Bass celebrates another basketball title

Tom Miller

September 13, 2014

Mistie Bass finally got to celebrate another championship Friday night after a 13-plus year hiatus.

Bass hit all four of her shots in 15 minutes of play as Phoenix wrapped up a three-game sweep of Chicago in the WNBA championship series with an 87-82 victory.

The 2002 Janesville Parker High graduate last won a title when the Vikings defeated Stevens Point 51-44 in the 2001 WIAA Division 1 state championship game at the Kohl Center. Then a junior, Bass scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds to close out a 26-1 season.

Bass and Parker lost in the state semifinals in her senior season.

She then went to Duke for four seasons. In her senior season, the then Mistie Williams helped the Blue Devils reach the NCAA championship game, where they lost to Maryland in overtime, 78-75.

The Mercury will celebrate its championship this afternoon at the U.S. Airways Center in downtown Phoenix.

Bilderback is back

After sitting out last season due to a shoulder injury, Whitewater High graduate Tony Bilderback is finally getting to play his senior year of football at UW-La Crosse.

The football and track and field standout caught three passes for 103 yards in last week’s 24-8 victory at the University of Dubuque (Iowa). On Saturday, Bilderback caught two passes for 36 yards in the Eagles’ 46-0 loss at St. Thomas (Minnesota).

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound Bilderback led the Eagles with 35 catches for 510 yards and four touchdowns during his sophomore season in 2011.

He was hampered most of his junior season with a groin injury before the shoulder injury prevented him from playing at all last year.

“I wasn’t sure if I would get any more chances,” Bilderback told the La Crosse Tribune. “To have one more shot, it’s a blessing, and I’m going to make the most of it.”

The Eagles will play at UW-Whitewater on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Taking … their … time

The last group of players in the Janesville Parker Invitational came off the Janesville Riverside golf course at around 1:45 p.m. Saturday.

A few players had to go back on the course for playoffs to break individual ties among leaders.

The event began with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m.

There were 24 teams. It was cold in the morning.

But six-plus hours?

Will there be a Favre sighting?

I’ll be in the Lambeau Field stands this afternoon when the Packers take on the Jets.

Opening day at Lambeau isn’t near the raucous party opening day at Miller Park is, but it is fun.

The outside band at Kroll’s tavern across the street from Lambeau is a must see, and the game normally is the warmest of the eight-game home schedule, although it might not be the case with October-like conditions smacking us in the face this week.

Another special part of home openers is the halftime show when many of the former Packers are introduced as part of alumni day.

Bart Starr always receives the loudest ovation, but it sounds like the former quarterback’s recent stroke will keep him away from today’s game.

I have a hunch another former Packer quarterback might be there today. Could Brett Favre make an appearance?

This is advancement?

Sometimes modern technology can’t keep up with the old pencil and paper.

That becomes apparent at least once or twice every Friday night when high school football statistics are called in from around the area.

Many high school teams have gone to using tablets to keep statistics. These are fine—when they work.

Even when the programs run correctly, the results that are emailed or faxed into the office are sometimes difficult to decipher.

And too many times this season, the statistical program crashes during the game. In one game this past Friday, neither team could provide game statistics because both their programs crashed.

And speaking of tablets, Microsoft and the NFL struck a five-year, $400-million deal before the season to make the Microsoft Surface “the official tablet of the NFL,” with coaches and players using the Surface on the sidelines during games.

Several network announcers during Week 1 games mistakenly referred to the tablets as iPads, including Trent Dilfer on the Monday Night Football game between the Cardinals and Chargers.

Apple, Microsoft’s major rival, produces iPads.

Memos likely were sent out this week.

Tom Miller is a page designer/sports writer for The Gazette.