Port boys’ basketball puts self on state map

Down 56-49 with just minutes left to play against the top-ranked team in the state on the road could be too much to overcome.

Not for the Port Washington High School boys’ basketball team.

The Pirates held Slinger scoreless for the last 6 minutes, 17 seconds on Jan. 6 and came all the way back for a 57-56 victory.

Three Pirates scored in the 8-0 run to end the game. The winner came with 12.6 seconds left.

Leading scorer Cal Loose fired a cross-court pass to Will Theisen in the left corner. Theisen pump faked, drove the baseline, drew a double team and dished to open Izaiah Scheftgen, who made a layup.

The Owls didn’t call timeout, drove the court and fired an open three-pointer from the right wing. The shot bounced off the rim and an Owl saved it from going out of bounds, but the ball flew to a Pirate as time expired.

Port’s bench stormed the court in elation.

“That was a huge game for our confidence for sure. We knew we could do it all year. It was really a game that we could showcase what we are. Prove ourselves to the state,” Scheftgen said.

“For me, I’ll remember that in my heart forever,” Loose said.

“That was huge. Our energy was great that game. Everyone was stepping up. It was just great for the program, great to get us rolling even more,” senior Grady Karrels said.

Loose had 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Karrels had 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. Scheftgen had 13 points and five rebounds. Aiden Mitchell had seven points. Theisen had two points and five assists.

“You gotta have some things go your way to win a game like that, but great effort by the guys,” coach Garrett Hoffmann said. 

When Port was down seven, “They didn’t even blink. It really showed how bought in they are to themselves and each other and this team and family. It was awesome,” Hoffmann said.

Theisen hit a scoop shot on a nice pass from Karrels  with four minutes left. Mitchell hit a free throw with just less than three minutes to play to make it 56-52.

Port went to a trapping defense, and Loose got a steal. Mitchell then drained a three-pointer from the right wing to make it 56-55 with two and half minutes left. Slinger called timeout. After exchanging possessions and missed free throws, Mitchell stripped the ball from an Owl, dove for it and passed to Karrels from the floor with 29.5 seconds to play.

Loose and Scheftgen described the action from there.

“I knew, being a leader and captain of the team, the ball had to be in my hands at the end of the game, but they played really strong and physical defense on me,” Loose said. “But I knew I had guys around me, the teammates who put in work in the offseason, so I trusted (Theisen) to get that across the court. He had a great dish down to Izaiah for the layup. Our team chemistry has been nothing but unstoppable this year.”

Scheftgen said, “I didn’t really do much. I kind of just stayed on the other side. Will had a good pump fake and drive, got two guys jumping and dumped it down, so credit to Will on that one.”

Port came into the game ranked No. 9 in the Bound Wisconsin/Zaleski Sports Boys Basketball Media Poll. They moved up to 4. Slinger dropped to 3.

Hoffmann said the win helps his team believe in itself

“It’s definitely big. It gets the guys to kind of realize their full potential, which we talk about sometimes,” he said. “You never know if they always really believe it. It was a good barometer of where we’re at, and the focus is always just on getting better.”

Port won at Kewaskum last Friday, 73-52. Finn Pashak had 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and seven rebounds. Loose had 14 points and six rebounds. Scheftgen had 12 points and Theisen had 11. Karrels scored nine points, had six rebounds and five assists.

Port on Monday beat Hartford at home, 75-51. Karrels had 21 points, Scheftgen had 18 and Loose had 11.

Port, 10-1 and a winner of eight games in a row, hosts Plymouth on Thursday, Jan. 15, and Sheboygan South on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Port is 4-0 in the Glacier Trails Conference and Plymouth and Kettle Moraine Lutheran are each 3-1.

Grafton drops fifth in a row

Grafton continues to be shorthanded due to injuries and dropped its fifth straight game, 80-32, at Sheboygan South on Saturday. Freshman Hank Doyle had eight points and 14 rebounds.

The Black Hawks, 2-9, were to play at Kewaskum on Tuesday, Jan. 13. They host Slinger on Thursday, Jan. 15.