This story is sponsored by: High Street Salon, Spa & Travel
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
AUBURNDALE – The Marathon and Auburndale girls basketball teams entered Tuesday’s Marawood Conference South Division game with matching 4-0 records in the early going of the 2017-18 season.
Only one could leave the court undefeated, and with an impressive defensive performance, it was Marathon.
The Raiders forced turnovers on six straight Auburndale possessions to put together a 10-0 in a 2½-minute stretch early in the first half and never trailed again, rolling to a 55-34 victory at Auburndale High School.
Auburndale did not score a basket from the field during the first 7:47 of the game, making only four free throws in that stretch, and ended up shooting just 29 percent (12 of 42) in the loss.
Auburndale (4-1, 1-1 Marawood South) was able to stay within single digits in the first half, matching Marathon (4-1, 3-0 Marawood South) after the early Raiders’ run.
Maggie Willfahrt hit a pair of baskets for Auburndale to offset a 3-pointer from Elizabeth Boehm and a hoop from Stephanie Draeger, and Marathon took a 25-16 lead into halftime.
Marathon pushed the lead to 33-20 after a fast-break basket by Katelyn Schmitt and led by at least nine the rest of the way.
Draeger had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Schmidt also scored 12 for the Raiders.
Marissa Ponshock scored 12 points to lead Auburndale.
Auburndale plays at Wausau Newman Catholic on Thursday.
Raiders 55, Apaches 34
Marathon 25 30 – 55
Auburndale 16 18 – 34
MARATHON (55): Sasha Hornung 1-1 0-0 2, Stephanie Draeger 5-7 2-2 12, Karley Fischer 4-6 0-0 9, Alysha Stieber 2-6 0-0 4, Kylie Blume 0-0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Boehm 3-6 3-4 10, Olivia Ziebell 1-4 0-2 2, Katelyn Schmidt 6-12 0-2 12, Brooke Balz 2-8 0-0 4, Kenya Kaldunski 0-0 0-0 0, Bradyn Free 0-0 0-0 0. FG: 24-50. FT: 5-10. 3-pointers: 2-9 (Fischer 1-1, Boehm 1-3, Stieber 0-1, Draeger 0-1, Balz 0-3). Rebounds: 36 (Draeger 10). Turnovers: 14. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: none. Record: 5-0, 3-0 Marawood Conference South Division.
AUBURNDALE (34): Mackenzie Raab 0-1 0-0 0, Taylor Stanton 1-4 0-0 2, Kali Karl 0-3 0-1 0, Morgyn Haumschild 0-0 0-0 0, Macie Schmeiser 0-1 0-0 0, Amanda Momont 0-0 0-0 0, Isabelle Hilber 0-5 2-5 2, Marissa Ponshock 5-9 2-5 12, Maggie Willfahrt 3-5 2-2 8, Natalie Aue 2-8 4-4 8, Hannah Bolder 1-6 0-3 2. FG: 12-42. FT: 10-20. 3-pointers: 0-3 (Hilber 0-3). Rebounds: 27 (Bolder 5, Ponshock 5). Turnovers: 19. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: none. Record: 4-1, 1-1 Marawood Conference South Division.