Red Wing coach Dave Muelken reeled off several  reasons for the Wingers’ 63-45 quarterfinal victory over New Prague: strong defense, senior leadership, positive attitude, familiarity with Williams Arena and confidence gained from playing an opponent they had defeated twice during the regular season.

But the biggest reason stood six-feet tall with a thick headband, a gymful of game and unlimited confidence.

Tesha Buck, Red Wing’s do-everything guard, used Wednesday’s game as a personal showcase. She scored 32 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out four assists. Most importantly, she led the Wingers into Thursday’s semifinals after two previous quarterfinals losses.

“She was great, as usual,” said Muelken. “It’s nice to have a player who can get you a basket whenever you need it.”

The game didn’t start out well for Buck. The Wisconsin-Green Bay recruit committed two fouls early as New Prague took a 9-5 lead. But she found her game shortly after, scoring nine consecutive points in an array of styles: pull-up jumper, long three-pointer, baseline drive and a fast-break layup. Red Wing led 25-15 at halftime with Buck accounting for 19 points

She continued her high-scoring ways well into the second half and would have had more had she not fouled out with two minutes left.

“We’ve come down here the last two years and fell short,” said Buck. “This is my senior year. I want to go out with a bang.”

JIM PAULSEN

1. Tesha Buck, Red Wing
While she was held to JUST 13 points in the second half, her 32 total led all players. Inside and out she made everything on the court look easy. When she fouled out with more than two minutes remaining there was little doubt the Wingers would hold on to a sizable lead.

2. Macy Kelly, Red Wing
A vocal leader on the court, Kelly was consistently in on every loose ball and finding the open spot when Buck was double and triple teamed. She finished with eight points but her contribution was much larger than that in this Red Wing victory.

3. Maizie Deihl, New Prague
With Buck shadowing her much of the day, nothing came easy for Deihl. She still managed to put up 14 points and never backed down from her much larger opponent.

-Jake Lunemann, MN Girls Basketball Hub Staff