MADISON (NBC 26) — With exactly the seven minutes on the clock, the Kohl Center horn sounded for a media timeout.
Roncalli trailed Marshall by 41-33 in the WIAA Division 4 state semifinal round. Their offense had been stymied. Their defense was fatigued. It looked like their great season might be coming to an end.
That's when star player Luke Pautz's older brother, now an assistant coach, gave Roncalli's seniors a message that helped them extend their careers.
"He said, 'Guys, you have seven minutes for the rest of your lives. Seven minutes to go here, seniors,'" head coach Joe Garceau said. "And they responded."
That they did.
Roncalli rallied and took the lead in a what felt like less than a Manitowoc minute. Led by Pautz, they closed the game on a 14-0 run to beat Marshall 50-43.
"He never had this opportunity," Pautz said of his brother. "There was extra drive in me that wanted to do it for my brother and all those guys that came before us.
"It's seven minutes you're never going to get back in your life," Pautz added. "It's either now or never, so we gave it all out there."
Roncalli hoops channeled Varsity Blues en route to a huge comeback win in the state semifinal.
— Brandon Kinnard (@brandonkinnard) March 18, 2022
Down 8 with less than 7 minutes to play, @Luke_pautz5's older brother told the seniors "You have 7 minutes for the rest of your lives."
They closed the game on a 14-0 nothing run. pic.twitter.com/VLevhWtMV5
Pautz led the Jets with 20 points and 14 rebounds. He also had four assists, including one that led to Roncalli's game-winning bucket: A corner three from senior guard Ryan Fischer with 2:08 to play in the game.
Roncalli advances to Saturday's state championship game in search of its second title in program history. They will play top-seeded Milwaukee Academy of Science on Saturday. Tipoff is set for approximately 1:00 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
