This story is sponsored by Dental Clinic of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield girls basketball team played its third game in four days, but didn’t seem bothered by the hectic schedule, pouring in 25 second-quarter points on its way to a 68-40 drubbing of Lakeland in a nonconference game Monday night at the Marshfield High School Fieldhouse.
The Tigers (14-3) were coming off an overtime loss on Saturday to Waunakee, but showed no after effects of tough defeat, shooting 60 percent (12 of 20) in the first half and 54 percent (23 of 42) for the game.
Eleni Seitz scored eight of her 19 points in the first quarter as Marshfield took a 13-9 lead.
Things really started to click for the Tigers in the second quarter.
Alyssa Brenner and Taylor Varsho hit back-to-back 3-pointers and the Tigers made 8 of 11 shots from the field and all seven of their free-throw attepts to open up a 38-23 lead by halftime.
“I think we knew going into this stretch that we had to be tough physically and mentally,” Marshfield coach Heidi Michaelis said. “I was pretty confident they were going to come out ready to go. They have a good mindset and even coming off that Saturday game they wanted to come out and finish what our little stretch had been.
“In the second quarter we turned it up a little bit on defensive end and got some easy looks. We score in bunches at times, and I think we did again tonight because of our press.”
Varsho, who had a game-high 25 points, and Leah Ripp started the second half with 3-pointers and Marshfield used an 11-2 run to open up a 24-point lead. Marshfield didn’t lead by less than 20 the rest of the way.
Varsho added seven rebounds and five assists as she continued her strong junior season.
“She’s playing well right now, just making people around her better,” Michaelis said. “Right now, I feel everyone is doing what they are supposed to be doing, playing their role pretty well.”
Marshfield, which has won 10 of its last 11 games, has just five games remaining in its regular season. The Tigers stand just two wins away from clinching its fourth straight Wisconsin Valley Conference title – and seventh in the last nine years – and can take a step toward that in its next game at D.C. Everest on Friday.
Tigers 68, Thunderbirds 40
Lakeland 9 14 8 9 – 40
Marshfield 13 25 16 14 – 68
LAKELAND (40): Carly Theuerkauf 1-3 0-1 3, Kaylin Chiolino 3-6 0-2 6, Rachel Brodhead 0-0 2-2 2, Lyndsey Jonas 2-4 6-9 10, Jamie Lee 4-7 2-2 10, Anna Dalton 1-3 0-0 2, Katrina Maki 0-1 0-0 0, Gerry Ann Mann 1-8 0-0 2, Larenda Maulson 2-6 0-0 5. FG: 14-38. FT: 10-15. 3-pointers: 2-4 (Theuerkauf 1-2, Maulson 1-2). Rebounds: 16 (Maulson 6). Turnovers: 19. Total fouls: 16. Fouled out: Maulson. Record: 11-4.
MARSHFIELD (68): Mary Wolff 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Varsho 8-11 9-12 27, Tiffany Stargardt 1-1 2-2 4, Leah Ripp 3-9 0-0 9, Sarah Wolff 0-2 0-0 0, Alyssa Brenner 3-6 0-0 7, Becky Boehning 0-1 0-0 0, Courtney Bauer 1-2 0-0 2, Eleni Seitz 7-10 5-6 19, Brianna Hill 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 23-42. FT: 16-20. 3-pointers: 6-11 (Ripp 3-5, Varsho 2-4, Brenner 1-2). Rebounds: 26 (Varsho 7, S. Wolff 5). Turnovers: 17. Total fouls: 14. Fouled out: none. Record: 14-3.