Kimberly Papermakers Surge Past Notre Dame Tritons, Secure Spot in Sectional Semifinal with Dominant 57-38 Win

The Kimberly Papermakers faced off against the Notre Dame Tritons in a Division 1 girls basketball regional final, with the Papermakers emerging victorious 57-38. The win marked Kimberly's second victory over Notre Dame this season and secured their spot in the sectional semifinal against Hartford.

The Papermakers came out strong, opening an 18-8 lead and maintaining their momentum throughout the game. Raegan Krueger, who recently returned from a knee injury, led the team with 17 points, while Ava Van Vonderen added 19 points, many of which came from cuts to the basket. The duo's combined 36 points accounted for nearly two-thirds of Notre Dame's total score.

Kimberly's defense played a crucial role in the team's victory, holding the Tritons to a season-low 38 points. The Papermakers' ability to guard Notre Dame and limit their scoring opportunities made it difficult for the Tritons to mount a comeback. As coach Lepisto noted, "If we could keep them under 50, I thought we were going to be able to score enough. They one-upped me because we kept them under 40."

With their win over Notre Dame, the Kimberly Papermakers advance to the sectional semifinal against Hartford, one of the top four-ranked teams in the state. The Papermakers are confident in their abilities, having won nine straight games since their only loss of the season to Pewaukee. As Raegan Krueger stated, "I feel really good about ourselves, we've been playing great. We've been moving the ball, we've been moving it inside-out like we've been working on the whole season, and if we just keep playing the way we play and not step down to anyone else or play the way people want us to play, we'll be in very good shape."