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WISCONSIN RAPIDS - Nick Malovrh hit a shot from the right corner late in the second half and turned and let out a yell as he headed back up the court. 

It was the final in a stretch of three 3-pointers for Malovrh that he hit in a span of two minutes to break open a close game. The Dons' senior finished with a game-high 23 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead Columbus Catholic to a 63-53 win over Assumption on Thursday in a WIAA Division 5 boys basketball sectional semifinal.

"The team just got me the ball," Malovrh said. "They made it happen. I was just there to put the ball in the net."

Top-seeded Columbus Catholic (24-2) moved a win away from its second consecutive state tournament appearance and third overall in the program's history. Malovrh was one of four players in double figures for the Dons, who have won 15 straight games and advanced to Saturday's sectional final in Antigo. 



The Dons, who were the top-ranked Division 5 team in the final Associated Press state boys basketball poll of the season, face Green Bay N.E.W. Lutheran for the sectional title. 

"It's exciting but you have to play it like any other game," Columbus Catholic coach Joe Konieczny said. "Just give it your best and live with it. That's kind of been our motto all season."

Jacob Sullivan had 18 points for the second-seeded Royals, who had a five game winning streak snapped. Joe Grundhoffer and Tyler Schmidt both added 13 points for the Royals, who were vying for their first state berth since 2009.  



The teams had met in the opening game of the season as the Royals got a 58-43 win in a Cranberry Classic with three players in double figures. Grundhoffer led he way for Assumption in that game with 16 points in that game and the 6-foot-6 senior post player was a focus for the Dons on Thursday. 

"Grundhoffer is physical and he's so good in the post. He's tough to stop," Malovrh said. "Tonight we had to have help on him a lot, probably doubled him every time he had the ball."

The Dons took the lead for good in the rematch on a late basket in the first half to take a one-point lead at the break and then opened the second half on an 8-0 run. 

Assumption closed to within 36-34 on a 3-pointer with 11:38 left in the half and then both teams went scoreless for nearly the next four minutes. Malovrh then hit a 3-pointer on back-to-back attempts within a minute of each other, and added a third just 55 seconds after that to give the Dons a 45-34 lead with 5:51 left. 

"It's not like we weren't right there (defensively) either," Assumption coach Gary Weisenbeck said of Malovrh. "The kid is a great shooter and he makes some tough shots. (Columbus Catholic) is 24-2 for a reason and I would like their chances to get to state on Saturday. Tonight when we needed a shot to go in, we just couldn't get it to go in."

The Royals closed to within 47-43 with just over three minutes left but the Dons pulled away down the stretch. 

"We had some chances but just couldn't get over the hump tonight," Weisenbeck said. "This team has got over the hump a lot this year. If you look at our schedule, we have had some really close scores and pulled some games out at the end. Tonight just wasn't our night."

The Dons hit the first two of regulation but never led by more than five points in a back-and-forth first half in which there were eight lead changes and two ties. Bryce Fuerlinger laid a shot in under the basket with 37 seconds left to give Columbus Catholic a 24-23 lead at the break. 

Malovrh had three 3-pointers and 11 points in the first half and nearly hit a half-court shot at the end.

"He has been big for us all year," Konieczny said. "He had that run there in the second half that was key ... and our guys did a pretty good job of finding him."


Col. Cath.   24   39   -   63

Assu    23  30   -  53

COLUMBUS CATHOLIC (63): Nick Malovrh 23, Bryce Fuerlinger 4, Noah Taylor 11, Ethan Meece 13, Noah Hansen 12. Totals: 24 7-12 63.

ASSUMPTION (53): Tyler Schmidt 13, Ethan Peters 4, Nick Smits 5, Jacob Sullivan 18, Joe Grundhoffer 13, Lucas Jungwirth 2. Totals: 19 13-17

3-pointers: CC 8 (Malovrh 7, Meece); Assu 4 (Schmidt 2, Sullivan 2)

Records: Columbus Catholic 24-2, Assumption 20-6