Led by Nicolet Trio, North All-Stars Dominate the South

If a high school reunion was as fun as the one Nicolet’s Alex Cohen, Gaby Bronson and Ashley Green staged Friday morning at University of Wisconsin-Madison Field House, no one would ever miss them.

Playing on the second unit for the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Division 1 North All-Stars just three months after winning a state championship, the three Knights finished with a combined 19 points to lead the North to a 59-37 victory over the South All-Stars.

Cohen made the biggest impact of three Nicolet stars, scoring eight points and chipping in nine rebounds.

“It was a great week of playing basketball,” said Cohen, who will play basketball at Northwestern this fall.  “And it was even better to finish it with a victory.”

Green and Bronson each got off to slow starts, failing to score in a first half dominated by the North, which opened a 28-14 advantage at the break.

But Green found her legs in the second half, hitting a pair of shots to finish with five points.

“It was a fun atmosphere out on the court with all the girls really supporting each other,” said Green, who will play Division 1 basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the fall.  “But I also enjoyed the competitive nature of the game, having to keep an eye on everyone with so much talent out there.”

Green relished the chance to take the court one last time with her good friends.

“We all really bond well and know how each other plays,” said Green, who racked up a team-high 17 points in Nicolet’s 58-54 state championship-winning game against Middleton.  “Having us three girls together in a rotation rather than splitting us up really helped out today.”

The three Knights’ teammates made life easy on North coach Doug Follis of Fond du Lac, who utilized a cohesive unit that played effective defensively, a rarity in an All-Star game.

“Nicolet ran later than other schools with exams this week, so the (three Knights’ girls) weren’t able to join us until later in the week,” Follis said.  “But it worked out well having those kids together for some chemistry in our second group.”

One player who felt right at home at the Field House was Susex Hamilton’s Courtney Lemon.  Lemon hit the game’s first shot, a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

“I had a blast out there,” said Lemon, who will play basketball for Division II Northern Michigan in the fall.  “We had a lot of fun this week and it all led up to a great victory.”

Lemon also hit a layup to open scoring in the second quarter, scoring a game-high seven points in the first half.  But the opportunity to play alongside her rivals rather than against them was the most enjoyable aspect of the day for Lemon.

“Alex (Cohen) and I get along great as the two big girls in our conference,” Lemon said.   “We could use (that size) out there today and have fun.”

What should not be lost with the result of the game was the purpose of day’s events.  Along with bringing the best high school talent in the state together on the same court for an All-Star game, players and corporate sponsors raised money for the MACC Fund, a charity supporting research to cure childhood cancer and blood disorders.

“We all had to raise over $500 for the MACC Fund,” Lemon said.  “I actually raised around $2,700, which all went toward a great cause.”

Bronson, especially, was moved by the meaning of the event.

“It really touched me,” said Bronson, who scored six points and will play Division III basketball at University of Wisconsin-Parkside next fall.  “I love the game of basketball and today we got to play it for a great cause.”

The one disappointment on the day was Brookfield Centrals Valerierose Agnello of Brookfield Central.  Despite all of her fund raising work, the Lancers star was unable to suit up for the South All-Stars due to a prior injury.