Dixon’s Hallie Williamson finishes regular season on fire

DIXON – Hallie Williamson was on fire to finish the regular season Thursday night.

Dixon’s versatile 6-foot senior forward hit her last eight shots and finished with a game-high 27 points in a 57-31 win over Wisconsin’s Cuba City.

The Duchesses, ranked seventh in the final Associated Press Class 3A poll, looked sharp in the win as they enter the postseason with a 26-5 record.

Dixon held the Cubans (17-4) to 14 points in the first half as it built a 12-point lead at the break. Williamson was 5 of 5 from the field and scored 11 of Dixon’s 21 points in the third quarter.

“I definitely found my rhythm when I hit my first shot coming out of halftime. It’s always nice seeing the basketball go into the hoop,” Williamson said. “We were really energized, and we knew we had to come out here and get a win going into postseason. It was really big for us.”

Williamson finished 12 of 15 from the field. Her final shot of the night was a 3-pointer that made it 52-27 before both teams' reserves played down the stretch.

Morgan Hargrave added 10 points, Reese Dambman hit a pair of 3-pointers, Kiley Gaither had five points, Ahmyrie McGowan had four and Presley Lappin had three as Dixon played its last game of the season at Lancaster Gym.

Dixon held the Cubans to a season-low 31 points. Their previous low was 44.

“I thought we executed our game plan really well,” Dixon coach Luke Ravlin said. “We did a great job working together on defense, and I thought we cleaned up the glass really well. Those things really carried us.”

All of Dixon’s starters had at least four rebounds. Cuba City’s leading scorer was Olivia Olson with 10 points, Ashley Rowe had nine and Ella Vosberg scored eight.

Ravlin said the team did a good job playing together in the 21-point third quarter.

“This team has put in a lot of work and been together a long time,” he said. “I think just that unity and that togetherness was what made that happen.”

Ravlin said when someone is having a big night like Williamson was, it makes everyone’s job easier.

“I think we’ve got a number of players who can do that,” he said. “So we’re blessed that way.”

Dixon is a No. 2 seed in the Class 3A Freeport Regional as the postseason tips off Saturday. The Duchesses play the winner of sixth-seeded Belvidere and ninth-seeded Belvidere North at 6 p.m. Monday.

Williamson said defense is key for the team as the season becomes win or go home.

“I know we have a lot of good competition coming up with good players,” she said. “So I think making sure we have lockdown defense is going to be a really big part.”