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Kenosha Bradford ends Beloit's tourney hopes

BELOIT — The road to the Kohl Center figured to be a smooth ride for Beloit Memorial High School’s boys basketball team.

The Purple Knights, with regular-season wins over two teams ranked in the top five in the state, needed to win three home games at the friendly confines of Barkin Arena to punch their ticket to the state tournament.

The journey hit a dead end Friday night.

Kris Sexton scored a season-high 19 points, and Kenosha Bradford shut down Beloit’s potent offense as part of a stunning 56-49 victory in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal game at Barkin Arena.

Bradford (17-8) will play Verona

(17-7) in tonight’s sectional final game.

Beloit (16-8), which beat third-ranked Madison Memorial and fifth-ranked Madison East in Big Eight Conference play, could not shake a lackluster performance—especially on the offensive end.

“We came in too big-headed, and then we lose to a team like Kenosha Bradford, (the kind of) a team that we were beating by 40 or 50 points during the regular season,” said Beloit junior guard Leketreus Broomfield, who led the Purple Knights with 13 points. “There’ s no way that should happen on our home court.

“We didn’t play any defense, our offense didn’t pick it up, and we didn’t finish.”

Beloit’s biggest lead of the game was four at 9-5 on two Broomfield free throws with 4:27 left in the first quarter.

Bradford eventually led 28-25 at half before pushing the advantage to 14 in the third quarter and 12 after three periods.

Sexton, who came in averaging seven points a game, had 12 in the first quarter and a key three-point play in the fourth that pushed the Red Devil lead to nine with 4:39 left to play.

Bradford coach Damon James said his team fed off the hostile environment.

“I told the guys it was us against 2,000 purple people-eating fans,” James said. “And what I was most proud of was how we didn’t fold when Beloit made its run. We expected that because that’s what good teams do, and Beloit is a good team.

“The bottom line is, we got out of here with a victory when no one gave us much of a chance.”

Trailing by 12, the Purple Knights staged a furious rally in the fourth but could not get over the hump. Beloit got within three on K. J. Evans’ jumper from the lane with 3:11 left, and Dennis Crosby cut the lead to 51-49 with 2:04 left on a slash to the baseline.

Bradford pushed the lead back to four at 53-49 on Justin Otto’s lay-up with less than a minute to play, and Quanzell Murphy put the final dagger in the Purple Knights with a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left that made it a two possession game.

Ahamd Shamsid-Deen added 12 points for Beloit, but Evans, the team’s leading scorer, was held to eight.

BRADFORD 56, BELOIT 49

Bradford (56)—Otto, 2-1-6; Young, 3-1-7; Sexton, 6-5-19; Akina, 2-0-4; Cooks, 2-0-4; Murphy, 3-2-8; Sangbusch, 4-0-8. Totals: 22-9-56.

Beloit (49)—Stone, 1-5-8; Vrosby, 1-0-2; Broomfield, 2-9-13; Douglas, 3-0-6; Evans, 4-0-8; Shamsid-Deen, 5-0-12. Totals: 16-14-49.

Kenosha Bradford 16 12 18 10—56

Beloit Memorial 16 9 9 15—49

Three-point goals—Bradford 3 (Sexton 2, Otto), Beloit 3 (Shamsid-Deen 2, Stone). Free throws missed—Bradford 6, Beloit 11. Total fouls—Bradford 23, Beloit 15. Fouled out—Akina, Broomfield, Douglas.

n Verona 71, Burlington 63—Verona (17-7) survived a barrage of Burlington three-pointers in the second half to advance to tonight’s Division 1 sectional final against Kenosha Bradford at Barkin Arena.

The Wildcats led the majority of the game, but the Demons (17-8) pulled to within two points with about 90 seconds left. Verona pulled away with free throws.

Taylor Peterson, a 6-5 senior forward, led Verona with 16 points. Kaden Nauman and Sam Karls each had 15, and Klayton Brandt added 12.

Burlington mad 11 three-pointers, including five in the third quarter and four in the final period. Guard Cody Dillon had six three-pointers for all 18 of his points. Gabe Chavarria had 14 points, and Travis Crayton added 12.

VERONA 71, BURLINGTON 63

Verona (71)—Nauman, 4-6-15; Karls, 5-5-15; Brandt, 5-2-12; Ray, 1-0-3; Christensen, 1-1-4; Wadzinski, 3-0-6; Peterson, 7-2-16. Totals: 26-16-71.

Burlington (63)—Taylor, 0-1-1; Robers, 3-0-7; Miller, 1-0-2; Vogt, 1-0-2; Brandt, 1-0-3; Dillon, 6-0-18; Crayton, 3-5-12; Chavarria, 6-0-14; Gerber, 2-0-4. Totals: 23-6-63.

Verona 15 15 19 22—71

Burlington 8 16 21 18—63

Three-point goals—Verona 3 (Nauman, Ray, Christensen), Burlington 11 (Robers, Brandt, Dillon 6, Crayton, Charvarria 2). Free throws missed—Verona 6, Burlington 2. Total fouls—Verona 14, Burlington 22. Fouled out—Taylor, Charvarria.