Third time's the charm: Pewaukee finally beats Notre Dame for program's first gold ball
ASHWAUBENON — Finally.
After three trips to state that included a global pandemic shutting down the tournament and back-to-back runner-up finishes to their opponent on Saturday in the last two seasons, the Pewaukee Pirates can add a gold ball from the girls program to the trophy case.
Led by a 20-point performance from sophomore star Giselle Janowski, 18 points from Amy Terrian and a crucial 14-point performance from junior Kennedy Retherford, the Pirates (29-1) won their first state title in program history, 60-52, over three-time defending Division 2 state champion Notre Dame (28-2) in the sixth meeting between the two programs in the last three seasons.
"I thought we did a good job right away setting the tone with our defensive intensity," Pirates coach Jim Reuter said. "We turn them over on like, three of their first five possessions. We set the tone. We made them make tough passes, made them pay for it, took a nice lead and because they're a phenomenal team, they've been here four straight years, they made their run, which they're gonna do."
The top-seeded Pirates raced out to a 12-2 lead and looked to end Notre Dame's four-peat bid early with a wave of ferocious defense. The Tritons turned it over 10 times in the first eight minutes, but fought and clawed their way to a 21-11 stretch to tie the game at 23 with 4:38 to play before the break. Pewaukee punched back with a 9-3 run sparked by five points from the Terrian twins, Amy and Anna, to take a 32-26 lead into the locker room.
BOX SCORE: Pewaukee 60, Notre Dame 52
Replay: 2024 Wisconsin high school girls basketball state tournament championship games
"As a player, you just gotta stay cool, calm and collected," Notre Dame guard Trista Fayta said on Pewaukee having an answer for every Triton run.
"It wasn't bothering me too much, but as time was winding down, I kept telling the team, 'We gotta pick it up.' Obviously, things happen for a reason, but it was a little frustrating we couldn't get a stop or we'd turn it over and they'd score to keep getting that lead."
The second half started similarly to the first for Pewaukee. Retherford scored five of the first seven points for the Pirates to push the lead to 13 points (39-26) less than two minutes into the second half to put the three-time champions back on the ropes.
"She was 6-of-12 from the floor and hit two huge threes that I think kinda stopped their runs," Reuter said. "Those came off shots where we penetrate, kicked out, she was there. I thought she really came on in this tournament. She was big in the Beaver Dam (sectional final) game for us, too. She played great (defense) on (Notre Dame's) Peyton Musial as well. That's why I think we're here. We can go four, five, six kids deep and you gotta defend them all."
The Tritons were sparked by Fayta in a potential title-saving 15-2 run that trimmed the lead all the way down to three (44-41) with Anna Terrian in foul trouble and 7:48 to go. Then Retherford threw the ensuing haymaker in the next sequence of the fight. She cashed home her second triple with 6:18 to go after an Amy Terrian bucket the possession before to push the lead back out to eight (49-41).
Fayta came up with what could've been the play of the game with a strip of Janowski and a layup that made it a 53-52 game with 2:31 left in a late 11-4 push, but the Tritons never scored again. Three clutch free throws from Janowski and a pair at the line for good measure from Amy Terrian sealed the end of the Notre Dame reign atop Division 2 before both programs move up to Division 1 next season.
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"Every morning looking at two silver medals, that's tough," Amy Terrian said. "Each year, we grew as a team. We got closer. We got stronger. Each year is different with a different team, different players, next year's gonna be different. We're losing two key seniors that have been big role players for us. I think losing those two (title games) is a gut-wrenching feeling.
"Like (Giselle) said before we walked out, have that gut-wrenching feeling we've had the last two years. Come out and just pound them. Come out intense. I think they rely a lot on intimidation with teams and I don't think we were gonna shy away from them."
The departing senior class for Notre Dame played 120 games and lost just five games in four years. Three of the losses came at the hands of the Pirates, including a loss in the season opener for both programs three months ago with the same score as Saturday.
"We all believed," Janowski said on their third win against the Tritons in the last four meetings.
"We remembered what it's like to get those two silver balls. I remember I was in eighth grade the first time we came up here and lost. Even just watching in the stands, that was a gut-wrenching feeling. I knew they just came so close and lost at the end. It's awesome to see how far we've come."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Pewaukee wins first gold ball in heavyweight rematch with Notre Dame
