This story is sponsored by: American Family Insurance – Randy LeMoine Agency, LLC
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPENCER – The Spencer Rockets didn’t win a whole lot of the statistical categories Tuesday night in their opening round game of the WIAA Division 4 playoffs against Athens, except for the one that matters most, the final score.
That one the Rockets won in grand fashion, beating the Bluejays 59-56 in double overtime in a D-4 regional quarterfinal game at Spencer High School.
The eighth-seeded Rockets (12-11) move on to play the top-seed Auburndale (18-4) on Friday night in Auburndale in a regional semifinal. Auburndale beat Spencer 65-54 in a nonconference game on Jan. 26.
Spencer trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, although the Rockets closed the gap to three by the half.
Spencer missed 15 free throws in the game and didn’t take a lead until 3:45 was left on a turn-around 10-foot jumper by Austin Bacon. Bacon would come up big again in about 3½ minutes.
“Austin played super,” Spencer coach Randy Reckner said. “The way he’s stepped up this year is unbelievable. He doesn’t play like a sophomore anymore. The kids really bought in on defense as the game progressed and we made some big stops. That’s the best we’ve played help defense. It was a great team effort. I’m just so happy that these guys gave themselves a chance to win tonight.”
Meanwhile, the Bluejays took advantage of a double-bonus situation and led 43-40 with 20 seconds to play. That didn’t seem to faze Bacon when he drilled a 21-footer off the top of the key to bring the home crowd to its feet. Athens couldn’t get a good shot off and the game went to overtime.
“We battled big against 45 (Cameron Ford),” said Spencer senior Jack Bezlyk, who scored his 1,000th point of his career with 1:50 left in the first half. “That’s where they were hurting us. We had to size them up a little bit. Austin (Bacon) hit a clutch 3 to send us to OT. That was nuts. He hit some free throws as well. He’s a good player overall. Collin (Nieman) got a few good drives in OT to get us jump started.”
Free throws by Bacon and Nate Karau were all the Rockets could muster in the extra session and the Bluejays got just one field goal, that from Ford, who finished with 26 points.
All heck broke loose in the second overtime when Spencer went up by as much as four on two baskets each by Bezlyk and Nieman and four straight free throws by Bacon.
Ford countered with seven in the second OT, culminating with a three-point play that brought the Bluejays to within one. Bezlyk’s final field goal made it a three-point game and Athens had a chance but couldn’t get a shot off after inbounding with 9 seconds remaining.
Bezlylk reflected on his high school career after his last home game. “It’s been a long journey. Three years starting varsity – played with a lot of different players that taught me a lot of different things, how to shoot, how to play, how to play down low. It’s been crazy.”
Bezlyk’s 16 points Tuesday night gives him 1,013 points for his career. The last Rocket to pass 1,000 points was Bezlyk’s former teammate, Bobby Pilz, just two seasons ago. He finished at 1,313 points.
Reckner said he was glad to play another day.
“Our kids should get a little confidence going into Friday,” Reckner said. “You gotta beat the best to go anywhere, so that’s where we’re at.”
Rockets 59, Bluejays 56 (2 OT)
Athens 21 22 2 11 – 56
Spencer 18 25 2 14 – 59
ATHENS (56): Cade Ellenbecker 8, Derek Czech 3, Seth Coker 12, Liam Weller 7, Cameron Ford 26. FG: 21-43. FT: 12-23. 3-pointers: 2. (Weller 1, Ellenbecker 1). Turnovers: 16. Record: 9-14.
SPENCER (59): Brett Kasch 3, Austin Bacon 16, Jack Bezlyk 16, Collin Nieman 9, Brandon Much 6, Nate Karau 9. FG: 22-56. FT: 12-27. 3-pointers: 3-15 (Kasch 1, Nieman 1, Bacon 1) Turnovers: 10. Record: 12-11.