GREEN BAY — It was a magical run for the Notre Dame Tritons girls basketball team, going on a 29 game winning streak in order to secure their third straight Division 2 gold ball. The Tritons defeated Pewaukee for the second year in row, this time by 15 points on Saturday.
Safe to say, the team is now entering or has entered “dynasty” territory.
Head coach Sara Rohde was very humble in her opening statement after her team won their third straight Division 2 state title.
“I’m just really pleased with overall how we played,” she said.
And then after awhile she got a little more excited.
“I am so proud of them,” the head coach said. “Amazingly proud. It kind of just validates everything we do like for an entire year.”
If you talk to Rohde, a two-time Wisconsin coach of the year, it’s always about the players, after all they’re the ones who have to put the game plan into action. They've bought into her program and have never looked back…
“That’s how it all has to start – you have to have leaders who are paving the way for the young kids and setting a good example,” she said. “I’m really lucky to have the girls who come in and work hard and setting the example, which really trickles down to the kids in the long run.”
For Saturday’s game plan in their 15 point win over Pewaukee, they flashed great ball movement for easy buckets throughout the first half to build a double-digit that was too much for the Pirates to overcome. The Tritons had 13 assists at halftime and Pirates only had one.
“We really emphasize that in the championship game, just making the extra pass, hitting the open person,” said junior forward Gracie Grzesk. “I think our team is very unselfish and it showed.”
The Tritons are returning every player next season but one. Senior Hope Barrington, who walked out with coach Rohde to retrieve the gold ball. The senior will be playing at UW-Oshkosh next year.
“Hope just pours her heart and soul really into our program and to the game of basketball,” Rohde said. “She works really hard so it was really exciting to see that we were able to pull this off for her in her final year.”
As one can guess, hoisting the trophy never gets old.
“Every year it doesn’t get boring,” said Grzesk. “We have a target on our backs and I think just coming in and just playing as a team is just – there’s nothing like it. It’s so much fun.”
And this team already has their eyes set on winning 4 straight state titles, something that has never been done before.
“We’ve done it three times, and I got the most confidence that we can do it for four,” said Grzesk.
