Trojans learning to win
Trojans cagers beat Whitnall to earn fourth straight victory
Wauwatosa West's Barry Ballinger drives past Whitnall's Will Pelkofer (4) and Stephen Pelkofer during West's victory Feb. 5. Photo By PETER ZUZGA
The Wauwatosa West boys basketball team is starting to show it is learning how to win games they might have lost earlier this year, a good sign with the postseason on the horizon.
For the second time in three weeks, the Trojans beat a tough Whitnall team (8-5, 11-5), but this time they hung on and beat the Falcons on the road, 62-57. They have won four straight and six of their last seven games.
"It's pretty big because we really needed this one," said Ray Sterling Jr., who scored a game-high 25 points Friday. "We like to fight for coach (Mike) Landisch (who is battling kidney cancer). With him not being here, we want to keep our streak going and fight for first place.
"If we won this one, we're making our way up. If we lost this one, it would have been a struggle coming back. It feels great to have this good win."
Trojans take early lead
Sterling played a huge role with both defense and offense. He got the Trojans off to an 18-6 first-quarter lead by scoring nine points. He scored twice on offensive rebounds, once on a steal and once on a 3-pointer, using his quickness and athletic ability to spark his teammates.
He didn't cool off in the second period either, as he scored eight of his team's 17 points to take them into halftime with a 35-25 lead.
Tosa West and Whitnall battled head-to-head once again after the intermission, each scoring 18 points in the third period. But the Trojans still kept the 10-point advantage they earned in the first quarter going into the final eight minutes (53-43).
Sterling continued his onslaught with eight points, while Sam Krenzien added six.
Jake Lehmann had seven and William Pelkofer added six for the Falcons.
Falcons soar in fourth quarter
The Falcons went on a 9-0 run to open the fourth quarter, as Pelkofer sank two free throws, Bryan Nagy drained a 3-pointer, Lehmann scored on a drive and Pelkofer scored on a fast break to cut the lead to 53-52.
Krenzien took over the game for the Trojans, scoring eight of West's nine points in the quarter.
With 5:11 left to play and a scrum of players fighting for a loose ball under Tosa West's basket, Krenzien came out of the pile and tossed the ball underhanded straight up in the air - and it came down into the basket for a 55-52 lead.
After Lehmann scored on a fast break, Krenzien followed with a drive to the basket to make it 57-54.
Then Pelkofer, who surpassed the 1,000-point career mark in the second quarter, threw up a shot from the top of the key - and banked it in to tie the game at 57-57 with 2:05 left to play.
If the Trojans were going to choke down the stretch it would have happened then.
But it didn't. In fact, that was the last time the Falcons were to score.
Holding on for the win
Krenzien stole the ball and scored for a 59-57 lead with 1:16 left to play. The Tosa West press then caused the Falcons to throw the ball out of bounds.
A.J. Krause was fouled on a fast break basket, and he sank one of two free throws for a 60-57 advantage.
The Falcons tried to set up a 3-point shot to tie the game with 10 seconds left to play. Geoffrey Wisialowski went up for a jump shot, and Tosa West's Barry Ballinger went up with him. Wisialowski couldn't get a shot off and was called for traveling.
Krenzien was then fouled, and he calmly sank two free throws to end the game.
"It's huge - especially how we gave up that lead - and our guys bounced back at the end," Tosa West interim coach Chad Stelse. "It shows our guys that we can win close games down the stretch.
"I hope we learn from this. After we do get a big lead like that, we need to capitalize on that. We need to extend the lead next time - not let teams back in it."
Sterling led the way with 25 points, Krenzien added 23 and Anthony Carroll, who missed the final five minutes of the game with a sprained ankle, added nine. Pelkofer had 24 and Lehmann 13 for Whitnall.
The Trojans host Greenfield (5-8, 6-11) at 7:30 p.m. Friday before traveling to New Berlin Eisenhower (13-0, 17-0) for a 7:30 p.m. game Tuesday.
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