Momentum brewing as playoffs loom

The DeForest Norskies girls’ basketball team will be battle-tested once the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 2 playoffs come around next week.

Since around the start of February, the Norskies were among the hottest teams in the Badger-Large Conference, picking up five straight wins, two of which included a 51-44 win over Lakeside Lutheran on Feb. 7, followed by a 17-point road victory over Monona Grove, 70-53, on Feb. 10.

But the schedule didn’t lighten up — even with the playoffs knocking on the door — as the Norskies closed the regular season with back-to-back games against state-ranked foes: Waunakee and Beaver Dam.

To DeForest’s credit, the Norskies gave both teams a run for their money, but fell just short in a 62-57 loss to the Warriors on Feb. 13 and a 65-55 loss to the Golden Beavers on Feb. 19, thus concluding the 2025-26 regular season with a 13-11 overall record, including a 5-9 mark against Badger-Large competition.

Strong individual outings spark a strong stretchIn spite of their past two losses, a larger sample size indicates momentum is brewing for the Norskies, something head coach Jerry Schwenn credits to their ability to have other players step up when needed.

In their game against Monona Grove, junior guard Brinley Goninen delivered quite the jaw-dropping stat line: 15 points, four rebounds, six assists, seven steals and six blocks.

This came before junior forward Alexis Accuardi scored 19 points and corralled 15 rebounds during their loss against Waunakee.

DeForest junior Alexis Accuardi scored 19 points and corralled 15 rebounds during the Norskies' 62-57 loss to Waunakee after posting 14 points and 14 boards in their 70-53 win over Monona Grove.

Then there’s junior guard Addy Heuer, who scored a team-high 22 points at Monona Grove, shooting a 4-for-7 clip from behind the arc, which marked her third straight game in which she finished in double figures.

But that list isn’t all.

Junior forward Anabelle Stravinski scored eight points and corralled four rebounds in that win over the Silver Eagles, while junior forward Ava Schwenn has posted three or more rebounds per game over her past five games, which included a 13-rebound, 16-point effort during the Norskies’ 65-22 beatdown over Watertown in early February.

“We’ve got a lot of players that are doing a little bit more and having a little better understanding of what’s expected of them,” DeForest head coach Jerry Schwenn said, later adding: “They’re finding their stride a little bit and recognizing what they truly can be, I think that bodes well if we can develop that consistency going forward.”

Defensive intensity also noteworthy

Among the other key reasons behind the Norskies’ 5-2 stretch to close the regular season can also be credited to an increase in defensive intensity.

During the Norskies’ five-game losing streak from Jan. 8 to Jan. 27, their opponents were averaging 65.6 points per game. Since then, however, their opponents are averaging just 47.5 points per game.

This level of defensive intensity has paid off on the glass, too, where the Norskies notably outrebounded Waunakee by double digits, 44-33, in addition to notching 15 offensive rebounds, including five from Alexis Accuardi and three each from Ava Schwenn and Addy Heuer.

In the playoffs, where each and every possession gets maximized, defense is what can get a team over the hump. Defense can be the difference between regionals and sectionals.

Defense is the difference between winning...or going home.

“We’re going to play in different gyms and different atmospheres, and if you play good defense, you’re going to give yourself a chance,” Schwenn said.

Playoffs up next

Now, it’s officially playoff time for the Norskies.

DeForest will look to build off last year’s postseason run in which they claimed a regional title — thanks to wins over Sparta and La Crosse Central — before falling in the WIAA Sectional Semifinals in a narrow defeat to No. 1 seed West Slam.

“We didn’t take an easy path last year, and I think we gained some valuable experience,” Schwenn said. “This team has it in them to do some really good things this postseason, but I think we have to recognize that we have to play to our strengths.”

The Norskies, seeded No. 3 in Sectional No. 2 of the Division 2 bracket, will face No. 6 seed McFarland or No. 11 seed Portage on Friday, Feb. 27, in the regional semifinals. The Norskies are familiar with McFarland, having beaten the Spartans 68-51 in the DeForest Holiday Classic this season.

If DeForest wins, they will play in the regional finals on Saturday, Feb. 28, playing the winner of No. 2 seed Milton versus No. 7 seed Stoughton/No. 10 Reedsburg.