Strathman Hits Game-Winner Sending Wetmore Girls to State

All season long the Wetmore girls have done the most with what they have which for most of the year has been playing with only six girls and a few games even playing with just five.

Despite that, the Cardinals have battled, and Saturday afternoon punched their ticket to the state tournament for the first time since 2017 with a 33-32 victory over Hanover.

The Cardinals raced out to an 8-4 lead after the first quarter on a pair of 3-pointers from Abby Shumaker, but Hanover came back and took a 14-13 lead at the half behind seven points from Ceegan Atkins.

Neither team led by more than four points the remainder of the game with Hanover leading 25-23 after three quarters and 32-30 in the final seconds of regulation.

After Hanover took that lead, Wetmore Coach Adam Maas called a timeout and asked junior Kenzie Strathman if she was ready to step and take the shot for the win.

Without hesitation Strathman said yes and delivered, draining a triple from the wing giving the Cardinals the one-point victory.

Strathman led the way with 18 points in the win while Reagan Osterhaus added 13 blocks including five in the first quarter.

Wetmore (17-7) now heads into the 1A-DII State Tournament for the first time since going three straight years in 2015, ’16 and ’17.

The Cardinals will have a long road trip to Beloit-St. John/Tipton (18-1) with the game scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. with live coverage on 92.1 KMZA.

Wetmore last played the Blujays in 2015 in the opening round of the 1A-DII State Tournament falling 52-49.