Platteville Advances with 76–66 Win Over River Valley in WIAA Regional Opener

The postseason atmosphere was alive Tuesday night at Platteville High School as the Hillmen opened the first round of the WIAA State Basketball Tournament with a 76–66 victory over River Valley.

With the win, sixth-seeded Platteville improved to 16–9 overall and earned a regional semifinal matchup at Mauston High School on Friday, March 6, with tipoff set for 7:00 p.m. The third-seeded Golden Eagles await after River Valley closed its season at 12–13.

Platteville set the tone early, but River Valley would battle back and take a 30-26 lead into the intermission. The Hillmen would start the second half strong scoring the first ten points of the second half to take a 36-30 lead just two minutes into the second half. Jauron Blevins would lead the charge as the senior would connect on four second half three-point baskets and overall, the Hillmen knocked down nine three-pointers on the night. The Hillmen would eventually build the lead to as many as fifteen points in the second half and hit timely free throws to complete the opening round victory.

Blevins delivered a standout performance, pouring in 23 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He added six rebounds and four assists.

Myron Reuter and Grady Poppy each contributed 12 points, with Reuter attacking the rim and Poppy spacing the floor. Brody Digman was efficient with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, while Braden Streight added 10 points including a key three-point basket late in the contest to thwart a late Blackhawk charge.

Platteville’s offensive balance was evident, as five players scored seven or more points and the Hillmen assisted on 14 field goals. They also made their presence felt on the glass, securing 28 defensive rebounds and limiting River Valley’s second-chance opportunities to just six points.

River Valley found success in the paint, outscoring Platteville 36–24 inside and finishing with 18 assists but struggled from long range (5-of-18) and at the free-throw line (9-of-15). The Hillmen capitalized at the stripe, going 19-of-30 to maintain control.

Now, Platteville turns its focus to Friday night’s road test at Mauston, where the Hillmen will look to continue their postseason run against the No. 3 seed in what promises to be a competitive regional semifinal matchup.