Newman Catholic boys basketball punches their ticket to state, defeating Gibraltar 66-54

SEYMOUR, Wis. (WSAW) - Newman Catholic boys basketball will be heading to Madison next week after defeating Gibraltar 66-54 at Seymour High School. The win gives Newman their first-ever trip to the state tournament.

The Cardinals came out as they often do with a boatload of scoring. They were able to maintain a healthy advantage for most of the first half, leading by nine at intermission 31-22.

Gibraltar stayed within a stone’s throw, cutting the lead to one possession in the second half. However, senior Mason Prey took over with big iso buckets, while Issac Seidel also got to the basket with big layups late to build the lead back to double digits.

Thanks to some late free throws, Newman was able to salt away the game, winning by 12. For Prey, he says the feeling of clinching a trip to Madison is ‘unbelievable.;

“This is something we’ve been working on for a long time,” said Prey. “It’s a childhood dream, especially for me and Issac. We’ve put in a lot of work as has the entire team, so it’s just an incredible feeling.”

Prey finished with 24 points to lead the team while Seidel finished with 21 points.

“We’ve been playing with the same group of guys for the last 13 years and this is what I dreamed of when I first started playing,” said Seidel. “It means a lot to make it to state.”

The berth at state continues a might successful year for the school after the football team won the state title in November. For a group that features seven seniors, finally booking the trip to the Kohl Center is a relief.

“We’ve been so close for so many years now,” said senior Eli Gustafson. “The final goal has been accomplished now and we’ve made it to Madison, we just have a couple more to go now.”

The Cardinals will play for a Gold Ball in Madison starting next Friday at the Kohl Center.