Whitefish Bay, Beaver Dam punch tickets to Division 2 championship after dominant semifinal wins

The Blue Dukes and Golden Beavers advance to the title game after impressive performances at the state tournament.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 12:04am

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Whitefish Bay dismantled Elkhorn by 36 points, while Beaver Dam knocked off top-seeded Rice Lake 70-58 in the Division 2 semifinals. The Blue Dukes and Golden Beavers will meet in the championship game on Saturday.

Why it matters

This matchup pits two programs with rich basketball histories against each other. Whitefish Bay is seeking its first state title, while Beaver Dam is chasing its fourth championship. The game promises to be an exciting conclusion to the Division 2 tournament.

The details

Whitefish Bay dominated Elkhorn with a suffocating defense that led to 31 points off turnovers. Rowan Counsell and Sage Miskel combined for 10 steals, and the Blue Dukes hit a Division 2 state tournament record 11 three-pointers. Beaver Dam upset Rice Lake by forcing 13 turnovers, including 11 steals, and going 9-of-21 from three-point range. Nataya Donaldson led the Golden Beavers with 25 points and 9 rebounds.

  • Whitefish Bay and Beaver Dam will meet in the Division 2 championship game on Saturday, March 14, 2026.
  • Whitefish Bay's semifinal win over Elkhorn was on Friday, March 13, 2026.
  • Beaver Dam's semifinal upset of Rice Lake was also on Friday, March 13, 2026.

The players

Whitefish Bay Blue Dukes

A high school basketball team making its eighth state tournament appearance and seeking its first state title.

Beaver Dam Golden Beavers

A high school basketball team making its seventh state tournament appearance and chasing its fourth state championship.

Rowan Counsell

A Whitefish Bay player who recorded 7 assists and 5 steals in the semifinal win.

Sage Miskel

A Whitefish Bay player who contributed 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals in the semifinal victory.

Nataya Donaldson

A Beaver Dam player who scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in the upset of Rice Lake.

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What they’re saying

“Everybody's a weapon, and I think when you have a team that's 10 deep, it's pretty scary, and tonight they showed how awesome that could be.”

— Jon Schneider, Whitefish Bay head coach

“We know everybody can shoot, everyone can drive, everyone knows their role, so we all just go out there and play hard.”

— Sage Miskel, Whitefish Bay player

“I feel like we're such a quick team that we're able to collapse a defense so well, which was why we had like so many assists. We were able to get out to those threes and obviously hit them.”

— Rowan Counsell, Whitefish Bay player

“Obviously, they scored the first couple of buckets, but we were confident that we would settle in. And the reason we were confident is because defense translates to any court, any game. Offense doesn't always do that, so we felt that if we stayed to our defensive principles, and were really good defensively, that eventually we would get some of those things we wanted.”

— TJ Julka, Beaver Dam head coach

“Tiring them out on the defensive end really helps us out. And when our offense isn't going really well, we can always rely on our defense to keep us in games.”

— Nataya Donaldson, Beaver Dam player

What’s next

The Division 2 championship game between Whitefish Bay and Beaver Dam is scheduled for Saturday, March 14, 2026.

The takeaway

This matchup between Whitefish Bay and Beaver Dam showcases two programs with rich basketball histories and contrasting styles of play. Whitefish Bay's balanced scoring attack and suffocating defense will face off against Beaver Dam's relentless defensive pressure and three-point shooting. The championship game promises to be an exciting conclusion to the Division 2 tournament.