This story is sponsored by: The University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – After spotting La Crosse Central, the No. 2-ranked team in this week’s WisSports.net Division 2 state coaches poll, 10 points to start the game, the Marshfield boys basketball team played with the Red Raiders.
After Marshfield scratched out a four-point lead with just under 2 minutes to go, Central finished off the game by scoring the final 12 points to knock off the Tigers 86-78 in a nonconference game Tuesday night at The Boson Company Fieldhouse at Marshfield High School.
University of Wisconsin recruit Kobe King scored 24 of his game-high 36 points in the first half, and Minnesota-Duluth recruit Bailey Kale had 10 of his 27 points during the final 6½ minutes to lead Central (4-0) to the win.
“Central makes you play fast and I thought that the kids responded in the second half,” Marshfield coach Scott Scheuer said. “I’m really happy with their effort. It was a total team effort. (King) probably could have probably scored at will. You can see why those two kids are going to play in college for free.”
Central started the game on a 10-0 run and from there, the Tigers (2-3) hung close, never falling behind by more than 11 in the first half.
Alec Hinson scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half for Marshfield as he made all nine of his free throws and converted a four-point play that brought the Tigers to within six at 37-31 with 2:48 to go in the half.
King had a three-point play and made two more free throws to push Central’s lead back to 46-36 at intermission.
The Tigers’ hot outside shooting got them back in it in the second half.
The Tigers made 10 of 16 3-pointers in the second half, including 4 of 5 from Ethan Posteluk and 3 of 3 by Nathan McGrath.
Posteluk scored all 11 points in an 11-0 run that tied the game at 62-62 with 7:12 left.
After a Central basket, Posteluk hit another 3 to give the Tigers their first lead with 6:17 to go.
A rebound and basket by King gave the Red Raiders a 74-70 lead before Marshfield responded with eight-straight points. Posteluk hit a basket, Nick Stewart connected after an offensive rebound, and Adam Hauge converted a three-point play to give Marshfield a 78-74 lead with 1:57 remaining.
Following a timeout, the Red Raiders took over. Central forced three turnovers and a missed layup with a suffocating defense that stymied Marshfield’s upset bid.
Kale hit a 3-pointer to put Central back up by one, then converted a three-point play after a breakaway layup to push it to four. Marshfield managed just two shot attempts in five possessions over the final 2 minutes.
“The kids have been battling and hopefully we continue to get better,” Scheuer said. “I thought we did get better tonight. We just didn’t take care of the ball late. It’s a game we could have won, then Bailey took over a little bit and Kobe was dominant the whole game.”
Posteluk finished with 25 points, and Hauge had eight points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Tigers.
Marshfield will host Eau Claire Memorial in another nonconference game on Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Red Raiders 86, Tigers 78
La Crosse Central 46 40 – 86
Marshfield 36 42 – 78
LA CROSSE CENTRAL (86): David Hayden 0-1 0-0 0, Isaiah Dahman 1-6 2-2 4, Jordan Davis 0-1 3-4 3, Bailey Kale 8-14 9-9 27, Noah Parcher 4-8 1-1 9, Kobe King 12-19 12-17 36, Will Allen 0-0 0-0 0, Adam Haberman 2-5 1-1 5, Johnny Davis 1-5 0-0 2. FG: 28-59. FT: 28-34. 3-pointers: 2-10 (Kale 2-6, Haberman 0-1, Hayden 0-1, Dahman 0-2). Rebounds: 33 (King 10). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 23. Fouled out: none. Record: 4-0.
MARSHFIELD (78): Ethan Posteluk 9-14 3-4 25, Tommy Olson 0-0 0-0 0, Seth Anderson 1-3 2-4 4, Alec Hinson 4-14 9-9 20, Grant Michaelis 1-3 1-1 4, Isaac Meverden 0-0 2-2 2, Nathan McGrath 4-8 0-0 11, John Reigel 0-0 0-0 0, Adam Hauge 3-8 1-1 8, Nick Stewart 2-4 0-0 4. FG: 24-54. FT: 18-21. 3-pointers: 12-29 (Posteluk 4-6, McGrath 3-7, Hinson 3-10, Hauge 1-3, Michaelis 1-3). Rebounds: 29 (Hauge 9). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 26. Fouled out: Michaelis, Anderson. Record: 2-3.