WEST SALEM — The West Salem High School boys basketball team inched one step closer to the finishing touch on a perfect Coulee Conference season by beating visiting Westby 78-50 for its 37th consecutive conference victory.
Junior Kyle Hehli scored a team-high 20 points and made both of his 3-pointers during a 14-point first half that led the Panthers (20-2, 11-0) to a 35-32 halftime lead. West Salem then outscored the Norsemen by 25 points in the second half.
The Panthers conclude the conference season with a home game against second-place Onalaska Luther (18-5, 9-2) on Thursday. West Salem, which has already won the outright title, beat the Knights 76-63 at Luther earlier this season.
The Panthers had 12 players score, and junior Nathan Karr added 13 points with three of his team’s 11 3-pointers.
Westby (9-14, 3-8) was led by senior Caleb Johnson’s 19 points. Junior Devin Nedland added 10.
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Scenic Bluffs
Bangor 68, Cashton 66
CASHTON — The Cardinals stopped the Eagles from winning a share of their first conference championship since 1987, but the Cardinals can help them win that share on Thursday.
Bangor (13-9, 10-3) used double-figure scoring from four players to hand Cashton (21-3, 12-2) a loss in its final conference game. That allowed Royall (21-2, 12-1) take over sole possession of the lead with one game left at home against Bangor.
The Eagles need the Cardinals to win that for what has been an elusive chase for title over the past 36 seasons.
Sophomore Hayden Massman scored 12 points to lead Bangor, which had three players score 11 and another score nine. Seniors Chase Horstman and Samuel Cropp and junior Eli Tucker scored 11 and senior Nolan Michek nine.
Cashton was led by senior Noah Hemmersbach’s 27 points in a game that was tied at 38 after one half. Brett Hemmersbach scored 14 points, Connor Butzler 13 and Brady Hemmersbach 10 for the Eagles.
Ridge and Valley
De Soto 61, Kickapoo 58
DE SOTO — Senior Landon Pedretti scored a team-high 24 points as the Pirates (16-7, 9-4), who will finish their conference season with a winning record for the first time since 2020-21 and play North Crawford on Thursday to complete their first overall winning season since 2018-19.
Pedretti’s big game was backed up by an 11-point performance by junior Harris Krueger.
Pedretti has averaged 18.5 points over De Soto’s past 10 games, and he has topped the 20-point mark in four of those games.
Nonconference
Aquinas 48, Prairie du Chien 41
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN — The Blugolds (18-5) won for the fourth time in five games and outscored the Blackhawks (12-11) by 10 points in the second half to do it.
Senior Walter Berns scored a team-high 16 points, and sophomore Logan Becker added 14 for Aquinas, which trailed 18-15 after one half. Becker made two 3-pointers in the second half and Berns one in each half.
Max Schneider scored 12 points for Prairie du Chien, but he was the only one to crack double figures.
Altoona 96, G-E-T 90
ALTOONA, Wis. — The Red Hawks (16-6) lost a high-scoring road game against the Railroaders (12-11).
Senior Cody Schmitz led G-E-T with 28 points, followed by senior Braden Anibas, who scored 20 points on six 3-pointers. Sophomore Mason Brone added 18.
Altoona was led by freshman Jason Becker's 27 points.
Wisconsin Rapids 83, Tomah 75
TOMAH — The Timberwolves (5-18) lost their second game in a row and for the eighth time in nine games.
Viroqua 64, Melrose-Mindoro 30
VIROQUA — The Blackhawks (10-13) have won two of three.
New Lisbon 68, Brookwood 67
ONTARIO — The Falcons (4-20) have lost nine games in a row.
Black River Falls 62, Osseo-Fairchild 55
OSSEO, Wis. — The Tigers (7-15) have won five of six games heading into Thursday’s nonconference matchup with Logan.