For the second straight year since moving to the SEC, Kingsland girls are division champions. The Knights’ last three SEC scheduled games were at Spring Grove (5-17), at Houston (18-4), and then at Grand Meadow (15-8).
Kingsland (10-0, 14-8) entered the final stretch run with two less losses than the Larks (10-2, 15-8) atop the West division. Steve Hauser’s girls needed just one win in those three games to guarantee a share of the SEC-West title. They took the easier path. At the Lions, the Knights trailed 22-21 at halftime. Kingsland junior guard Sam Wernimont then went off in the second half. After zero in the first stanza, she tied a season-high with 19 points after intermission. The Knights rallied for the walk-away 56-42 win. Ellie Buchholtz added a double-double (18 pts, 7-12 FGs, 11 rebs, 6 asts) for team double-K. Shelby Beck scored 6 points in her second game back following an early injury. Kingsland (11-0, 15-8), last year’s co-East champ, is back to full strength. The Knights then beat Houston in a big Monday game (more info next week). That win claimed Kingsland the West Division out-right.