Wisconsin Lutheran beats Appleton North 68-61 to advance to the Division 1 State Championship game

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin Lutheran defeated Appleton North 68-61 in the Division 1 state semifinals, keeping its undefeated season and hopes for a third straight championship alive.

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Senior Zavier Zens led Wisconsin Lutheran with a game-high 21 points, four rebounds, and two steals. The victory extends the team's winning streak to 39 games over the past two seasons.

Appleton North, making its first state tournament appearance, trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half. The Lightning narrowed the gap to two points with just under six minutes remaining in regulation after sophomore Matthew Rosplochowski hit a pair of free throws.

Wisconsin Lutheran responded with a 9-2 run to secure the victory, capped off by a fast-break dunk from Zens.

Watch: Wisconsin Lutheran beats Appleton North 68-61 to advance to the Division 1 State Championship game

"Our kids, you know, they've been here before, and they stayed steady, and at the end of the game we made enough plays to get the win," Wisconsin Lutheran head coach Ryan Walz said. "We're very thankful for that. We're happy to be moving on because that was a great team."

Wisconsin Lutheran shot 60% (24-40) from the floor and 56% (5-9) from 3-point range. The team also outrebounded Appleton North 27-16. Sophomore Kinston Knueppel scored 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting, and junior Kager Knueppel added 17 points and eight rebounds.

For Appleton North, senior Nathan Ramus scored 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Rosplochowski finished with 18 points, and senior Will Sweeney added 12 points. The Fox Valley Association co-champions shot 51% from the floor.

Along with his performance on the court, Zens won Gatorade Player of the Year on Friday. He is also the second Wisconsin Lutheran player to win Mr. Basketball, joining his cousin and current Charlotte Hornet Kon Knueppel.

"It's great we get the chance to play again (Saturday) and play another super fun competitive game, and it's something we've worked for throughout the whole season, so I'm sure we're all excited, and it's going to be really fun," Zens said.

The Woodland Conference champions are making their seventh state appearance and seeking their fifth state title. Wisconsin Lutheran will play the winner of the semifinal matchup between #2 De Pere (25-3) and #3 Madison Memorial (26-2)

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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