MONONA — Thirteen. Nine. Five. One.
As their deficit kept shrinking, their energy kept rising. The noise inside Monona Grove High School rivaled a Metallica concert.
And Middleton’s girls basketball team — which has been the hunted throughout this magical season — was thriving in its new role as the hunter.
“As soon as we started chipping away, you could feel everything changing,” Cardinals senior forward Karina Bursac. “We knew if we just kept playing like that, we had ‘em.”
They sure did.
Middleton, which trailed Madison Memorial, 37-24, at halftime of its WIAA Division 1 sectional final last Saturday, opened the second half on a stunning 20-3 run. The Spartans battled back and forged ties at three different points, but the Cardinals used a late 6-0 run to post a thrilling 61-58 win.