This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
AUBURNDALE – As the great New York Yankee catcher said, it was “Déjà vu all over again”, at Tim Anderson Gymnasium in Auburndale on Friday night.
Déjà vu is the feeling that you’ve already experienced something, even though you know it’s new. The only thing new was that this time it was March at the WIAA playoffs, instead of December.
The Eagles turned back Colby 70-63 in overtime on Friday in a WIAA Division 4 regional semifinal, just as they beat them 70-62 on Dec. 2, the first game of the season for both teams.
Auburndale (22-3), the No. 1 seed in its half of the D-4 Sectional 2 bracket, will host No. 4 seed Marathon (17-8) in a regional final Saturday at 7 p.m. The two Marawood South rivals split two regular-season meetings, which included a 68-58 win by Marathon just last week on Feb. 27.
After besting Crandon 80-58 on Tuesday, Colby missed its first eight shots. The Hornets righted the ship and trailed by just three at the half at 25-22.
In fact, it turned out to be the Hornets in the driver’s seat in the second half after all-Cloverbelt East guard Reed Fleischman put on a show, scoring eight-straight points halfway through the half as Colby went up by as many as seven at 50-43. Fleischman finished with 18 points on five field goals and 7 of 8 from the foul line.
Colby led 56-51 before the Eagles’ Joshua Lundgren made his third 3-pointer of the game with 40 seconds left making it 56-54.
Colby then proceeded to miss five straight times at the charity stripe.
Peyton Weinfurter drilled a three to give the Eagles a 57-56 lead before Fleischman was fouled while shooting. He missed the first and after an Auburndale timeout he made the second, tying the game. Auburndale produced an adequate shot but Ayden Raab’s attempt only touched rim and the game went into overtime.
Overtime was kind for the Eagles. After winning the tip, Auburndale rolled in the extra period.
Thomas Aue, who finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, made one of two free throws, and Ayden Raab added two more at the line to make it 60-57.
Senior Blake Raab led the Auburndale parade to the foul line making seven of 10 in the extra frame to seal the win.
Auburndale didn’t attempt a field goal in the overtime, but were 12-for-18 from the foul line.
Blake Raab finished with 25 points, including 11-for-14 from the charity stripe. Keegan Empey went 6-for-6 from the field with 3 of 5 on free throws for 15 points, and Lundgren made three 3-pointers on his way to 13 points.
“There’s many times we could’ve packed it in,” said Auburndale coach Chad Weinfurter. “Give our kids credit. They’re very resilient. It’s a pretty tight knit group. We haven’t played our best basketball for a couple weeks now.
“But give Colby credit. It was almost the exact same game as the first time we played them. I think they’re athletic and competitive. You know how this is; survive and advance.”
Weinfurter praised the leadership of senior Blake Raab.
“It all starts with No. 5, right there. Blake Raab. He’s not what you’d expect. People come in here looking for a stud athlete, a bigger guy. But he’s cut from a different cloth. He is a stud athlete. He’s one of the more competitive kids I’ve ever coached. I’m glad I get to coach him at least one more day.”
Eagles 70, Hornets 63 (OT)
Colby 22 35 6 – 63
Auburndale 25 32 13 – 70
COLBY (63): Reed Fleischmann 5 7-8 18, Luke Hannula 1 0-0 3, Miguel Marillion 3 2-2 8, Braiden Johnson 2 0-0 5, Colton Orth 4 2-6 11, Hayden Kaiser 1 0-0 3, Landon Steinmann 3 1-3 9, Tucker Hayes 2 2-4 6. FG: 21. FT: 14-23. 3-pointers: 7 (Steinmann 2, Kaiser 1, Orth 1, Johnson 1, Hannula 1, Fleischmann 1). Fouls: 25. Fouled out: Hannula, Steinmann, Hayes. Record: 10-14.
AUBURNDALE (70): Blake Raab 6-18 11-14 25, Keegan Empey 6-6 3-5 15, Josh Lundgren 5-10 0-0 13, Thomas Aue 5-14 1-3 11, Peyton Weinfurter 1-4 0-0 3, Ayden Raab 0-2 3-4 3, Jaxon Grube 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 23-54. FT: 18-26. 3-pointers: 6-23 (Lundgren 3-8, B. Raab 2-10, Weinfurter 1-4, A. Raab 0-1). Rebounds: 32 (Aue 10). Fouls: 19. Fouled out: Weinfurter. Record: 22-3.