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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Columbus Catholic came out firing on all cylinders and made quick work of Auburndale.
The Dons began the game on a 19-4 run during the first 6½ minutes and led by double digits the rest of the way as they cruised to a 67-49 victory in a nonconference boys basketball game Tuesday night at Columbus Catholic High School.
Columbus (5-1) jumped out to a 7-2 lead behind two baskets from Noah Hansen and a 3-pointer for Jarred Mandel. After both teams exchanged baskets, the Dons ran off 12 more points in a row. Evan Dieringer hit a 3-pointer and Nick Malovrh had five points to help Columbus take a 19-4 lead.
“Defensively we wanted to really focus on Cooper Weinfurter and Colton Wright, we knew they are really tremendous players,” Columbus Catholic coach Joe Konieczny said. “The people on them did a really good job denying. For the most, especially early, we communicated and made sure that what they tried to do was difficult.”
Columbus had another 10-0 run to make it 29-7 and led 40-18 at halftime after Mandel hit another 3-pointer in the closing minute.
Auburndale (3-1) was able to stabilize the game in the second half, forcing 10 turnovers and not giving the Dons as many open looks or drives, but only cut the deficit to as few as 13 on a couple of occasions late.
The Apaches made 12 of 14 free throws in the second half to help their offensive cause, which struggled to just 12 of 53 shooting from the floor. Auburndale’s top two scorers, Wright and Weinfurter, were held to just 18 points on 5 of 22 shooting.
Cale Jacoby led the Apaches with 14 points and Wright added 12.
“They denied the ball to Cooper and they know he’s the guy that starts and runs our offense, that was a key thing and I didn’t think we were very competitive right away,” Auburndale coach Chad Weinfurter said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t compete better in the first half to give us a better chance. This is one of those games that you can learn a lot from if you choose to.”
Malovrh finished with 25 points and Mandel added 20 for the Dons.
“(Malovrh) was very unselfish the last few years, and played with two outstanding individual players (Tyler Fuerlinger and Hunter Schultz, both past Cloverbelt East players of the year) and I think this year you’re to see a full-Nick and see everything he can do out on the basketball court,” Konieczny said.
Columbus Catholic hosts Owen-Withee in a Cloverbelt Conference East Division game, and Auburndale will play a nonconference game at home against Abbbotsford on Friday.
Dons 67, Apaches 49
Auburndale 18 31 – 49
Columbus Catholic 40 27 – 67
AUBURNDALE (49): Cooper Weinfurter 2-12 2-2 6, Cale Jacoby 4-10 6-6 14, Cason Schmutzer 1-7 3-4 6, Carter Wilcott 0-1 0-0 0, Aaron Marth 0-0 0-0 0, Colten Yeske 1-4 0-0 2, Cameron Ertl 1-7 6-8 9, Colton Wright 3-10 4-4 12. FG: 12-53. FT: 21-24. 3-pointers: 4-15 (Wright 2-5, Schmutzer 1-2, Ertl 1-5, Weinfurter 0-3). Rebounds: 25 (Schmutzer 6). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: none. Record: 3-1.
COLUMBUS CATHOLIC (67): Evan Dieringer 1-2 0-0 3, Nick Hutchison 0-0 0-0 0, Peyton Nystrom 0-1 0-0 0, Nick Malovrh 9-14 4-7 25, Bryce Fuerlinger 3-6 1-2 7, Noah Taylor 1-3 1-2 3, Noah Hansen 4-6 1-1 9, Jarred Mandel 8-18 2-3 20. FG: 26-49. FT: 9-15. 3-pointers: 6-17 (Malovrh 3-7, Mandel 2-6, Dieringer 1-2, Fuerlinger 0-1, Taylor 0-1). Rebounds: 33 (Fuerlinger 11). Turnovers: 20. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: none. Record: 5-1.