This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Plain and simple, the Marshfield girls basketball team needed a win over Stevens Point on Friday night to have a shot at its first Wisconsin Valley Conference title since 2020.
The Tigers, who suffered a hard-fought one-point loss at Stevens Point just 11 days ago, came out determined, clamped down defensively and came out the positive side this time around with a convincing 53-37 victory at the Fredrick Construction Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
The win pulls Marshfield into a tie for first place with Stevens Point at 10-1 in the WVC with one game remaining. Marshfield plays at Wausau West and Stevens Point hosts Wisconsin Rapids in their respective conference finales on Thursday. Click here to view the Wisconsin Valley Conference girls basketball standings
“There wasn’t an out-of-bounds play, a different defense, their offense that our girls weren’t prepared for,” Marshfield coach Taylor Varsho said. “I thought our girls executed well. Anytime we can defend like that, we have a pretty good chance of winning basketball games.
“It goes back to how we defended their best player, No. 5 (Jada Seubert). It takes a team effort and I thought the Ridgway twins (Gracie and Emma) did a great job with their athleticism and length.”
Hailey Klumb had a three-point play, and Ashley Grancorvitz hit a 3-pointer and scored inside in an 8-0 run for the Tigers that gave them a 19-12 lead with 7:40 to go in the first half. Marshfield did not trail the rest of the game.
Marshfield did not score over the final 2:40 of the first half but were able to take a 26-21 lead into the break.
Neither offense was able to get much going early in the second half as Stevens Point turned the ball over on four-straight possessions, but held the Tigers scoreless during that stretch.
A 3-pointer from McKenzie Holm broke the seal for the Tigers after going 4½ minutes without a point. The shot sparked a 12-4 run that put Marshfield in firm control.
After Stevens Point closed to within nine at 43-34 following a 3-pointer by Adaleah Nest with 3:24 to go, Marshfield scored 10 of the final 12 points, going 8-for-8 at the free throw line, to earn the 16-point win.
Grancorvitz scored 16 points and five Tigers added six points apiece in the win as they improve to 15-7 overall.
Ayana Bousum and Raella Schueller, two regular starters for the Tigers, came off the bench as they make returns from injury, giving Marshfield a nearly full compliment of players for the first time in more than a month.
“We have to keep getting healthy and do the little things right, whether that’s sleep, nutrition, eating right, it’s all those little things that build up to big things,” Varsho said. “Having a full squad, two extra girls on the bench and play crucial minutes, it’s really nice as a coach. It takes all 16 of us and I couldn’t ask for a better outcome tonight.”
Seubert led Stevens Point (15-7) with 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting, and Nest hit three 3-pointers to score nine for the Panthers.
Tigers 53, Panthers 37
Stevens Point 21 16 – 37
Marshfield 26 27 – 53
STEVENS POINT (37): Adaleah Nest 3-8 0-0 9, Lydia Johnson 1-2 0-0 2, Jada Seubert 5-13 3-3 13, Jacinta Zdroik 0-1 0-0 0, Ellie Strong 0-2 3-4 3, Katie Kornowski 0-1 0-0 0, Harper Robinson 0-0 0-0 0, Lindsey Weiler 2-5 0-0 4, Abby Jossie 2-3 0-0 6. FG: 13-35. FT: 6-7. 3-pointers: 5-12 (Nest 3-4, Jossie 2-2, Zdroik 0-1, Strong 0-1, Kornowski 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Seubert 0-2). Rebounds: 20 (Seubert 4, Nest 4). Turnovers: 21. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: Seubert. Record:
MARSHFIELD (53): McKenzie Holm 2-5 0-1 6, Gracie Ridgway 1-1 0-0 2, Zaida Kolbeck 1-4 3-4 6, Hailey Klumb 2-5 1-3 5, Ashley Grancorvitz 6-10 2-2 16, Raella Schueller 2-4 1-2 6, Ayana Bousum 1-1 4-4 6, Emma Ridgway 2-4 2-2 6. FG: 17-34. FT: 13-18. 3-pointers: 6-11 (Grancorvitz 2-4, Holm 2-5, Schueller 1-1, Kolbeck 1-1). Rebounds: 21 (Holm 7). Turnovers: 17. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: none. Record: