Wisconsin Lutheran repeats as WIAA state boys basketball champs, this time in D1
MADISON − Despite losing the state's top Class of 2024 player and moving up from Division 2 to D1 due to WIAA competitive balance, the Wisconsin Lutheran boys basketball team is a repeat champion.
The Vikings defeated Marshfield, 57-55, to complete their 2024 D2 title defense with a gold ball in D1 on Saturday at the Kohl Center.
"Winning doesn't get old, I'll tell you that," head coach Ryan Walz said. "I think maybe the way this one happened with yesterday and the way it ended today, maybe a little bit more emotional."
After beating Oshkosh North, 58-57, in the state semifinal to advance to Saturday night's championship, it was looking like the Vikings' repeat bid would come up just short with under four minutes remaining. Marshfield's Landon Lee, who was a remarkably efficient 9-of-12 from the field with 22 points on the night, hit a layup to increase a fledgling lead to 55-50 with 3:38 remaining.
Without a shot clock to force the issue, Wisco needed turnovers even after Alex Greene (11 points) hit a layup on the other end to cut the deficit back to 55-52. Coach Walz said the key point of emphasis to his team down the stretch was touching the ball on every catch.
"You're trying to touch the ball, and if you give a foul you give a foul, but you're trying to get a break, you're trying to get a touch," Walz said. "We told the guys that when we get a big and a guard around the ball, we want to trap it."
The key plays that led to the title for @WiscoBB: steals by @Zavier44, @BucketFam_Alex and @JosiahRice07 and Zens’ go-ahead layup through the foul. pic.twitter.com/XDiBWzTist
— Zac Bellman Ⓜ️ (@ZacBellman_WNY) March 23, 2025
After the Vikings gave up a couple fouls trying to do just that, they finally got a breakthrough as Kager Knueppel (10 points on 5-of-5 shooting) came away with a steal that led to a Zavier Zens layup off an Isaiah Mellock (nine points) assist to pull within 55-54 with just under a minute remaining.
Greene and Zens then trapped Marshfield's Valin Ramberg just past halfcourt, leading to a Zens deflection into the arms of Greene. On the ensuing Wisco possession after a Marshfield foul led to an inbound, Zens drove to the cup for a go-ahead layup through contact to take the 56-55 lead.
Zens, who scored a team-best 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field, said the 2024 title win gave the returning underclassmen confidence to run it back, Kon or not.
"Me and Alex and Isaiah were looking at each other like, 'You want to get back here?' So that was our main goal going into the season," Zens said. "We just got better and got better."
The layup cut a seven-minute advantage for Marshfield, flipping the script on the Tigers as they sought a program-first WIAA state title in their fifth appearance.
"If the game's 35 minutes long, we're celebrating a state championship," Marshfield head coach Chris Fischer said. "We didn't do enough to finish it out."
In the final 18 seconds as Marshfield took the ball out needing a basket to win, Josiah Rice was in the game for just his third minute guarding Lee. As the clock ticked under seven seconds, Lee drove to his left but lost possession as Rice ripped the ball away and was fouled with 2.9 seconds left.
"I can't say enough about that kid," coach Walz said. "He is the humblest kid on our team. He is a senior kid who's played a lot of sports, three-sport athlete, and he's just a winner. ... Every kid has a role on the team and you have to be ready, and when your name is called you've got to go perform."
Marshfield had a foul to give, and Greene's 1-of-2 free throw trip a foul later helped seal a repeat title without another shot from the Tigers.
"We knew coming in it wouldn't be easy," Greene said. "But we've got a great supporting staff around us with our teammates and coaches that just push us, and to go along with pushing us we also know that they love us, so we know that we can take the constructive criticism and allow us to get better."
While Walz implied that each of the four titles he has been involved with (2009, 2014, 2024) are special, when asked to reflect on key differences beyond the obvious ones with the 2025 team, he spoke of a common thread of grace.
"God blesses us whether we win or we lose, He's got a plan. We trust that," Walz said. "The fact that I have been able to be a part of four championships, it's humbling for me because I look at myself as no different than any other coach out there who's trying to build a winning program. And I talked to these guys and ... why am I in this position? Why has He allowed us to have this success? And I can't answer that, but I'm so grateful for it.
"So when I look back on this year and I see that we won back-to-back, and we haven't done that before, and we won at Division 2 and the Division 1, and that hasn't been done before, I'm just amazed at how God's grace continues to shine on us and our boys. It's not deserved. (Marshfield) deserved to win just as much as we did. Ball just bounced our way, same as last night."
"The one thing I can tell you is that as great as state titles are, that trophy is gonna get dusty. But you know, the relationships that we built as a team, that's what's gonna endure," Walz added. "And the pride that I have, that I had the ability to coach this group of guys for this season. Those are the things that will last."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: High school boys basketball: Wisconsin Lutheran wins D1 state title
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