Coach Geier notches 400th career win

Kewaunee girls basketball coach Lynn Geier got her 400th career win at home against Valders last Tuesday, the fifth most by a female girls basketball coach in Wisconsin history.

“It means something, but not more than being a coach,” Geier said. “There’s a legacy, sticking it out, not leaving the program. I continue to have the passion for the game, the competitiveness. You just love the girls you come across, and try to teach them the game. It’s a lot more than just the on-the-court stuff, too.”

The 2024 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association inductee has a 400-149 career record.
In her two stints of coaching over 22 seasons, Kewaunee has won 12 Packerland Conference championships. Seven of them have been solo (1990, ’91, ’17, ’19, ’20, ’21 and ’25) and five shared (1992, ’11, ’12, ’13, ’24). Three were as the Indians, and seven — including the first season of the mascot name change, 2010-’11 — as the Storm.

Geier’s been able to have both of her daughters as assistants; first Nicole, and now Brook.

Asked how her relationship evolved with her daughters after they graduated, Geier said she expects a lot more from a coach.

“I tell them, ‘I need your eyes and ears in the game. If you see anything, please run it past me. If I think it’s a good adjustment, we’ll go with it.’”

Kewaunee (7-0 in the Packerland, 12-4 overall) followed the win over Valders with a tough 64-57 loss to visiting Manitowoc Lutheran, a team that knocked the Storm out of the sectional in overtime last March.

Geier’s team led by as many as 14, at 30-16, with 6:20 left in the first half. That’s when they were whistled for the first of several controversial blocking fouls, two more in the second half. The momentum swung, and the Lancers cut the lead to six, 37-31.

Senior star Jade Kroll had 20 points in the first 18 minutes, but was face-guarded and double-teamed any time a teammate managed to get her the ball the second half. She ended with 24 points, while Gabby Stangel and Summer Walechka each had eight.

Marissa Melhorn led all scorers with 30 points, while Makiah Krause and Abigail Behnke each had a dozen.

“When the ball goes through the hoop, everything works,” Geier said. “When it doesn’t, there’s a little doubt, and you have to work harder on defense. I was a little disappointed discipline-wise. We needed to adjust, and take care of the ball a lot more. It just didn’t happen for us tonight, but it’s good to see them. These games can make us better.”

Meanwhile, Algoma got a career-high 17 points from freshman Reagan Schneider in a 57-27 win over Oconto last Thursday. She had five three-pointers. Jadyn Nellis and Sadie Rikkola each added 10, Lauren Loucks had nine and Claire Gerdmann eight.

Then on Tuesday night, Schneider and Nellis combined for 27 points — including seven of the team’s 10 three-pointers — in a 52-46 win at Peshtigo. Gerdmann added 10 as the Wolves improved to 9-1 in conference play.

Luxemburg-Casco fell to Little Chute, 54-37. Brianna Bray had 13 points and Sienna Blohowiak and Alana Mrotek each six.