This story is sponsored by: Valley Communities Credit Union
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WAUSAU – The Marshfield girls basketball team is one win away from a trip to the WIAA state tournament.
The Tigers closed the first half with a 10-0 run and never looked back, crushing Chippewa Falls 59-43 in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal Thursday night at Wausau West High School.
Freshman Caitlin Michaelis continued her strong postseason run scoring a game-high 22 points, senior Taylor Varsho added 14 points and freshman Ellie Fehrenbach chipped in 11 points for Marshfield, who improves to 20-5. The Tigers will play a Division 1 sectional final at Wisconsin Rapids against Oshkosh West (19-6) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Marshfield is looking for its fifth trip to the state tournament in the last nine years.
Oshkosh West won the Marshfield Holiday Invitational on Dec. 28-29, beating Green Bay Preble and Wausau Newman Catholic. Marshfield lost to both of those teams at the tournament.
Michaelis made five 3-pointers to give her 16 in the three playoff games for Marshfield. She has scored 19, 21 and 22 points in the victories. The daughter of coach Heidi Michaelis is showing no effects of any pressure as she plays in her first postseason.
“She’s been on the bench with me forever and she really, truly feels like she’s waited her whole life to have this opportunity,” Heidi Michaelis said. “She’s not awed by the experience. She’s gotten herself ready for it both mentally and physically. She’s having fun. She still makes freshman mistakes, no doubt about it, but right now she’s in a groove and I hope she keeps doing it.”
Oshkosh West won the Marshfield Holiday Invitational on Dec. 28-29, beating Green Bay Preble and Wausau Newman Catholic. Marshfield lost to both of those teams at the tournament.
Marshfield trailed 11-9 after the first quarter before Marshfield pulled ahead with a 7-0 run highlighted by four points from Varsho and a Michaelis’ 3-pointer.
Chippewa Falls sophomore Kayla Hanley hit her fourth 3-pointer of the first half to cut Marshfield’s lead to 23-19 with 3:41 to go in the half before the Tigers took complete control.
Fehrenbach drove to the basket for hoops on consecutive possessions, Leah Ripp drilled a 3-pointer and Michaelis hit another from long range to give the Tigers a 33-19 lead at halftime.
“I thought that first quarter was a feeling-out process and it was back-and-forth and then our kids settled in,” Heidi Michaelis said. “In the second quarter, we ran good offense, took care of the ball and rebounded the ball well. We made some shots and got some stops in a row.”
Chippewa Falls started the second half with a 9-3 run, ending on another Hanley 3-pointer, but that would be about it for her and the Cardinals.
Marshfield closed out the quarter maintaining a 10-point lead after another Ripp 3-pointer. The Cardinals closed within eight with 6½ minutes left, and Varsho fouled out 2 minutes later, but Chippewa Falls missed five straight shots.
Michaelis, Varsho and Fehrenbach each scored a basket in an 8-0 run that pushed Marshfield’s lead up to 16 with 3:20 to go. The Tigers iced it by making 9 of 12 free throws in the final minutes.
“One of our main goals this game was to protect the perimeter,” Varsho said. “They’ve been living and dying on 3-point shots. Our main defensive player, Tiffany Stargardt (nine rebounds) did an awesome on (Hanley). She was on fire to start it off and we told her at halftime, ‘No more help, you are on No. 35, you’re not leaving her,’ and she did an awesome job.
“No. 24 (Knez) is a really good player and Darian Molter did an awesome job, everyone did an awesome job on her. We played a defensive game tonight. Defense wins championships, that’s been our M.O. since I’ve been a freshman.”
Varsho, who along with Ripp are the team’s only seniors, said she had no doubt the Tigers were in great shape after she picked up her fifth foul with 4:40 remaining.
“I had confidence in them and I trust them,” Varsho said. “Trust is a big key in basketball. You have to trust your teammates and if you don’t, then it’s not going to work. We’re believing every day and hopefully we can get that win on Saturday.”
Tigers 59, Cardinals 43
Marshfield 9 24 9 17 – 59
Chippewa Falls 11 8 13 11 – 43
MARSHFIELD (59): Ellie Kummer 0-0 2-2 2, Taylor Varsho 5-14 4-5 14, Tiffany Stargardt 1-1 0-1 2, Darian Molter 0-3 0-0 0, Natalie Zuelke 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlin Michaelis 7-11 3-4 22, Emily Goeppinger 0-0 0-0 0, Sara Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, Leah Ripp 2-4 2-4 8, Mikayla Zimmerman 0-0 0-0 0, Courtney Bauer 0-3 0-0 0, Ellie Fehrenbach 4-6 3-4 11. FG: 19-42. FT: 14-20. 3-pointers: 7-17 (Michaelis 5-9, Ripp 2-3, Varsho 0-4, Molter 0-1). Rebounds: 30 (Stargardt 9). Turnovers: 5. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: Varsho. Record: 20-5.
CHIPPEWA FALLS (43): Alissa Adams 1-2 0-0 2, Rachel McDonald 5-6 0-0 10, Janna Fjelstad 4-6 0-0 8, Liz Jarosz 0-1 0-0 0, Kayla Rubenzer 0-3 0-0 0, Kayla Knez 1-10 1-2 4, Chelsea LeDuc 0-0 0-0 0, Jess Mayry 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Hanley 6-11 2-2 19, Jess Zwiefelhofer 0-5 0-0 0, Alicia Benner 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 17-45. FT: 3-4. 3-pointers: 6-19 (Hanley 5-8, Knez 1-7, Rubenzer 0-2, Zwiefelhofer 0-2). Rebounds: 24 (Hanley 6). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: none.