By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WAUSAU – Marshfield led or was tied for all but 6 seconds of the final 20 minutes in Friday’s WIAA Division 1 girls basketball sectional semifinal against Wausau West, but it was the final 6 seconds that ended the Tigers’ season.
Courtney Falk forced overtime with a basket just before the buzzer and Jessica Waldvogel drove the length of the court and scored with 6.3 seconds left in the extra period to lift West to a 58-56 victory over Marshfield on Friday night at the West High School Fieldhouse.
Marshfield missed six of 10 free throws in overtime and West outscored the Tigers 7-2 in the final 36 seconds to avoid losing for the third time this season to its Wisconsin Valley Conference rival.
Waldvogel finished with 23 points, including the go-ahead basket and a free throw with 2.7 seconds left, to lift West (21-4) into Saturday’s sectional final against River Falls (13-11) at West.
Marshfield (21-3) won its third straight WVC championship and made it to sectionals for the eighth straight season, but failed in its attempt for a third straight trip to the WIAA state tournament.
“These kids gave me everything they had all year,” Marshfield coach Heidi Michaelis said. “I’m extremely proud of them. It’s a tough way to lose when you know you played well a lot of the game. Give West credit, they made plays and especially made plays down the stretch. By the end, we were hoping to win and they (West) just felt it.”
Marshfield seemed to have the game in control in the fourth quarter. Kelsey Weigel, who scored 19 points for the Tigers, hit a basket inside, and Andie Varsho and Taylor Varsho each hit a pair of free throws to put Marshfield up 40-26 with 5:06 to go.
Amanda Fischer scored and Falk had a three-point play for West, but Andie Varsho, who also had 19 points, responded with two more free throws to give the Tigers a comfortable 42-31 lead with 3:30 remaining.
However, West soon made the Tigers uncomfortable. A basket by Falk, followed by a steal and layup by Alex Nickel, sparked the Warriors. Marshfield committed two more turnovers and Waldvogel hit two free throws and Fischer had a three-point play that ended a 9-0 run for West in just 1:03, and cut the Tigers’ lead to 42-40.
“You can’t have a 14-point lead and not finish a game,” Michaelis said. “I have to give West a lot of credit for not going away. That’s why we’re really hurting right now. It’s definitely a game you should win, and we didn’t come out on the winning end of it.”
Marshfield stayed in control, making three of four free throws, and Weigel’s breakout layup with 1:17 left put the Tigers back up 47-42.
The Tigers made nine of 10 free throws over a 4-minute stretch – including six of six by Andie Varsho – but as West continued to stay close, Varsho lost her stroke.
She made one of two on three straight trips to the line, the final one with 16.7 seconds left that put Marshfield up 50-48.
Falk went to the line with 8 seconds left with a chance to tie the game for West, but missed the first free throw. Falk purposely missed the second one and chased down the rebound as the ball was tipped backward to her, and the West senior dropped in a shot just before the buzzer to force overtime.
In the extra 4-minute period, Marshfield made four of eight free throws and Weigel had another layup to take a 56-53 lead with 27 seconds left.
After Mackenzie Fischer scored quickly for West, Varsho was fouled again, but missed both shots at the line. Falk rebounded and shot a pass out to Waldvogel, who sprinted the length of the court and scored with 6.3 seconds to go.
Marshfield turned it over on the inbounds pass as Taylor Varsho ran into the back of a teammate and traveled. Waldvogel was fouled and made one of two free throws with 2.7 seconds remaining, and Andie Varsho’s three-quarter court heave wasn’t close, sending the Warriors into the sectional final.
“There was that swing with those two turnovers under the basket and that can happen – these are high school kids and that can happen in a game that got that intense and that loud,” Michaelis said. “Honestly, I thought it was a done deal with 3 minutes left. They found a way to get back into it.
“I give my kids credit. They were down going into the overtime and they played most of the overtime, except for the very last bit, with the lead. You make one free throw and they made a basket, and it’s going to catch up with you.”
Andie Varsho had five points and Taylor Varsho had four in the first quarter as the Tigers built a 14-11 lead.
The game was tight throughout the second quarter as well. Mackenzie Fischer gave West a 23-21 lead, but the Tigers tied it just before the half as Weigel had a steal and layup.
Marshfield started to open up a lead in the third quarter as the Warriors went cold.
West missed all 10 of its field-goal attempts and Taylor Varsho scored five points in the final 2:30 to give the Tigers a 32-24 lead heading into the fourth.
Taylor Varsho was tightly guarded throughout the game by West and finished with 11 points, just seven points shy of tying Jamie Braun’s single-season school record of 465 points set in 2005-06.
Andie Varsho, Weigel and Amelia Eckes ended their careers with the Tigers, one that produced three conference titles and two trips to the state tournament.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the seniors that walked off the floor,” Michaelis said. “They gave so much – Andie for three years, so successful, so competitive, I love the kid – and Amelia and Kelsey, they had such a great year.
“I thought Kelsey probably had the best game she’s ever played.”
Warriors 58, Tigers 56 (OT)
Marshfield 14 9 9 18 6 – 56
Wausau West 11 12 1 26 8 – 58
MARSHFIELD (56): Taylor Varsho 4-10 2-2 11, Andie Varsho 3-15 13-21 19, Leah Ripp 0-1 0-0 0, Kelsey Weigel 9-12 1-2 19, Alyssa Brenner 0-3 0-0 0, Amelia Eckes 2-2 0-2 4, Eleni Seitz 0-1 3-6 3. FG: 18-43. FT: 19-33. 3-pointers: 1-6 (T. Varsho 1-5, Weigel 0-1). Turnovers: 15. Total fouls: 19. Fouled out: Eckes. Record: 21-3.
WEST (58): Alex Nickel 1-6 0-0 2, Mackenzie Fischer 2-6 0-2 4, Janelle Huchnerfuss 0-0 0-0 0, Pakou Yang 0-0 0-0 0, Jessica Waldvogel 7-17 8-10 23, Amanda Fischer 6-8 3-5 15, Courtney Falk 4-13 6-10 14. FG: 20-49. FT: 17-27. 3-pointers: 1-8 (Waldvogel 1-6, Nickel 0-2). Rebounds: 34 (Falk 8, Waldvogel 6, M. Fischer 5). Turnovers: 18. Total fouls: 25. Fouled out: A. Fischer. Record: 21-4.
Paul Lecker can be reached by e-mail at paul@marshfieldareasports.com.
Video highlights available at allmarshfield.com.
