Portage County Gazette

Junior forward Leah Earnest broke the Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) girls basketball team’s single-game scoring record Friday, Nov. 23.

Taking on Division 2 sixth-ranked Pewaukee in the Brookfield Central Thanksgiving Shootout, Earnest poured in 40 points in a 76-69 loss for the Panthers (1-2).

“Leah kept us in it in the first half,” said SPASH girls basketball head coach Kraig Terpstra. “And both her and Madisyn Rogan played really well in the second half.”

A NCAA Division 1 Valparaiso University recruit, Earnest scored 26 points in the Panthers’ 63-60 win at Neenah in the season opener Nov. 16, and then had 22 points in a 58-50 loss at Oshkosh North Tuesday, Nov. 20.

SPASH was at the Brookfield Central Thanksgiving Shootout Friday night to take on Pewaukee, which outscored the Panthers 31-18 in the first half, as Earnest had 14 of SPASH’s 18 points in the first half.

The Panthers rallied to take the lead in the second half, and outscored Pewaukee 51-45 after halftime, but Pewaukee was able to hang on down the stretch for a 76-69 win.

Earnest knocked down a trio of three-pointers and finished with 40 points, while senior guard Madisyn Rogan scored 15 points and junior Hailey Carlson added seven points.

“We had a nice comeback and took the lead in the second half,” said Terpstra. “We played really well for a stretch in the second half.

“I am hoping that will continue,” he said.

Earnest had a total of nine two-point field goals and went 13-of-14 from the free throw line, while she scored 26 of SPASH’s 51 points in the second half.

Her 40 points surpassed the school record of 33 points that Maggie Negaard reached three times (at Neenah Nov. 20, 2015; vs. Oshkosh North Dec. 22, 2015; and at Wisconsin Rapids Jan. 8, 2016) and Leah Eisner set with 33 points against Wisconsin Rapids Feb. 1, 2008.

Janel McCarville held the record before that with 32 points against Marshfield Feb. 2, 2001, and 32 points against D.C. Everest Feb. 6, 2001, while Sarah Warner scored 32 points against Whitnall at the Brookfield Central Thanksgiving Shootout Nov. 28, 2014.