SPORTS

SPASH boys move up to No. 2 in AP poll

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Nick Malovrh and the Columbus Catholic boys basketball team moved up a spot to No. 1 in Division 5 in this week's Associated Press state basketball poll.

WAUSAU -  Two of the top-ranked boys basketball teams in the state will meet in a nonconference game Tuesday in La Crosse.

The matchup will feature Stevens Point Area Senior High, ranked No. 2 in Division 1 in The Associated Press state basketball poll, and  La Crosse Central, the top-ranked program in Division 2. The game is set for a 7:15 p.m. start.

The Panthers (15-2) moved up one spot in the state poll, which was released Monday afternoon. SPASH also is one of 11 local boys and girls basketball teams ranked in the poll this week.

RELATED: Amherst girls move into AP state poll 

RELATED: Local programs make jump in AP poll 

Columbus Catholic (16-0) also moved up one spot to No. 2 in Division 5 for the boys poll and also received a first-place vote. Almond-Bancroft (13-2) remained No. 8 in Division 5 and Edgar (13-3) is eighth in Division 4.

Tri-County (17-1) suffered it first loss of the season last week but is the highest-ranked local girls program in the poll. The Penguins, who lead the Central Wisconsin Conference-10, remained No. 5 in Division 5. Loyal (16-3) and Newman Catholic (15-3) remained No. 8 and No. 9, respectively, in Division 5.

Amherst (15-1) moved up one spot to No. 8 in Division 3. Three local teams are ranked In Division 4 — No. 7 Neillsville (16-1), No. 8 Marathon (15-3) and No. 9 Wittenberg-Birnamwood (16-1). Wittenberg-Birnamwood was edged 40-33 by Amherst last week for the Chargers first loss of the winter

The Marathon boys received a vote in Division 4 as did Assumption in Division 5.

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @timmyjo11

Here is The Associated Press Wisconsin prep basketball poll for the week of February 6, with first-place votes in parentheses, record, total points and last week<s ranking, as voted upon by a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters: < strong>

BOYS 

DIVISION 1. Oshkosh North (10) 16-0, 100, 1.2. SPASH 15-2, 86, 3 3. Kimberly 14-1, 76, 2. 4. Madison Memorial 16-2, 72, 4. 5. Brookfield Central 16-1, 63, 5. 6T. Milwaukee Vincent 14-3, 43, 7. 6T. Oak Creek 15-2, 43,6. 8. Bay Port 14-2, 29, 9T. 9. Arrowhead 13-4, 13, 9T. 10T. Muskego 14-2, 9, 8. 10T. Sun Prairie 13-4, 9, NR.

Others receiving votes: Milwaukee Riverside University 3, Middleton 2, Eau Claire North 2. 

DIVISION 2

1. La Crosse Central (7) 14-2, 97, 1. 2. Beaver Dam (3) 18-0, 92, 2. 3. Waunakee 14-1, 76, 3. 4. Stoughton 14-1, 66, 4. 5. Pius XI 15-2, 57, 5. 6. Cedarburg 16-2, 47, 6. 7. Pewaukee 16-2, 37, 8. 8. Milw. Washington 13-4, 36, 7. 9. Onalaska 16-2, 21, 9. 10. Pulaski 14-2, 12, NR.

Others receiving votes: Whitnall 5, Kaukauna 4.

DIVISION 3

1. Ripon (7) 16-0, 97, 1. 2. Appleton Xavier (3) 16-0, 93, 2. 3. Bloomer 14-2, 72, 6. 4. Martin Luther 14-2, 68, 7. 5. Lake Mills 15-2, 53, 3. 6. Prescott 15-3, 46, 8 7. Edgewood 12-4, 32, 9. 8. Southern Door 14-2, 27, 5. 9. Westby 15-2, 24, 10. 10. Waupun 13-4, 18, NR. 

Others receiving votes: Columbus 12, Prairie du Chien 4, Little Chute 3, New Holstein 1. 

DIVISION 4

1. Destiny (7) 16-1, 97, 1. 2. Darlington (3) 17-0, 93, 2. 3. Cochrane-Fountain City 15-2, 77, 4. 4. The Prairie School 15-2, 70, 5. 5. Young Coggs Prep 16-2, 55, 3. 6. Regis 14-3, 54, 6. 7. Laconia 13-3, 41, 7. 8. Edgar 13-3, 17, 8. 9T. Deerfield 15-2, 9, NR. 9T. Spring Valley 12-4, 9, 10. 

Others receiving votes: Phillips 7, Stanley-Boyd 6, Saint Mary's Springs 5, Howard's Grove 4, Shiocton 4, Marathon 2. 

DIVISION 5

1. Seneca (8) 17-0, 96, 2. Columbus Catholic(1) 16-0, 87, 3. 3. Barneveld (1) 14-2, 81, 4T. 4. Hilbert 16-1, 69, 4T. 5. Shullsburg 15-1, 62, 1. 6. Bangor 15-1, 52, 6. 7. Gresham 13-2, 36, 7. 8. Almond-Bancroft 13-2, 30, 8, 9. McDonell Central 11-3, 17, 9. 10. Milw. Academy of Science 11-6, 7, NR.

Others receiving votes: Alma/Pepin 3, Black Hawk 3, Assumption 2, Sheboygan County Christian 2, Rio 2, Valley Christian 1. 

GIRLS 

DIVISION 1

1. Appleton North (9) 19-0, 99, 1. 2. Milwaukee King (1) 19-0, 91, 2. 3. De Pere 17-2,77, 4. 4. Germantown 17-2, 67,5. 5. Arrowhead 16-3, 59, 6. 6. Mukwonago 17-2, 50, 3. 7. Middleton 16-2, 43, 7. 8. Sun Prairie 16-3, 34, 8. 9. Madison East 14-4, 10, NR. 10. Hudson 14-3, 9, 9.

Others receiving votes: Oak Creek 5, Bay Port 4, Appleton West 1, Hamilton 1.

DIVISION 2

1. Beaver Dam (10) 18-0, 100, 1. 2. New Berlin West 18-1, 87, 3. 3. Pewaukee 16-3, 62, 5. 4. Stoughton 16-3, 61, 8. 5. West De Pere 16-1, 60, 2. 6. Plymouth 15-2, 52, 6. 7. Monroe 16-2, 51, 4. 8. Hortonville 14-3, 35, 9. 9. Waunakee 15-3, 15, 7. 10. Union Grove 16-3, 13, NR.

Others receiving votes: New Berlin Eisenhower 9, Cedarburg 2, Luxemburg-Casco 1, Mount Horeb 1, Onalaska 1. 

DIVISION 3

1. Whitewater (8) 17-1, 98, 1. 2. Martin Luther 17-1, 86, 2. 3. Edgewood (2) 15-3, 82, 3. 4. Richland Center 16-1, 66, 4. 5. Wrightstown 15-2, 57, 6. 6. Freedom 16-2, 49, 5. 7. Valders 17-2, 44, 7. 8. Amherst 15-1, 31, 9T. 9. Bloomer 14-3, 18, 9T. 10T. Kewaunee 14-4, 7, 8. 10T. Hayward 14-4, 7, NR. 

Others receiving votes: Waupun 3, West Salem 1.

DIVISION 4

1. Aquinas (8) 17-0, 97, 1. 2. Lourdes Academy (2) 16-1, 91, 3. 3. Wisconsin Heights 16-0, 74, 4. 4. Melrose-Mindoro 18-0, 68, 5. 5. Laconia 18-1, 59, 2. 6. Howards Grove 17-1, 52, 6. 7 Neillsville 16-1, 49, 7. 8. Marathon 15-3, 26, 10. 9. Wittenberg-Birnamwood 16-1, 19, 8. 10. Mineral Point 14-4, 5, 9. 

Others receiving votes: Cochrane-Fountain City 4, Kenosha Saint Joesph Catholic Academy 3, Ozaukee 3. 

DIVISION 5

1. Clayton (10) 17-0, 100, 1. 2. Black Hawk 17-0, 90, 2. 3. Flambeau 15-1,74, 4. 4. Bangor 15-3, 59, 6. 5. Tri-County 17-1, 48, 5. 6. Shullsburg 14-3, 44, 7. 7. McDonell Central 16-3, 43, 3. 8. Loyal 16-3, 35, 8. 9. Newman Catholic 15-3, 24, 9T. 10. Riverdale 15-3, 23, 9T. 

Others receiving votes: Milwaukee Academy of Science 8, Living Word Lutheran 2.