Wauwatosa West Boys Basketball wins its first-ever state title in the WIAA Division 2 State Championship game in a 60-57 Overtime thriller against Racine Park. This is the first-ever title for Boys Basketball and the first team state championship since 1973 for Wauwatosa West.

BOTTOM LINE: Both teams were high on momentum heading into Saturday’s championship. Racine Park had just won narrowly over Cedarburg, and Tosa West had defeated Wausau East by 12 points. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation about who would claim the state title. The game began with a tight back-and-forth scoring exchange. However, foul trouble impacted the Trojans early on, with sophomore Jalen Brown picking up three fouls and junior MJ Kloskey two fouls in the first half. Coach Newbauer had to rely on bench players to minimize further fouls, while Racine Park’s superstar, Jackson Moss, also grappled with two fouls. As the second half unfolded, both teams continued trading leads, with the score too close to call. Brown eventually fouled out with two minutes left, and Kloskey played on edge with four fouls. Racine Park took a 54-52 lead with 47 seconds remaining, but Junior DJ Hennings hit a clutch shot that sent the game into overtime. In overtime, the Trojans pulled ahead with strong defensive plays, leading by one point in the final seconds. Senior Jake Hansen stole the ball from Racine Park and hit two key free throws, securing the WIAA Division 2 State Championship and marking the end of his high school career on a high note.

Wauwatosa West ended a 51-year championship drought, securing their first state title with a 24-6 record for the 2024-2025 season. The victory solidified a memorable season and sparked celebrations among alumni, including Scott Emerich, a 1986 graduate, who commented on the game.

Highlights

• Junior MJ Kloskey concludes his Junior season with 29 points including a highlight dunk, 7 rebounds, and 77% FG Percentage, although despite playing through four fouls, he still manages to hang in there and secure the title.
• Sophomore Jalen Brown despite fouling out, finishes with 14 points, 5 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
• Senior Jake Hansen concludes his High School career with a three-pointer, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 clutch free throws that cement his legacy into Wauwatosa West.
• Defensive efforts by Junior Messiah Chambers with 6 total rebounds (5 defensively), and 3 highlight blocks, junior DJ Hennings with 4 Defensive Rebounds, and several roleplayers on the bench.
• Sophomore Kason Mangum shows his skills off the bench as he was 3/3 with FGs and finishes with 6 points, and 2 rebounds.
• Tosa West won the Division 2 title of course, as well as the wonderful fans who attended the game and the alumni across the network.

Current milestones for the 2024-2025 Wauwatosa West Boys Basketball team:

• 2025 WIAA Division 2 State Champions
• First state championship in program history
• First team state championship since 1973 for Wauwatosa West
• First ever state-appearance for Boys’ Basketball
• First Sectional Final game since 2020
• Taking down co-conference champion Brookfield Central in a crucial playoff game.
• Second conference championship in 3 years
• 7 Straight wins against rival Tosa East in four years.
• Senior Jake Hansen with over 1,500+ points and breaking Andre Carroll’s 2015 record for most points in a career, surpassing the 1,274 point record.
• Junior MJ Kloskey surpasses 1000+ points.
• Sophomore Jalen Brown surpasses 1000+ points

Players thoughts:

“Everybody stepped up when their number was called, and we fought hard the entire game. Ultimately, we made championship plays down the stretch and completed the mission,” said senior Jake Hansen, concluding his high school basketball career after Saturday night’s victory.

Our thoughts:

Congratulations once again to the Wauwatosa West Boys Basketball team for capturing the Division 2 State Championship!