This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Rust was showing early for the Marshfield girls basketball team.
After a week off, the Tigers started Friday’s WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal against Holmen a bit slow on the offensive end, but after getting their feet wet, and their defense cranked up, Marshfield used a big run to pull ahead and never looked back, defeating the Vikings 60-44 at the Fredrick Construction Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
The No. 7 seed Marshfield (17-7) moves on to a D-1 regional final at No. 2 seed Hudson (19-5) on Saturday night at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to next week’s sectional.
Holmen led 11-7 before the Tigers used a trapping full-court press to force four consecutive turnovers and 12-straight points to take the lead.
Ashley Grancorvitz and McKenzie Holm drilled 3-pointers and baskets from Emma Ridgway and Grancorvitz, and the Tigers surged ahead, taking control the rest of the way.
“We spent a week practicing, we’re used to playing two times a week, and came out with a slow start,” Marshfield coach Taylor Varsho said. “We turned it on after Holmen called a timeout, whether it was attacking the basket, getting to the free throw line, hitting a few big shots, and it all started with our defensive pressure. We trapped a little in the full court and turned them over for some easy baskets. I thought we played and have a big one tomorrow.”
Holmen responded with four points to close to within four, but Marshfield was able to stabilize things and took a 27-18 lead into halftime after consecutive baskets by Zaida Kolbeck in the final minute.
Back-to-back 3-pointers by Holmen’s Danika Rebhahn opened the scoring in the second half to bring them within three before Marshfield went on a 12-5 run to take a 10-point lead. Grancorvitz had five points in the run that was capped by another driving basket from Kolbeck, putting the Tigers up 39-29 with 11 minutes left.
Holmen never really threatened after that as Marshfield was able to maintain its big lead and finished off the victory by making six of seven free throws in the final 1:17.
Grancorvitz finished with 17 points, Kolbeck had 14 and Emma Ridgway 10 for the Tigers, who shot 49 percent (22-for-45) from the field and committed just nine turnovers, compared to 16 from Holmen (14-11).
Now a rematch with Hudson, which defeated Marshfield 61-42 back at the Tigers’ holiday tournament just before New Year’s. Marshfield led that game by one at halftime before imploding offensively in a game that sent them in a funk for nearly three weeks as they lost five of seven.
Since Jan 23, Marshfield is 7-1 and has won five in a row.
“Defensively, they beat us down the floor,” Varsho said of the first matchup with Hudson. “I think it’s in the back of the girls’ minds. We lost to them by 20, but it doesn’t matter. We’re going to compete. We are a totally different ball club, with a completely different rotation. Every kid has a role. If we choose to do those roles, that will be the difference in the game.”
Tigers 60, Vikings 44
Holmen 18 26 – 44
Marshfield 27 33 – 60
HOLMEN (44): Macy Kline 2-6 3-4 8, Hennessy Lamere 0-1 1-2 1, Lyida Olson 0-1 0-0 0, Sydney Valiska 2-9 0-0 6, Olivia Schneider 2-4 2-2 7, Izzy Jahr 4-13 5-7 13, Danika Rebhahn 3-7 0-1 9. FG: 13-41. FT: 11-16. 3-pointers: 7-15 (Rebhahn 3-6, Valiska 2-6, Schneider 1-1, Kline 1-1, Jahr 0-1). Rebounds: 23 (Jahr 8). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Valiksa, Schneider. Record: 14-11.
MARSHFIELD (60): McKenzie Holm 3-5 0-0 7, Delaney Varsho 0-0 0-0 0, Gracie Ridgway 0-1 1-2 1, Zaida Kolbeck 5-9 4-5 14, Natalie Kanitz 0-0 0-0 0, Hailey Klumb 0-4 1-2 1, Emma DeLany 0-0 0-0 0, Ella Allar 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Grancorvitz 7-10 1-2 17, Raella Schueller 1-5 0-0 2, Ayana Bousum 3-5 2-3 8, Emma Ridgway 3-6 3-6 10. FG: 22-45. FT: 12-20. 3-pointers: 3-11 (Grancorvitz 2-4, Holm 1-3, G. Ridgway 0-1, Kolbeck 0-1, Bousum 0-1, E. Ridgway 0-1). Rebounds: 28 (Holm 5, E. Ridgway 5). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: none. Record: 17-7.