This story is sponsored by: Wisconsin Homes of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – A quick start and a dominant shooting display in the early portion of the second half was more than enough for the Marshfield boys basketball team to win its third-straight game on its home court.
The Tigers never trailed and made eight of 12 shots from 3-point range in the second half on their way to a 50-29 victory over Wausau West in a Wisconsin Valley Conference matchup Tuesday night at the Fredrick Construction Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
With the victory, Marshfield is now 7-4 overall and 4-0 in the WVC, and opens up a 1½-game lead in the standings over West (8-4, 3-2 WVC) and Stevens Point. Click here to view the Wisconsin Valley Conference boys basketball standings
The Tigers started the game on a 14-2 run over the first 6½ minutes as Brooks Hinson hit a pair of 3-pointers, and Landon Lee and Joey Ketterer also hit from deep and they were never truly challenged the rest of the way.
After West responded with an 7-0 run, Marshfield scored six of the final seven points of the half and led 20-10 at the break.
“Wausau West is really, really good as a group five players,” Marshfield coach Chris Fischer said. “They are really connected defensively and offensively. You’re not going to win a time of possession battle with them because they are going to be disciplined and try to get a really good shot every time down.
“We got out early, 14-2, and that it was we weren’t taking a good shot, they would hold it for 30 seconds and get a layup, we’d foul them. We went on a nice little six-point run to end the half, and then in the second half it was all about what we were going to do offensively.”
The Tigers came out sizzling from 3-point range in the second half as Hinson and Chris Pohl each hit a pair of long balls.
Following a 3-pointer by Bennett Matteson for West, Landon Lee, Ketterer and Hinson hit from deep. Hinson added a basket on a drive inside and Lee knocked down another 3 as part of a 16-0 run that all but ended it.
“We really emphasized post touches, paint touches in the second half,” Fischer said. “Valin (Ramberg), Chris Pohl, Ethan (Knecht), they were really patient for us in the post because West was collapsed on us so hard and they did a good job of finding guys over the top of that. All of those guys are working really hard at the games with their backs against the basket.”
Marshfield led 50-19 before West finished the game on a 10-0 run against the Tigers’ reserves.
Hinson ended up with 17 points, Lee had 11 and Pohl 10 for the Tigers.
After playing three times in five days, Marshfield will have a few days off before another big stretch, playing at Merrill on Friday, at La Crosse against state-ranked Waunakee on Saturday and at Neenah next Tuesday in a rematch of last year’s Division 1 sectional final that was won by the Rockets.
“We’re still working on our conditioning a little bit and we have another tough stretch coming up,” Fischer said. “Another three games in a five-day stretch against a conference opponent on the road and two of the best teams in the state. That’s the way we like it, we want to be challenged.”
Tigers 50, Warriors 29
Wausau West 10 19 – 29
Marshfield 20 30 – 50
WAUSAU WEST (29): Kargie Cooper 3-6 1-2 7, Marcus Macdonald 0-0 0-0 0, Griffin Lange 2-5 2-2 6, Miles Waldvogel 2-2 1-1 5, Bennett Matteson 1-10 0-0 3, Jackson Riley 0-5 0-0 0, Matthew Heilmann 1-1 2-2 5, Niko Fecerici 1-5 1-2 3. FG: 10-34. FT: 7-9. 3-pointers: 2-17 (Heilmann 1-1, Matteeson 1-8, Federici 0-2, Lange 0-2, Riley 0-4). Rebounds: 22 (Lange 6). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 6. Fouled out: none. Record: 8-4, 3-2 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (50): Chris Pohl 4-9 0-0 10, Joey Ketterer 3-4 0-0 9, Ben Jordan 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Sternitzky 0-0 0-0 0, Brooks Hinson 6-11 0-0 17, Vedder MacTaggart 0-0 0-0 0, Landon Lee 4-8 0-1 11, Afton Hamill 0-0 0-0 0, J.J. Steinbach 0-1 0-0 0, Camden Kolstad 0-1 0-0 0, Magnus Machtan 0-0 0-0 0, Nick Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Knecht 0-1 0-0 0, Valin Ramberg 1-1 1-2 3. FG: 18-36. FT: 1-3. 3-pointers: 13-24 (Hinson 5-9, Ketterer 3-3, Lee 3-6, Pohl 2-5, Kolstad 0-1). Rebounds: 21 (Hinson 7). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: none. Record: 7-4, 4-0 Wisconsin Valley Conference.