) with 3:56 to play before halftime before Neenah took a 37-25 lead into the locker rooms.

The start of the second half was a bit of role reversal, as the Warhawks clawed their back with a 19-6 run to grab their first advantage at 44-43 with 10:51 to play in regulation after a second-chance Bennett Basich triple on a Gilbert offensive rebound. Gilbert had nine of the 19 points in that seven-plus-minute stretch to fire the Warhawks in front. Freshman guard Trey Resch was huge in a 42-minute performance with 15 points in his state debut to help spark the comeback.

"I think it started on the ball with Bennett really getting after (Brady) Corso and just making him not just go down on a single, double or a triple ball-screen, which they do so well," Haase said, sliding much of the credit to Arrowhead assistant coach Jim LaVoi for rallying the troops at halftime.

"Just because (Corso) couldn't do that, we sped 'em up a little bit and then that fired up Sammy (Leoni). He took a charge right away early on and that got us going. All of that together just changed the momentum. I thought we were kinda sleepwalking in the first half to be honest."

Then, the battle of wills and the trek into Wisconsin high school basketball lore began for the two programs.

Neither team led by more than four over the final nine minutes of regulation. There were six ties in that stretch, including two of them in the final 55 seconds of regulation. Basich grabbed a Gilbert miss at the line and put it back for a chance at a three-point play before he soared over nearby photographers and almost into the front row of the Arrowhead student section in celebration.

After the make from Basich at the line to make it 63-60, the teams exchanged free throws with Sam Leoni hitting two of his 12 makes at the stripe with about 12 seconds left to give the Warhawks a 67-64 advantage.

Enter Neenah senior Justin Janssen.

Fellow senior Corso (30 points, seven assists) drove the basket and missed the quick layup, but somehow saved his miss after drifting out of bounds in front of the Neenah student section on a tipped rebound, caught the ball and found Janssen on the right wing. Janssen's last hope from deep tickled the twine and the marathon continued into the first extra period.

After each team could only muster a three-pointer each in the first session with a Janssen miss at the horn this time, the second overtime featured Gilbert splitting a pair of free throws with 42 ticks left before Gilbert saved the day with a huge block on the other end on Charlie Wunderlich's three-point attempt forced a third overtime.

Corso had a chance from the left wing to win it for Neenah to close the third overtime, an area where he hit all four of his three-point makes on the night, but it sailed long and the thoughts of Syracuse-Connecticut in the 2009 men's Big East Tournament were probably becoming the opposite of a distant memory for some in attendance.

"They got the tip the first two (overtimes) I think, and they ended up scoring," Leoni said. "They got the ball at the end there, but we play defense first. (It's the) first thing we do every practice, so we knew it could down to getting stops. I think we blocked two threes at the end of overtimes. That's just what we do. Coach Haase, that's what he lives on."

Basich fouled out with 2:13 left in the sixth period with Arrowhead leading 87-83 after a Gilbert bucket at the basket. The UW-Green Bay recruit took a hard shot to the face that started to bleed immediately. Haase said that Basich was getting checked out after the game and that he has a cut lip, but will try to give it a go in Saturday's state title game if possible.

"Hopefully, he'll be able to go," Haase said. "It looks like he's got a cut lip and whatnot, but we'll see. I'm hoping he can go and if there's any chance in heck he can go, he'll go. That kid played his heart as usual. He plays with incredible passion. He's a great kid."

Without their leading scorer, Gilbert, Leoni and Bennett's younger brother Blake – who played just 86 seconds on Friday – helped keep the Warhawks in front at the line in the closing moments at the line.

With 16 seconds left, AJ Ohrmundt stepped to the line and missed the second free throw, but Andy Cochrane flew in to grab one of the game's biggest rebounds and found Leoni, who along with the younger Basich, helped ice away one of the greatest games in state history at the charity stripe.

"We believe right now," Haase said on the fatigue factor playing a role on Saturday night.

"I think when you believe, you can overcome a lot, including four overtimes. We're gonna believe tomorrow and we're gonna bring our best. We're gonna do everything we can and I believe in these kids that they'll find a way."

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Arrowhead survives four-overtime state semi thriller against Neenah