MADISON, Wis. (NBC 26) — In a game that featured 13 ties, 11 lead changes and a WIAA state tournament record four overtimes, Arrowhead edged by Neenah, 99-95, to advance to Saturday's Division 1 state championship game.
- It was the longest game and the highest-scoring game in the 108-year history of the WIAA state tournament.
- Neenah was up by 12 points at halftime and led for over 32 minutes of game time.
- The Rockets had a chance to win the game at the end of each of the first three overtime periods, but came up empty.
- Senior guard Brady Corso paced Neenah with 30 points and seven assists; Luke Jung added 22 points.
- Big man Jace Gilbert led the Warhawks with 34 points and 14 rebounds; UWGB commit Bennett Basich had 24 before fouling out in the final overtime period.
- Neenah finishes the season 21-8; the Rockets won 17 of their final 19 games after a 4-6 start.
"December 1, we got our backsides handed to us by Kimberly in the first home game of our new facility," Rockets coach Lee Rabas said after the game. "If you'd have told me walking out that night that we'd have been in Madison I'd have said you're crazy. The growth that we experienced this year was tremendous."
"We laid it on the line tonight," Rabas added. "Personally, disappointed I didn't do a better job at the end of (the first three overtimes) at getting us better shots. That's something that I'll have to live with. But these guys, I'm just proud of the fight that they showed."
"It comes down to heart," Corso, who will play at Division II St. Leo next season, said. "I know that all of our guys laid everything they had on the line.
"We were doing it for each other," Corso added. "We fell short but I know that everybody in the locker room at the end of that game gave all that they had."
Corso finishes his high school career with three consecutive trips to the state tournament. He was a starter as a sophomore on Neenah's state championship team in 2022.
Arrowhead will play Marquette in the Division 1 championship Saturday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
