WIAA basketball: Second-half rally comes up just short for Sussex Hamilton in Division 1 state semifinal
MADISON – In the immediate aftermath, Sussex Hamilton will be disappointed with its state semifinal loss to Oshkosh North.
However, the second half of a 57-56 defeat Friday night at the Kohl Center might be looked back on as when the state was introduced to the talented and young Chargers.
Hamilton overcame a 19-point deficit to tie the state's top-ranked team late, but Carson Smith’s 28-foot attempt at a game-winning shot went around and out as the final buzzer sounded.
"We tried to get Patrick (Baldwin Jr.)," Hamilton coach Andy Cerroni said. "We knew he was going to gather a lot of attention. When we had Lucas (Finnessy) set the screen, we were going to try to slip him to the basket.
"I tell you right now, the three we took at the end with Carson, wow, that was a great three. That’s a shot he has hit umpteen times all year long."
WIAA STATE GLANCE:Game stories, schedule, box scores
BOX SCORE:Oshkosh North 57, Sussex Hamilton 56
An 8-0 run capped by a corner three-pointer by Tanner Resch erased the one-time 19-point hole and tied the game at 56 with 1:13 remaining.
Oshkosh North then went into a stall on the other end, taking 53 seconds off the clock before Finnessy appeared to foul Tyrese Haliburton intentionally with 20.1 seconds remaining.
Haliburton made the first attempt but missed the second, leaving the Spartans up, 57-56.
Using a screen by Finnessy, Baldwin drove the left side of the lane on Haliburton and put up a shot attempt over Matt Hickey. Quincy Anderson came across the lane and blocked the shot out of bounds with 2.2 seconds left.
"That’s a play we’ve been running the last half of the year," Baldwin said. "I just know I can make plays out of that setup with no congestion on the left side. Just on that play, the ball was going to be put in my hands whether I made or missed the shot.
"I tried to create a play for myself. I’m just at a loss for words for what happened."
After three timeouts - two called by Hamilton - JT Hoytink lobbed a pass to Smith, who nearly won the game despite having Haliburton and Anderson flying at him.
Hamilton struggled against Oshkosh North's length and athleticism in a 1-3-1 zone in the first half.
The Chargers committed 14 first-half turnovers, did not attempt a free throw and gave up 50% shooting on the defensive end and trailed, 33-16, at halftime.
"Early on, my biggest fears came to fruition," Cerroni said. "We needed to be aggressive against their zone, and we weren’t. We felt like we needed to take care of the ball, and we didn’t."
Oshkosh North came out in a man-to-man defense to start the second half, and Baldwin immediately drilled a three-pointer.
The Spartans led, 37-19, with 17:21 to play before the Chargers went on a 13-0 run to get back in the game. Smith connected on three straight three-pointers to cap the run, with his third triple cutting it to 37-32 with 14:48 left.
Hamilton shot 8 of 16 from beyond the arc and committed just five turnovers in the second half.
Despite the comeback attempt falling short, the potential of Hamilton was apparent in the second half.
Led by a star in the making in Baldwin, the Chargers played a seven-man rotation against Oshkosh North comprised of a freshman, four sophomores, a junior and just one senior.
Two freshmen led Hamilton in scoring, as Baldwin finished with 22 points and six rebounds, and Resch had 13 points off the bench.
After losing seven of eight games in late December and into January, Hamilton regrouped to win six straight leading into the state semifinal.
"These guys have exceeded expectations by so many people except themselves," Cerroni said. "I think they had high expectations throughout the year. I’m really proud of how we represented Hamilton basketball and our community."