Sports

The great, but somewhat crusty Mark Twain once proclaimed: “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”

The way many golf courses in the area feel, Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has also spoiled their good walk.

Evers issued a “Safer At Home” order on March 25 stating that non-essential businesses must close in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. In that order, Evers listed golf courses among non-essential businesses, but allowed other outdoor activities such as hiking, biking and walking to continue.

Evers’ order — which runs through April 24 — left many in the golf arena both shocked and confused.

Middleton’s girls basketball team had a dream season — even if it ended prematurely.

And the Cardinals were recently rewarded for their efforts.

Senior forward Sitori Tanin was named first-team all-Big Eight Conference. Senior guard Josie Lemirande, senior forward Karina Bursac and sophomore wing McKenna Monogue were all named second-team all-conference, while senior guard Evie Coleman earned honorable-mention all-conference honors.

Tanin, a three-year starter and a University of Loyola recruit, had her best season yet. Tanin led the Cardinals in scoring (14.6), rebounding (10.8) and assists (3.2). Tanin was also second in steals (1.7), shot 45.2% from the floor and 68.0% from the free throw line.

Editor’s Note: The Middleton girls basketball team finished the year 25-1, won a share of the Big Eight Conference championship and reached the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.

The Cardinals were the No. 1 seed at state, and the first state championship in school history seemed quite possible. But less than 24 hours before Middleton’s state semifinal game, the WIAA canceled the season due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

The Times-Tribune was planning a special section devoted to Middleton’s terrific year if the Cardinals had won the state title. We’ll never know if that would have happened or not, but we’d like to devote this space to look back on Middleton’s magnificent season.

What follows is a short look at each of Middleton’s games from a memorable 2019-’20 season.

1.    Middleton 54, Waunakee 34

This was not the way it was supposed to end.

Josie Lemirande and her Middleton girls basketball teammates dreamed of hoisting a gold ball at the WIAA Division 1 state tournament in Green Bay last weekend.

Instead, roughly 19 hours before the Cardinals’ state semifinal game with Oconomowoc, Lemirande heard a knock on her hotel door.

“We were all sleeping,” said Lemirande, who was sharing a room with teammates Sitori Tanin, Karina Bursac and Kendall Roquet. “Nobody wanted to get the door, so I finally did. And I as I was going there, I just had a bad feeling.”

With good reason.

The WIAA made the difficult decision of canceling all remaining winter sports — including the girls’ state basketball tournament — due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19. And now, several Cardinals were at the door with the heartbreaking news.

Jeff Kind, Middleton’s girls basketball coach, insists you shouldn’t shed a tear for him.

Kind has taken 11 different teams to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament.

He’s helped the Cardinals win at least a share of 11 Big Eight Conference titles since the 2006-’07 season.

And he’s had a large hand in making countless girls better basketball players — and human beings — during his more than four decades in coaching.

But it’s hard not to have a bit of sympathy for Kind these days.

The one thing that has eluded Kind — his white whale, if you will — is a state championship. Middleton’s 2020 team seemed poised to change all of that, to capture the first state title in school history and reward Kind with his first-ever gold ball.

Amazingly, though, this year’s tournament was cancelled on March 19 due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

If it wasn’t for bad luck at the state tournament, Kind wouldn’t have any.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. – Middleton's girls basketball team will play in the WIAA Division 1 state tournament Friday and Saturday. But most fans will have to watch it on television.

The WIAA, in accordance with policies and guidance from public health organizations and the World Health Organization for mass gatherings, annpunced Thursday morning that it will be limiting attendance at the remainder of all winter tournament events scheduled March 12-14 and March 19-21.

The guidelines for mass gatherings calls for restriction of public events to 50-250 attendees, depending on the event and venue. This pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances that make these decisions and actions prudent and necessary.

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.

Jeff Kind has taken Middleton’s girls basketball program to the state tournament a remarkable nine times since 2008. Overall, Kind has led the Cardinals to state 12 times since 1993.

In that stretch, Middleton has reached the state championship game four times, but is 0-4 in title contests.

Can 2020 finally be the year Kind and the Cardinals bring home a gold ball?

Middleton earned a trip back to state last Saturday with a thrilling 61-58 win over Madison Memorial in a WIAA Division 1 sectional final.

The Cardinals are now the No. 1 seed at the state tournament will battle fourth-seeded Oconomowoc in a state semifinal game on Friday at 6:35 at the Resch Center in Green Bay. Second-seeded and defending state champion Bay Port meets third-seeded Divine Savior Holy Angels in the other semifinal game.

The winners advance to the state championship game Saturday at approximately 8:15 p.m.

OCONOMOWOC — Middleton boys basketball coach Kevin Bavery had seen this movie throughout a frustrating season.

And Bavery certainly wasn’t in the mood for a sequel.

Turnovers. Questionable decisions. Ill-advised shots.

They were all part of the Cardinals’ script this winter. And Middleton had them once again during a 62-48 loss at Oconomowoc in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal last Friday.

Middleton, the 11^th-seed in its sectional, finished the year 9-14. Oconomowoc, the No. 6 seed, improved to 14-9, then upset third-seeded Madison Memorial the following night.

“I honestly felt like we were the better team,” Bavery said. “And yet the results, at the end of the day, they speak for you. We were 9-14 and 9-14 is the reality. It’s the old NFL adage, right? You are what your record says you are.”

BELOIT — Middleton’s girls basketball team often exchanges warm-up tops when they’re going through their pre-game drills.

For example, Karina Bursac might don Berkley Smith’s shirt, Smith might wear Lauryn Abezoid’s and Abezoid might put on Kendall Roquet’s.

Like the rest of her teammates, Sitori Tanin was in a different pre-game top Thursday night. When it was time for the real Tanin to step up, though, boy, did she deliver.

In Middleton’s WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal, Tanin had an enormous night with 26 points and 17 rebounds and powered the Cardinals to a 62-55 win over Janesville Craig at Beloit Memorial’s Barkin Arena. After a quiet first half in which she was plagued by fouls, Tanin erupted with 20 points and 11 rebounds in the second half alone.