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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPENCER – Turnovers were a problem for both Spencer and Edgar throughout Tuesday’s WIAA Division 4 girls basketball regional quarterfinal, but putting the ball in the basket proved to be a bigger problem for the Rockets.
Edgar used a 13-3 run over the final 7 minutes of the second quarter to pull ahead by double digits and went on to beat Spencer 48-33.
The Rockets’ season ends with an 11-12 record, while Edgar improves to 9-14 and moves on to a Division 4 regional semifinal Friday at Marathon.
Each team committed eight turnovers in the first quarter, with Edgar leading 10-8 at the end of the period.
Tara Matter scored the first back of the second quarter for the Rockets, tying the game at 10-10, but Spencer couldn’t muster anything else for nearly 7 minutes.
Holly Denfeld scored nine of her game-high 18 points in a 13-1 run for the Wildcats as they pulled out to a 23-11 lead. Sydney Kind made a basket just before time expired for Spencer, to narrow the gap to 10 at the break.
During the run, Spencer turned the ball over nine times and missed all nine of its field goal attempts.
“All year, we’ve been struggling with the turnover issue,” Spencer coach Dan Brodziski said. “We had our opportunities on offense. Sometimes we had three or four shots in one possession from 3 or 4 feet in, and we just could not capitalize. If we’ve got to run offensive sets without transition, we struggle for points.”
Things didn’t get much better for Spencer in the third quarter as it scored only four points while Edgar maintained its double-digit lead and went up 35-17 heading into the fourth.
The Rockets found their offense early in the fourth, using a 9-4 run to get within 13. That was as close as they got.
Spencer finished with 26 turnovers, while Edgar had 25. The difference came in the teams’ shooting as Spencer attempted 10 more shots, but made three less than the Wildcats.
“We had some bright spots this year,” Brodziski said of the Rockets’ 11-12 season. “I think, defensively, for the most part – that kept us in a lot of games. I think we lost five or six within six points on in. It’s frustrating knowing that just making your bunnies or taking care of the ball will bring success. We just could not do that on a consistent basis.”
Wildcats 48, Rockets 33
Edgar 10 13 12 13 – 48
Spencer 8 5 4 16 – 33
EDGAR (48): Kira Dittman 5-7 1-1 11, Alayna Hoesly 1-3 1-2 3, Kyrstin Wanless 0-0 0-0 0, Tianna Borchardt 1-1 0-0 2, Kailey Stencil 0-3 2-2 2, Lizzie Pospyhalla 0-3 1-2 1, Kaylee Karlen 0-0 0-0 0, Holly Denfeld 7-12 4-5 18, Elizabeth Tess 1-2 0-0 2, Brenna Martyn 1-4 0-0 2, Sydney Holbach 3-8 0-0 7. FG: 19-43. FT: 9-12. 3-pointers: 1-5 (Holbach 1-4, Martyn 0-1). Turnovers: 25. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: none. Record: 9-14.
SPENCER (33): Jordyn Wichlacz 0-0 1-2 1, Karly Bump 1-1 0-0 2, Marisa Johnson 2-11 0-1 4, Alicia Endreas 0-0 1-2 1, Claire Drews 1-4 0-0 2, Kailyn Anderson 0-2 0-0 0, Macie Weber 1-3 1-2 3, Tara Matter 5-20 2-2 12, Kallie Reckner 0-0 0-0 0, Ellayna Lyon 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Varsho 0-0 0-2 0, Maddie Schultz 0-1 2-2 2, Syndey Kind 3-10 0-0 6, Melissa Lehman 0-1 0-0 0. FG: 13-53. FT: 7-13. 3-pointers: 0-11 (Johnson 0-1, Kind 0-4, Matter 0-6). Rebounds: 32 (Matter 8). Turnovers: 26. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: none. Record: 11-12.