The De Pere Redbirds made sure Senior Night was one to remember.
On February 19, De Pere delivered a commanding 70-30 victory over Manitowoc Lincoln, honoring seniors Abby Tassoul and Hailey Gerlikowski with one of the team’s most complete performances of the season.
The Redbirds came out firing, jumping to a 7-0 lead and quickly extending it to 13-2 as Manitowoc struggled to handle De Pere’s defensive pressure.
The Ships had difficulty finding clean looks against the Redbirds’ aggressive press, while De Pere pushed the ball in transition for easy baskets.
By halftime, De Pere had built a 33-14 lead, fueled by lots of fast break opportunities and unselfish ball movement.
The pressure never let up in the second half.
De Pere continued to dominate on both ends of the floor, stretching the lead to 66-17 with seven minutes remaining.
Manitowoc never brought the deficit within 20 points after the first half, and the Redbirds closed out the night with a decisive 70-30 win, with the entire team able to contribute.
Senior Abby Tassoul said the win made the night even more meaningful.
“With it being senior night it’s a great win for us,” Tassoul said. “We held them to barely any points, they were stuck there without scoring for a while, and everyone scored and we all shared the ball super well, so it was a super fun game.”
Tassoul reflected on what the season has meant to her and her teammates.
“What I’m going to miss most are all of the memories with all of my friends, they are like my best friends,” she said. “Looking back, we have accomplished so much this season, way better than we thought, but we still got playoffs here coming up so we gotta keep winning.”
Head coach Jeremy Boileau praised both seniors and what they’ve meant to the program.
“It means a lot, we finished the season on a solid note, with our two seniors– Abby (Tassoul) and Hailey (Gerlikowski),” Boileau said. “They were also part of a season where we got our 20th win today. That’s kind of a reflection on the tough schedule we had.”
Boileau highlighted Tassoul’s leadership and dedication.
“Abby is a very dedicated player, she puts a ton of time into her game, and she has been that leader playing varsity for four years,” he said.
He also emphasized Gerlikowski’s impact on team culture.
“Haley, she is a player that coaches always love to have. She is the best teammate, gives you the energy, and just being able to have the energy that she gives to us every practice and keeping things positive helps our team stay to where we need to as a team.”
With the regular season complete, De Pere now turns its attention to the postseason.
The Redbirds will face D.C. Everest in the playoffs next Friday, February 27.
“I am proud of how we competed,” Boileau said. “Today was an indication that we are hungry, we are ready to get this playoff season started.”
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