This story is sponsored by: WDLB-AM 1450 and WOSQ-FM 92.3 radio
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield and Wausau West traded runs throughout the second half of Friday’s Wisconsin Valley Conference boys basketball game at Marshfield High School, and in the end, the last run was by the Tigers.
Marshfield scored seven of the final eight points of the game, all coming in the final minute, to edge West 46-45.
Alex Strege hit a bank shot from the left wing with 5 seconds left to provide the game-winner for the Tigers (8-7 overall, 5-3 Wisconsin Valley Conference).
Brad Utegaard hit a basket and a 3-pointer to put West up 44-39 with just under 2 minutes left. From there, the Tigers took over.
Strege hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key with 1 minute left, and after Jordan Huehnerfuss made one of two free throws to put West up by three, Luke Zuiker countered with two free throws to make it 45-44 with 29.9 seconds to go.
Instead of fouling immediately, Marshfield turned to its defensive pressure and it worked, forcing a turnover. Then, instead of calling a timeout, the Tigers went to work. Matt Oestreich found Strege on the left side of the lane and he turned to the basket and knocked down the short jumper to put the Tigers on top with 4.3 seconds to go.
“Everyone was a little excited coming down court, neither team was in what they wanted to be,” Strege said. “Defensively, they didn’t know who they were guarding, offensively, we were kind of scrambled around. I looked around and saw no one was on me. I made eye contact with Matt Oestreich, he gave it to me. I took the shot, the guy closed in on me, I got it by him and banked it in.”
Wausau West called a timeout and drove the length of the court, but the Tigers were able to knock the ball away as time expired.
Marshfield coach Bill Zuiker said it was a typical, hard-fought Wisconsin Valley Conference game.
“I give a lot of credit to Wausau West,” Zuiker said. “They came ready to play. They played so hard, so physical, and I thought our kids let it bother them a bit. We were able to keep our focus and get the thing done. It wasn’t pretty by any stretch.”
After a sluggish first half that saw West take an 18-14 lead into halftime, both offenses picked up in the third quarter.
Marshfield started the third quarter on a 10-2 run to take a 24-20 lead, then West followed with the next eight points to regain the lead. The Warriors (5-12, 0-8 WVC) led 32-27 entering the fourth.
The lead changed hands twice and the score was tied once in the fourth before the Tigers were able to pull it out. Strege scored 10 of his team-high 12 points in the fourth quarter.
“The first three quarters, it looked like no one was really ready to play or play with each other,” Strege said. “We really came together, it was like the East game (earlier this season). We came together, screened for each other, passed really well, communicated really well. It was good to get the win.”
Marshfield jumps right back into action Saturday with a nonconference game at home against Tomah. The game starts at 4 p.m. and will be broadcast on WDLB-AM 1450 and wdlbwosq.com.
Tigers 46, Warriors 45
Wausau West 6 12 14 13 – 45
Marshfield 8 6 13 19 – 46
WAUSAU WEST (45): Kyle Nickel 2-3 1-2 5, Brad Utegaard 3-6 1-2 8, Jordan Huehnerfuss 2-3 2-4 8, Tyler Schertz 2-2 0-0 5, Andrew Fischer 1-1 0-0 3, Taylor Penn 7-9 0-0 16, Brendan Lewandowski 0-2 0-2 0, Andy Yang 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 17-26. FT: 4-10. 3-pointers: 7-9 (Huehnerfuss 2-2, Penn 2-3, Fischer 1-1, Schertz 1-1, Utegaard 1-2). Rebounds: 18 (Penn 7). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: none. Record: 5-12, 0-8 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (46): Kole Oppman 0-0 0-0 0, Isaac Accola 1-2 0-0 3, Matt Oestreich 4-5 0-1 8, Luke Zuiker 1-5 6-8 8, Luke Olson 4-7 0-0 10, Tanner Dennis-Brown 2-6 1-3 5, Alex Strege 5-8 0-0 12, Caleb Alexander 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 17-33. FT: 7-12. 3-pointers: 5-13 (Strege 2-2, Olson 2-5, Accola 1-2, Zuiker 0-3, Oestreich 0-1). Rebounds: 9 (Dennis-Brown 3). Turnovers: 9. Fouls: 8. Fouled out: none. Record: 8-7, 5-3 Wisconsin Valley Conference.