Menominee Nation boys defeat Sturgeon Bay 59-57, advance to Seymour semifinal

Menominee Nation beat Sturgeon Bay 59-57 at Menominee Nation in a tight regional quarterfinal, advancing the No. 7-seeded Eagles to a WIAA regional semifinal at No. 2-seeded Seymour and setting up a trip to Seymour for Friday’s regional semifinal.

Sturgeon Bay held a two-point lead at halftime but could not hold on. Senior guard Ben Ash poured in 28 points for the Clippers and teammate Jaxzen Bleck added 14, finishing Sturgeon Bay’s season at 11-14 after the loss in the playoff game played Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Menominee Nation improves to 14-11 overall with the victory. Conference listings show the Eagles at 6-8 in conference play with a two-game winning streak and a .560 winning percentage, reflecting a late-season push into postseason play. Game-by-game results leading into the playoff win include an 80-77 victory over Shiocton, a 54-53 loss at Weyauwega-Fremont, a 47-41 loss at Wittenberg-Birnamwood, and a 64-40 win over Manawa.

The contest is cataloged both as a WIAA regional quarterfinal and under the D3 Sectional 2A bracket; the Eagles’ advancement places them into the D3 Sectional 2A regional semifinal listing as well. Menominee Nation will travel to face No. 2-seeded Seymour in the regional semifinal on Friday, with exact game time and venue details to be confirmed.

Regional context highlights the competitive balance in Menominee Nation’s conference this season: Bonduel finished 21-3 overall with a 14-0 conference mark, Iola-Scandinavia ended 20-4 (11-3 conf), Wittenberg-Birnamwood closed 18-6 (11-3 conf), and Menominee Nation sits at 14-11 (6-8 conf). Other conference finishes included Weyauwega-Fremont 9-15, Amherst 13-12, Manawa 9-16, and Shiocton 6-19.

With Sturgeon Bay’s season concluded at 11-14, Menominee Nation moves forward carrying a 14-11 record into a higher-seeded matchup at Seymour on Friday. No individual Menominee scoring totals were provided in reports of the game; team results and bracket listings place the Eagles into the next round where Seymour stands between Menominee Nation and the sectional final.