This story is sponsored by: The University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield boys basketball team tightened the screws defensively midway through the third quarter and turned a tight game into a blowout.
The Tigers outscored Eau Claire North 13-0 over the final 3:26 of the third quarter, turning a two-point deficit into a double-digit lead and rolled to a 49-32 victory in a WIAA Division 1 regional final Saturday night at The Boson Company Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
Marshfield (18-6) moves on to a Division 1 sectional semifinal against Hudson (14-9) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Chippewa Falls High School. Hudson defeated Eau Claire Memorial 56-42 on Saturday.
The Tigers defeated Hudson 68-60 on Dec. 27 in a Big Rivers-Wisconsin Valley Conference Challenge matchup at Menomonie. The 68 points is a season-high total for Marshfield.
Marshfield’s 18th win of the season ties the school record for victories in a season. The Tigers finished 18-6 in the 2009-10 season.
Neenah (23-1) and Stevens Point (23-1) will play in the other sectional semifinal Thursday at Fond du Lac. The winners meet in a sectional final on March 8 at Wausau West. Neenah handed Stevens Point its only loss of the season back on Nov. 26, winning at SPASH 63-44.
Marshfield forced six turnovers on seven Huskies’ possessions and in turn scored on six of its seven possessions during the stretch that turned the game around.
“I’m very, very proud of this team,” Marshfield coach Bill Zuiker said. “Eighteen wins is tied for the most in the school history, a sectional appearance, they don’t happen that often in Marshfield. We’re elated, but we’re not satisfied.”
Marshfield led 18-17 at halftime after a defensive battle in the opening half.
Playing against a triangle-and-two defense where the Huskies swarmed Marshfield’s top two scorers, Luke Zuiker and Matt Oestreich, the Tigers shot just 6 of 20 and were 4 of 15 from 3-point range in the first half.
Jeff Allison hit three of the 3-pointers for the Tigers as the lead changed hands seven times in the opening 16 minutes.
“I thought Jeff was a bit timid (Friday night), he wasn’t snapping into the shot,” Bill Zuiker said. “Tonight he recognized that, ‘they were going to guard Luke and Matt and they’re not going to guard me’, and he really stepped up.”
North led 24-22 following a basket by Ben Lawrence before Marshfield turned to its zone defense and began to harass the ball from all angles.
Zuiker and Tanner Boson scored to start the run and give the Tigers the lead. After a miss, Alex Strege hit a 3-pointer, Zuiker scored on a fast break and he and Oestreich each made a pair of free throws to put Marshfield up 35-24 heading into the fourth.
Marshfield forced six more turnovers in the fourth quarter and was never threatened as North made just three baskets the rest of the way.
Allison finished with five 3-pointers and a season-high 16 points and Zuiker added 12 for the Tigers.
“We went zone a lot in the second half, but we played it aggressively and we played it like we meant it,” Bill Zuiker said. “I was unhappy with some of the mental errors we made in the first half. We got that straight. Often times, when you play harder, you make fewer mental errors. I was very happy with the defense. Tonight it was the zone, usually it’s the man, but whatever it takes.”
Tigers 49, Huskies 32
Eau Claire North 11 6 7 8 – 32
Marshfield 10 8 17 14 – 49
EAU CLAIRE NORTH (32): Matt Kent 0-0 0-0 0, Adam LaRock 0-0 0-0 0, Daclyn Hazelton 1-1 0-0 2, Carter Holden 0-1 0-0 0, Kyle France 0-1 0-0 0, Danny Kron 5-12 0-0 14, Josh Weix 4-9 0-1 8, Ryan Bares 0-0 0-0 0, Trent Ashby 0-0 0-0 0, Max Gilbert 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Danielson 1-3 0-0 2, Ben Lawrence 3-4 0-0 6. FG: 14-31. FT: 0-1. 3-pointers: 4-11 (Kron 4-7, Weix 0-2, Danielson 0-1, France 0-1). Rebounds: 18 (Weix 5, Lawrence 5). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: none. Record: 7-16.
MARSHFIELD (49): Jeff Allison 5-10 1-1 16, Zach Shortess 0-0 0-1 0, Jace Krasselt 0-0 0-0 0, Luke Zuiker 3-8 6-6 12, Tanner Boson 2-5 0-0 5, Austin Gilbert 0-0 0-0 0, Matt Oestreich 2-8 4-4 8, Will Spindler 0-0 0-0 0, Kegan Fassler 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan Schlinsog 1-3 0-0 3, Alex Strege 2-8 0-1 5. FG: 15-42. FT: 11-13. 3-pointers: 8-21 (Allison 5-7, Schlinsog 1-2, Boson 1-3, Strege 1-5, Zuiker 0-3, Oestreich 0-1). Rebounds: 24 (Oestreich 5). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 8. Fouled out: none. Record: 18-6.