This story is sponsored by: American Family Insurance – Randy LeMoine Agency, LLC
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield girls basketball team overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to take a late lead, but Stevens Point scored on its final six possessions and pulled out a 71-65 victory in a Wisconsin Valley Conference girls basketball game Tuesday night at Marshfield High School.
Stevens Point (15-2, 7-1 WVC), ranked 10th in this week’s Wissports.net Division 1 state coaches poll, led 30-20 at halftime and pushed its advantage to 41-27 with 13:09 to go before Marshfield (6-9, 2-5 WVC) got its offense rolling.
The Tigers made eight of their next nine shot attempts, which included three baskets by Jenna Jakobi and two 3-pointers from Meg Bryan, to close to within 51-47.
Marshfield took its first lead since early in the game at 56-54 on a basket by Bryan with 4:34 remaining.
There were two ties and the lead changed hands three times in the final 4 minutes.
Another Bryan 3-pointer put Marshfield on top 61-60 with 2:10 left before a basket by Leah Earnest gave Stevens Point the lead for good.
Following a Marshfield turnover, Maggie Negaard converted a three-point play and the Panthers went 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the final minute to hold on for the win.
“We’re playing with six people and they battled,” said Marshfield coach Heidi Michaelis, who’s next win will be her 300th in her 17-year career at the helm of the girls program. “They did a lot of really, really good things. That’s a good team, and I give Point credit for never getting rattled, but our kids battled tonight.
“It comes down to a few possessions where we didn’t make a shot and throwing the ball away.”
Bryan finished with 22 points, making six 3-pointers, and Jakobi had 20 points, including 15 in the second half, for the Tigers.
Earnest finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead Stevens Point, which made 16 of 20 free throws overall. Marshfield was just 13 of 21.
Despite the loss, Marshfield’s third in its last four games, Michaelis is remaining positive, as she said she is seeing improvement from her team during the second half of the season.
“We’re playing good teams and the only thing that matters is if we are the best team we can be at the end of the season,” Michaelis said. “I feel that we’re working toward that. We’ve had bad luck and a bad streak of some kids being out, but the other kids are picking it up and tonight they put their heads down and battled.
“I told them that the worst thing that could happen in a game like tonight is to say you quit, and they didn’t do that. That’s all I care about.”
Marshfield hosts Wisconsin Rapids on Friday at 7:15 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WDLB-AM 1450 and wdlbwosq.com.
Panthers 71, Tigers 65
Stevens Point 30 41 – 71
Marshfield 20 45 – 65
STEVENS POINT (71): Jenna Bohanski 3-4 0-0 7, Kaylin Kostuchowski 0-0 0-0 0, Halle Gregorich 2-5 0-0 4, Rachel Sullivan 5-8 1-3 11, Halle Pavelski 0-0 2-2 2, Maggie Negaard 4-14 5-5 14, Maddie Fink 3-5 0-0 6, Madisyn Rogan 2-6 5-6 10, Leah Earnest 7-13 3-4 17. FG: 26-55. FT: 16-20. 3-pointers: 3-10 (Bohanski 1-1, Rogan 1-3, Negaard 1-4, Fink 0-2). Rebounds: 33 (Earnest 10). Turnovers: 18. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: Gregorich. Record: 15-2, 7-1 Wisconsin Valley Conference.
MARSHFIELD (65): Kaydee Johnson 1-4 0-0 3, Meg Bryan 7-15 2-2 22, Maddie Michaelis 2-6 0-0 5, Corianne Johnson 0-3 6-8 6, Katie Osinski 3-8 3-9 9, Jenna Jakobi 9-16 2-2 20. FG: 22-54. FT: 13-21. 3-pointers: 8-19 (Bryan 6-12, K. Johnson 1-3, Michaelis 1-3, C. Johnson 0-1). Rebounds: 28 (C. Johnson 9). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: none. Record: 6-9, 2-5 Wisconsin Valley Conference.